​In 2026, America will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Route 66. This highway became much more than just a road connecting two places. It came to represent freedom, discovery, and the open road — an important part of the American experience. As a kid, I was fascinated by cars long before I understood their meaning. Now, as I work on setting up a retro car museum in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, I keep thinking about that same connection.

A Passion That Became a Collection

My first memories of vehicles aren’t about classic sports cars or luxury sedans. The first one we had was a motorcycle with a sidecar, which I rode to our country house. Like many kids, I loved the cars I saw in video games and magazines. I really wanted a Jaguar XJ220 and was fascinated by cars from the 1920s and 1930s. Their shapes, how they were built, and their unique character made them feel as they were part to a different world.

I started collecting seriously in 2014. I bought my first car at 19, but my real collecting began later. My first true classic was a 1967 Ford Mustang, and that car kindled my passion for collecting. What drew me to American cars was the feeling of freedom and independence they represented. Over the years, my collection has grown a lot, especially during the pandemic when I spent more time searching for cars and learning their histories.

Eventually, my collection grew too large to keep in the garage. I realized these cars deserved to be seen and appreciated by more people, not just a small group of collectors.

What fascinates me about old cars is that they are more than just machines. They reflect the dreams, tastes, and technology of the societies that made them. The 1920s and 1930s were truly a golden age for car design. Hundreds of manufacturers and independent coachbuilders experimented with shapes, materials, and styles. Each car was unique, and designers had a lot of creative freedom.

Many of the companies that built these cars no longer exist. Their vehicles are now rare reminders of a whole industrial era. I’ve always been intrigued by how engineering and design come together in a car. You can have advanced engineering and great design in the same vehicle.

That’s one reason American cars are so important in my collection. The Mustang and the Packard Twelve each represent different times in American car history, and both show America’s approach to innovation, style, and ambition. The 1932 Packard Twelve, for example, really shows the confidence and quality of that era, while the Duesenberg is pinnacle of American luxury, engineering, and craftsmanship.

Route 66 is another example of this connection. Its 100th anniversary shows how cars changed not only how people travel, but also how we build communities, connect towns and cities, and think about distance and opportunity. The road became part of America’s culture. In our museum, far from Route 66, we hope to tell a similar story — not only about cars as objects, but about how they shape people’s lives.

Giving a Historic Building a New Life

The museum is being built in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, inside the old Western Bus Station. I liked the idea of reusing the building instead of starting from scratch. A bus station is a place of movement and change, where people have begun journeys for decades. Turning it into a museum about cars and mobility seems like a natural next step in its story.

The building is also part of the city’s architectural history, and I want to keep its Soviet modernist style. My goal is to give the building a new purpose without losing its character. That’s very important to me. The museum isn’t just about car history — it’s also about the building’s own story.

The collection includes cars from several traditions: American, British, French, German, and Soviet. About 80 rare cars are displayed across four halls and nine themed areas. I want visitors to compare different approaches to design and engineering, see how ideas changed in each country, and how they influenced one another.

More Than a Museum

I don’t want the museum to feel like a warehouse with cars just parked in rows. It has to feel like a journey. Visitors will move through linked spaces and see cars in different contexts—engineering, design, cinema, and pop culture. Audio-visual installations and carefully designed exhibits will bring these histories to life.

A car can bring back all kinds of memories and feelings. For one person, it might remind them of a family trip; for another, a movie, a childhood dream, or a certain time in their life. I want the museum to make space for those experiences. The technical side matters, but so does the feeling you get when you stand in front of a car.

I also wanted to build this museum in Bishkek for another reason. The region doesn’t have many places focused on technology or industrial history. I see a chance to create a cultural destination that will interest car enthusiasts, families, students, and anyone curious about how the modern world developed.

The museum will include public spaces, educational areas, and event spaces. I hope it will inspire young people to take an interest in engineering, design, and the history of technology. A museum should be more than merely a place for old things. At its best, it can generate curiosity about the future.

Route 66 began as a road connecting places across America, and over time, it turned into a story people could relate to. The idea of a car collection in Bishkek doing something similar, but on a different scale, is exciting. It’s a way to connect histories, countries, and generations through objects that have traveled across time.