A huge communist-era propaganda monument and mural that offers stunning views of the Mongolian capital.

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

The first version of this stalwart construction appeared around 3,000 years ago.

The world's second-tallest flagpole stands proud despite dropping rank.

A building facade covered with the statues of 11 giants of Tajik literature.

This Soviet statue is based on a piece of propaganda that's been elevated to national myth.

In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.

This sprawling market is a one-stop shop for traditional Kazakh foods, from mare’s milk to sheep’s head.

Beatlemania is still going strong... at least in Kazakhstan.

A sober museum housed in the original administrative building of one of Stalin's largest gulags.

A Stalinist prison camp for the wives and children of men accused of betraying the Soviet state is now a memorial museum.

Iconic pyramid from famed British architect Norman Foster designed to represent all of the world's religious faiths.

An entertainment center in a huge transparent tent.

A modern tower, symbolizing the legend of a golden egg on top of the tree of life.

Time capsule of a museum, in which the Soviet Union remains alive and kicking.

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.

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

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

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.

Home to what was once considered the largest gate in central Asia.

Controversially restored in the 1970s, this giant 15th-century mosque is shrouded in legend.

This "tower of death" has acted as an observatory, a religious hub, and an executioner's lair.

Prowl through this sprawling bazaar under a massive Soviet-era dome for delicious eats.