- Kyrgyzstan Set -
I know little about this set other than it was made when Kyrgyzstan was part of the USSR. I have the original box which reads 'Made in USSR.' The other writing on the box is Russian and I've made no attempt to have it translated. The pieces, painted like Russian dolls are an interesting mix of Mongol figures and Russian architecture. The 'bowling pin' shape of the pieces resemble antique Russian sets. The knight in particular, have an antique Russian look about them with the low chin. This set, presented to Catherine the Great, is an elaborate example of the style I'm talking about. Compared with such sets you can see a strong Russian influence in the shape of these pieces, possibly due to the Soviet rule. Chess sets from Kyrgyzstan are a regular guest on eBay. They range from the simple shapes like mine to more complex carvings with little arms holding little implements. I prefer these simple Russian looking designs. I would not recommend dealing with the seller I got this set from, but I won't share his name here. If you ask I'll tell the story. It was not bad enough to publicly 'blacklist' the seller. There are far worse sellers on eBay. The past aside, here are some pictures of my Soviet Kyrgyzstan set:
The Kyrgyzstan Set.
Something about this picture makes me think of snow falling on it.
The white rook, center left, is broken at the top. I think I did a good job of repairing considering how dirty the break was. You can barley see the break in this picture, but of course it's quite a bit more noticable in person.