Krasnaya Rechka, Kyrgyzstan


Krasnaya Rechka is a village in the Chuy Region of Kyrgyzstan 8 km east of Kant. Its population was 7,274 in 2009. Nearby is the ruined Sogdian silk road settlement of Navekat. It was active between the 6th and 12th centuries and was the largest town in the valley at the time. Buddhist, Nestorian, Manichaean, Chinese and Sanskrit remains have been found.
Though there is little notably visible on the surface, parts of the Buddhist Temple II site have been conserved. A large eight-metre long reclining Buddha, decorated, with its pedestal, in red paint, was discovered during excavations in 1961. It was sent to the Hermitage Museum for conservation, where, in 2004, it was noted only a small section had been treated - the rest still in their original transportation packing.