There is much uncertainty about levels and trends in infant mortality in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia. As a result, the impact of the break-up of the Soviet Union on infant mortality in the region is not known, and proper monitoring of mortality levels is impaired. In this paper, we use a variety of data sources and methods to assess infant mortality levels and trends in one Central Asian republic, Kyrgyzstan, between 1980 and 2010. We find that, contrary to what the registration data indicate, infant mortality abruptly stopped declining during the decade following the break-up of the Soviet Union. We also find that infants of Central Asian ethnicity or born in rural areas remain considerably more at risk, in contrast with what the reported levels show. We discuss the implication of these findings for health policy and for understanding the nature of the health crisis in this understudied part of the former Soviet Union.