@mrsketcher10: Ainting the biggest wedding in history in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan! The story of this building is very interesting. Kyrgyzstan, like most of Central Asia, was part of the USSR until 1991. Religion was practically banned under Soviet rule, and therefore so were religious ceremonies and weddings. Marriage was reduced to a formal administrative affair, which really displeased all the religious constituents of the Soviet Union, who clamored for their right to marry in religious establishments. The USSR said no, but as compromise, they built this big wedding palace as a government owned, secular house of worship where everyone could have a big wedding ceremony. It mimicked the architectural grandeur of cathedrals, mosques, temples, etc… but there was no religious iconography whatsoever. The stained glass windows represent scenes of manual labor, and the crucifixes are replaced by bas-relief hammers and sickles. Only one god allowed: Lenin ✊ Even after the independence ce in 1991, the building kept its function and many locals still use it today as a wedding venue. Still, it looks a bit sad from the outside, so I tried to imagine what it would look like on the day of a huuuuuuge colorful wedding Source: caravanistan #urbansketchers #sketchbook #watercolor #pleinair #backpacking

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Friday 10 April 2026 11:17:12 GMT