Gregory Sheinfeld has been living in Birmingham for 30 years. The American came to Kyrgyzstan six months ago to marry a Kyrgyz woman. He faced bureaucracy here — despite the high cost of services for foreigners, they have to stand in queue along with everyone.
— What have you already visited in Kyrgyzstan?
— I arrived in Kyrgyzstan in September 2018. I attended the 3rd World Nomad Games in Issyk-Kul region. I really liked your manaschi, horse races. I saw national costumes, how a yurt is set up. I like your money — it is very beautiful, especially 2,000 soms banknote.
— What surprises you in Bishkek?
— It is surprising that Kyrgyzstan is one of a few former Soviet republics without «war with history.» I mean, all the monuments of the Soviet era have been preserved in the capital. The city carefully keeps monuments, dedicated to the heroes of the October Socialist Revolution, the Civil War, the Great Patriotic War. The memory of these people is preserved in the names of streets, parks, public gardens and even entire districts of Bishkek.
I am surprised by a large number of public transport, minibus taxis. There is a huge number of foreign brands of cars in personal use. Traffic jams during rush hours and complete ignoring of the traffic rules amaze me.
Gregory Sheinfeld
— What in Bishkek reminds you of your hometown?
— I have been living in Birmingham for 30 years. Most of people live in private houses there. In Bishkek, I also saw a large number of private houses. The only difference is the quality of roads along which they are built, and the cleanliness of the streets. In Birmingham, you won’t get stuck in mud on a rainy day. Your shopping malls are like American ones. Even the cost of goods is approximately the same. It surprises me.
— What is your favorite place in Bishkek?
— it is a mini park opposite the Ministry of Culture, next to the State Historical Museum.
— What national dishes do you like? And what are you afraid to even try?
— I love beshbarmak, manty with any filling: lamb, pumpkin, chives. As for drinks: it is airan, kumys, maksym.
And what I’m afraid to try is horsemeat, probably because I have never eaten it and adhere to the rule: I don’t eat my friends. Consequently, I have never eaten horses or dogs and will not eat them.
Gregory Sheinfeld
— What has fascinated and disappointed you in close acquaintance with the local population?
— I was fascinated by the hard-working nature of the people. Products of their labor can be seen in the spontaneous markets in Bishkek. I liked good service in the restaurants I visited, with a wonderful, multiple-choice menu. I was also fascinated by your vegetable shops, plenty of greenery, fruit and a large number of young people on the streets, many children. Nothing disappointed me. People are kind, attentive, hospitable, they are serious about the future of their children.
— What would you change in Bishkek?
— Maybe, I would advise to be more attentive to the architectural ensemble of the whole city. I would change the roads. If I had broken my car in USA not through my fault, but because of the poor condition of roads, I would have sued the city administration. It is not the case in Kyrgyzstan.
Chaotic buildings are constructed in Bishkek — a multi-storey building can be built on a small piece of land. There must be harmony between the old city and new buildings.
Gregory Sheinfeld
— You have encountered some difficulties in Bishkek. Tell us about them...
— I arrived in Kyrgyzstan without a visa because a U.S. citizen can stay here for 60 days without a visa and registration, and married a citizen of Kyrgyzstan. I had to go to Almaty, to the Consulate of Kyrgyzstan in Kazakhstan, to return to the Kyrgyz Republic with a visa corresponding to the status of a spouse of a Kyrgyzstani. I physically could not get to Almaty, so I had to just drive to Kordai, go through the border post and go back.
It is not clear to me why it is impossible to resolve the visa issue here — in Bishkek as it happens in other countries.
Gregory Sheinfeld
I was also surprised by the medical care of a foreigner — husband of a Kyrgyzstani. Why should I pay in dollars like an ordinary foreigner being a member of a family that is served by a family doctor for free? It seems to me that this money could be better used in a family with two children. Is it not discrimination?
