Bishkek’s weekly cultural guide: Ethnic festival, film premieres and exhibitions

Bishkek’s cultural programme for Sept. 7-11 includes exhibitions, traditional crafts, live music, theatre, cinema and a fashion and textile fair.

The Gapar Aitiev Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts will show its permanent collections of painting, graphic art, sculpture and decorative arts from Sept. 8 to 11. An exhibition dedicated to Urkun, running through Sept. 10, will combine works from the museum’s collection with installations based on oral histories gathered during research.

The museum will also host the “When Heritage Is Revived” festival from Sept. 8 to 20, featuring a photo zone, workshops, meetings with craftswomen and handmade goods. On Sept. 8, the national Shyrdakchy of the Year competition will bring together leading craftswomen demonstrating the traditional Kyrgyz technique of making shyrdaks.

That evening, People’s Artist of Kyrgyzstan Syy myk Beishekeyev will perform at the Toktogul Satylganov Kyrgyz National Philharmonic in a birthday concert featuring new songs, live instruments, duets and familiar hits. The Dordoi Plaza shopping centre will host a screening and discussion of Melis Ubukeyev’s 1969 film “Ak Moor.”

The Bishkek Fashion & Textile exhibition-fair will run from Sept. 8 to 10 at Zhastyk Arena, offering collections, fabrics, underwear, leather and fur goods, bags and accessories. The Russian Drama Theatre will stage “These Free Butterflies” on Sept. 9, while Sept. 10 film releases include the melodrama “Adamga Adam Kerek” and the comedy “Zhasalma Zhigit.”