The main attraction of the shrine-like Przhevalsky memorial garden is a small, well-presented museum dedicated to Nikolai Przhevalsky, the Russian explorer who died here in 1888 and for whom Karakol was previously named. Entered through a Neo-Grec portal, there's a giant map of his Tibet and Central Asia travels behind a big globe. Many exhibits have English captions but for an over-arching explanation of his life you'll really need the guide (who speaks good German but no English).

　　The best features are arguably the banknote-style wall murals designed to alter perspective as you walk by. Amid the taxidermy is a stuffed white Przewalski's horse, the breed for whose 'discovery' the explorer is best known in the west.