Places vturano Wants to Go

An outstanding piece of retro Sci-Fi architecture built into a sacred mountain.

A unique interactive bronze sculpture that captures a real-life viral rescue.

This 100-foot tall tombstone memorializes victims of 40 years of nuclear testing in Kazakhstan.

A collection of Lenin busts and other Soviet Era statues sit idly behind the Semipalatinsk Hotel.

One of the most horrible legacies of the Cold War is a site where the Soviet Union tested nuclear bombs on civilians.

Nicknamed Kazakhstan's Grand Canyon, this natural wonder lies east of Almaty near the Chinese border.

World's oldest and largest space launch facility, once a secret missile testing site.

The heartbeat of modern Uzbekistan’s thriving market culture.

Where you'll find anything but nothing.

Granny Smiths and Fujis can both be traced back to Kazakhstan, where apples still grow wild.

An eccentric dictator's take on a Turkmen version of Disneyland.

Touching displays of wishes for peace from the Cold War era.

Looking for a unifying history, Uzbekistan finds its answer in a 14th Century Turco-Mongol conqueror... despite the fact he wasn't Uzbek.

One of the most ethnically diverse spots on the planet.

Giant cauldrons overflow with Uzbekistan's favorite rice dish at this cavernous dining hall.

An 18-meter-long sarcophagus of a constantly growing dead prophet.

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.

Once a luxurious flagship of the Soviet Union, this Brutalist structure remains a landmark of Tashkent’s communist past.

This museum is dedicated to one of Russia's greatest explorers.

Dedicated to a Bolshevik revolutionary, this museum is a true time capsule of the Soviet era.

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.

This Soviet-era athletic and recreation facility is the highest ice skating rink in the world.

A brilliant turquoise lake in the mountains.

Founded during the Ayutthaya era, this unique Buddhist temple remains shipshape to this day.