This is a book about missing illusions. About how the “velvet coup” turned into a pogrom. About the revolution in Kyrgyzstan and the sack of Bishkek. Georgia, Ukraine, now Kyrgyzstan. What did we know about this republic before? Lake Issyk-Kul, Tien Shan Mountains and President Askar Akaev. Lakes are eternal, just like mountains. And the political landscape of Kyrgyzstan was instantly blown up by a crowd of “revolutionaries”, who soon turned into ordinary looters. The chronicle of events, eyewitness accounts, expert analysis of the political situation before and after the revolution, forecasts for the further development of the situation and the balance of power within the Kyrgyz elite will make it possible to understand what happened in Bishkek this spring.