Statue of Lenin in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan. Originally a fortress on the Silk Road called Pishkek, it became a Russian settlement in the second half of the 19th century. During Soviet times, it was renamed as Frunze after the Bolshevik military leader Mikhail Frunze (1885–1925), who was born there. In 1936, the city of Frunze became the capital of the Kyrghyz Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1991, the Kyrgyz parliament changed the capital's name to Bishkek. Nowadays, Bishkek is a rather pleasant green city where one can spot the Tian Shan mountains, weather permitting.