Bishkek's State History Museum depicts the history of the Kyrgyz people from their nomadic days to the war effort in the 1940s. The natural and political history of the country is revealed, with a particular focus on its Soviet heritage.
The museum is often referred to by its former name, the Lenin Museum. The collection includes rock paintings from Saimaly-Tash, armour and objects dating from the Bronze Age, early nomadic adornments from the 1st to 5th centuries AD and handicrafts from the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Interesting displays from the Soviet period feature collections of documents, photographs, paintings, drawings, sculptures and gifts presented to the Kyrgyz Republic by foreign governments.