Cinema Ala-Too
Kyrgyzstan’s oldest cinema: columns from 1938 and ceramic panels from 1963.
- 1938opened as Avangard
- 1963ceramics on the façade
- 15–25 minfaçade and panels
- Chuy / Erkindik187 Chuy Avenue
Stops in walking order
The list on the left follows the chapters as you scroll. Tap a photo to enlarge it.
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outside1 / 3
Colonnaded façade
The curved, white-columned façade on the corner of Chuy and Erkindik belongs to the city’s first purpose-built cinema.
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August 18, 2018outside2 / 3
Ceramic panels
In 1963 the façade was decorated with coloured ceramics for the 100th anniversary of northern Kyrgyzstan joining Russia.
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November 30, 2013outside3 / 3
What the panels show
The panels show the union with Russia, the campaign against illiteracy, labour, a youth with a dove of peace, Soviet symbols and the first man in space.
History by date
- 1938Avangard opens
The cinema opened as Avangard and was later renamed Ala-Too.
- 1960sSaved by residents
There were plans to demolish the building; residents collected signatures to save it.
- 1963Panels on the façade
Ceramic panels were added to the façade for the 100th anniversary of northern Kyrgyzstan joining Russia.
- 2025Repairs ordered
The culture minister ordered the cinema to be repaired.
- 2026Kazakh cinema
From 28 to 30 September the cinema hosted Days of Kazakh Cinema.
Four seasons
How the place looks at different times of year.
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Summer
June–AugustIn summer the trees along Chuy Avenue hide the façade.
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Autumn
September–NovemberIn late autumn the trees are bare and the panels are clearly visible from the street.
Where it is
- Address
- 187 Chuy Avenue, corner of Erkindik Boulevard, Bishkek
- From the base
- ≈0.3 km as the crow flies · Bishkek
- Coordinates
- 42.8762° N, 74.6076° E
Opening times
Hours and prices
- Opening hours
- by screening times
The façade can be seen from the street; check the screening times on site.
Check on site
- Screening times at the box office
Contact and help
112 single emergency number
- 101 fire and rescue
- 102 police
- 103 ambulance
You can call 112 with a local SIM or without one.
Nearby and where to go next
Base · BishkekBishkekA city base for museums, squares and a walk through the market.- Cultural site · ≈0.3 km as the crow fliesAla-Too SquareThe main square of Bishkek, with fountains, monuments and the national flag.
- Cultural site · ≈0.4 km as the crow fliesOld SquareBehind the History Museum: old Government House, the old Lenin, Soviet monuments.
- Cultural site · ≈0.5 km as the crow fliesKyrgyz Opera and Ballet TheatreKyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theatre in a mid-twentieth-century building in central Bishkek.
Cultural site · ≈0.2 km as the crow fliesChingiz Aitmatov Russian Drama TheatreChingiz Aitmatov Russian Drama Theatre is at 122 Tynystanov Street in Bishkek. The current building opened in 1972.
Cultural site · ≈0.4 km as the crow fliesNational Historical MuseumKyrgyzstan’s history and ethnographic collections beside Ala-Too Square.