The Russified north

The blue domes of the Orthodox Church and the billboard ad for a ballet performance indicate the enduring, though much diminished, Russian influence in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The northern part of country, which includes Bishkek, is considered more "Russified" than the south, which is more rural, more conservative in its expression of Islam, and has a higher percentage of ethnic Uzbeks and Tajiks.