Brick by Brick, Isolated Min Kush Crumbles Away

Meaning "1,000 Birds" in Kyrgyz, the industrial town of Min Kush was known throughout Kyrgyzstan as "little Moscow." Despite being a closed zone in Soviet times -- not appearing on maps and requiring special permission to enter -- people from all over heard about its stores stocked with imported fruits, a wide selection of shoes and jewelry, and plentiful, lucrative jobs. Salaries were 50 to 100 percent higher than elsewhere. Min Kush's reputation was such that there was a waiting list to work in its factories.

Today, Min Kush's skeletal remains are withering away; its buildings looted for scrap metal and construction materials.