Kirov Reservoir

The Kirov Reservoir is a large reservoir in the western part of the Talas Region, famous for its dam with a monumental depiction of Lenin. This is an outstanding monument of Soviet monumentalism.
The construction of the reservoir was started in 1965 and lasted 10 years in the Chon-Kapka Gorge. Earlier in the place of the reservoir was located the village of Kirovskoe, which was moved to the neighboring district. The Kirov Reservoir was created to irrigate the fertile lands of the Talas Valley.
The greatest depth of the reservoir is 7 meters. The area is 20 square kilometers. In addition to the blue waters of the reservoir, the dam has great interest for tourists. This is because a bust of Lenin is carved into the side of the dam. According to some sources, this is one of the largest sculptures of this kind in the world. On some days, it is possible to observe the water leaving the dam. By winter most of the water is drained from the dam and most of the water left behind freezes. In the winter it is possible to see the remains of houses left from old Kirovskoe.

How to get to the Kirov reservoir?

The Kirov Reservoir is located in the western part of the Talas Region, very close to the border with Kazakhstan, the Chon-Kapka Gorge. There is a good asphalt road to the reserve.