Russia has changed many of the Soviet-era names of its cities, streets, and landmarks since the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. But Russian politicians were furious over a call in Kyrgyzstan for Bolshevik names in the Kyrgyz capital to be changed, seeing it as an attack on the Russian language. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said Bishkek's "support for the Russian language" is essential for the future of bilateral relations.
