The Water Museum opens it’s doors!

published: 22 April 2015

Today on April 22, 2015, in Bishkek, the Water Museum opened it’s doors. The Museum was opened at the K.I.Skryabin Kyrgyz National Agrarian University. Kumtor Gold Company is one of the sponsors of the Museum.

The Museum is filled with various exhibits, equipment and interactive stands, providing visitors an opportunity to participate in chemical show, hear the sounds of local water birds, learn about the importance of water in the natural ecosystem, and understand the process of the domestic water supply and irrigation practices. Some sections of the museum were decorated to imitate underground grottoes.

The Akmena public association took the initiative in 2011 to establish the Water Museum. During the last 4 years, a task force to implement the engineering and decoration works has been created under the leadership of this organization. Since 2012, the establishment was supported by the OSCE Center in Bishkek and the UNDP Small Grants programme in Kyrgyzstan. Significant contribution was made by various partners, including Kumtor, which supported the decoration works for the exhibitions on glaciers and the water management and treatment process at the mine site.

“It’s a great pleasure for Kumtor to be part of this initiative to establish the Water Museum – the first of its kind in Central Asia. I hope this Water Museum will become a popular attraction among schoolchildren and students – the future leaders of this country – so they will learn to understand and value the importance of water to the environment and society”, Ben Ferris, KGC Environment Director told.

The Museum is expected to be one of the most valuable cultural and tourism points in Bishkek. For the moment, design works are still being completed, and opening of the Water Museum for the broader public is planned for June 2015.