Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov came to power in 2007. Subordinates call him "arkadag" - patron. In addition, he is the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the country's armed forces. Lawmakers also awarded him the title of "Hero of Turkmenistan". The president is limited only by his own inexperience, the lack of independent power, the mentality of the population and Russian influence.

Berdymukhammedov is a complex combination of Soviet bureaucrat, traditional Turkmen tribal elite and intelligence that psychologically fundamentally distinguishes him from his predecessor. Strong family ties and professional style of work suggest that he has the intention to achieve something in Turkmenistan while he is in office and open to new ideas. However, his incompetence and willingness to act gradually indicate that this process will be very long.

short biography

Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov was born in 1957 in the village of Babarap, Geok-Tepe district, Ashgabat region, Turkmen SSR. The President differs from his predecessor in many ways, especially in origin. Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, whose family was large, conservative but atheistic, seems to have absorbed traditional family values. His parents were at the same time true to their ethnic Turkmen roots and loyal to the Soviet state. In the official biography, published after taking office, his father is credited with educating his son in moderation and balance, encouraging thoughtful decision-making in him.

National traditions are manifested in a respectful attitude towards the wife. As is customary in Asian countries, almost nothing is reported about the wife of the president and his children. According to rumors, there are two women in his life - a Russian (possibly a mistress, but this is not confirmed) and a Turkmen. Some argue that their marriage was arranged by agreement, but it is noteworthy that since taking office, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, whose wife is from the Mary region, has appointed many officials from there, as well as from Geok-Depa.

In 1979, he graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry of the Turkmen State Medical Institute and began working as a dentist in a rural outpatient clinic. By 1987, Gurbanguly gradually climbed the career ladder and left for Moscow for 3 years to study therapeutic dentistry. He returned to Ashgabat as a teacher at the Turkmen Medical Institute in 1990. In 1995, he joined the Ministry of Health, and two years later he headed it. In April 2001, Berdymukhammedov became Deputy Prime Minister responsible for education, science and health.

New president

Turkmenistan was left without Saparmurat Niyazov on December 21, 2006. Berdymukhammedov was appointed interim by the Security Council. This decision surprised many in the international community as well as in the country itself. It has been suggested that the powerful Turkmen security service preferred a politically weak man. According to rumors circulating among emigrants, Berdymukhammedov is Niyazov's illegitimate son. This is possible in terms of age difference, but considered unlikely.

On February 11, 2007, Berdymukhammedov was elected head of state with almost 90% of the vote. After he took office, the diaspora and many citizens hoped for an easing of the total control that the former president of Turkmenistan had surrounded. Some improvements have been made: Berdymukhammedov reinstated pensions abolished by his predecessor, relaxed travel restrictions, and reinstated the 10th grade school that Niyazov had abolished. However, in his first year as head of state, there were no signs that he would undertake real political and economic reforms that could lead to the democratization of the country.

In late 2007, he replaced some of the portraits of Niyazov that had been a striking feature of Ashgabat with his own. This gave rise to speculation that the new president, imitating his predecessor, began to instill his own cult of personality. In addition, Berdymukhammedov continued Niyazov's grandiose construction projects, including the construction of a new seaport and airport in the city of Turkmenbashi on the Caspian coast. On February 13, 2012, he was elected to a second term amid widespread criticism that the election was rigged.

Impressions of the President

Some of the foreign guests who met with the newly elected president, after talking with him, came to the conclusion that he was not as talented as they say. However, his ability to navigate complex subjects may be limited by the quality of reference materials provided to him and by his degree of familiarity with the topic. Those who worked with Berdymukhammedov when he was health minister say he was a professional conversationalist, knowledgeable, positive and open to constructive ideas and suggestions, especially in areas such as health and education. There were also times when, like other Turkmen officials, he was isolated for a long time from foreign scientific and technical developments and did not understand the essence of the proposals of non-governmental organizations or aid groups. True, when the host of the project tried to explain its essence in a more understandable language, the president complained that they were talking to him like a child.

Personal qualities

There were rumors that Berdymukhammedov's son hit a pedestrian while racing his car on the Archabil Highway in Ashgabat. The President is still offended by the high-ranking official of the Ministry of National Security, responsible for the temporary detention of the offender. Although there is no evidence of this, it is unlikely that his son spent much time in prison. Now he lives abroad.

There is also talk of the president's intolerance of government officials who are not in line or who are not entirely decent. He is rumored to have fired two women for whispering and laughing when he entered the room. He requires female civil servants to cover their arms and legs and does not hesitate to criticize their choice of clothing. Berdymukhammedov has a reputation as a very demanding leader who instills fear in his employees. When he is angry, he kicks everything and screams, but not with his direct subordinates, he is more restrained.

Also, his personal qualities are evidenced by the fact that the plane of the President of Turkmenistan Niyazov was sold to the leader of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. Berdymukhammedov did not want to fly on it - this, they say, is a bad omen.

Niyazov?

Berdymukhammedov broke all records by surviving three government crises while serving in the cabinet. In 2003, Niyazov publicly chastised him for failing to improve the qualifications of new doctors and teachers, but he retained his post. In 2004, the former president of Turkmenistan once again publicly criticized him and fined him three months' salary for allowing wage arrears of medical and educational workers, but he again remained in office. It is also said that before Niyazov's death, his personal herd was struck by an epidemic that killed many livestock. The veterinarian was imprisoned, but the president did not strip Berdymukhammedov of his post. There is no explanation or theory about how he succeeded, other than the rumor that he is the illegitimate son of Turkmenbashi. Niyazov could have become his father at the age of 17. Most likely, Berdymukhammedov's intellectual abilities and his political acumen allowed him to take the necessary steps to maintain his position.

Rebirth after the Golden Age

Officially, Niyazov's "golden age of the Turkmens" has not yet ended (it should cover the entire 21st century). Nevertheless, the government under Berdymukhammedov put forward the slogan "new revival" to characterize the "new" era. True, it is not clear why the country needs to be restored after the "golden age". As the Turkmen press explained in the early days of Berdymukhammedov's rule, the nation “needs a new revival after the people suffered the sudden death of the Turkmenbashi, the great leader. It is required by those who believe that the people are left without their "caring father." In addition, the practice of restoring the president's ancestral village, begun by Niyazov, continued under Berdymukhammedov.

Cult of personality

As for the replacement of the deified members of the Niyazov family, it seems that the President of Turkmenistan decided to spare in this matter. Only Malikguly, Berdymukhammedov's father, plays an active role in creating a new national idea. Attempts by government ideologues to create a second Gurbansoltan-Edzhe (the cult name of the mother of Turkmenbashi) from Berdymukhammedov's mother failed. In local schools, Niyazov's faces were replaced with posters depicting the new leader of the nation, depicting his life path, academic achievements, including a diploma from the Turkmen Medical Institute and a Ph.D. in dentistry from a Moscow medical school.

The president, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, has created his own cult of personality and does not feel any discomfort about this. After his election, the Democratic Party, which supports the concept of one strong ruler, was given the task of creating a new leader. Activists across Turkmenistan began to praise the president. Berdymukhammedov's omnipresence is propagated by his portraits that are hung all over Ashgabat and the rest of the country. Photos of the president are posted on billboards installed at major intersections, in conference rooms of government buildings, in banquet halls of state restaurants and hotels. On the flights of the airline of Turkmenistan, a photo of Berdymukhammedov hangs in the front of the cabin. There are also portraits of him in the local gym, where the president practices karate. In June 2010, he presided over the opening ceremony of the central mosque in the city of Mary, which was named after him.

Tireless Writer

The power of the head of state is versatile - he is the main expert on everything from urban planning to medicine. The books of the President of Turkmenistan are regularly published. Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov writes about medicinal plants and about the "epoch of new revival" - the period of his reign.

State TV channels show how he chairs government meetings almost every day, where he appears to strictly assess the work of each deputy head of the cabinet of ministers. He is also often shown riding a horse, playing other sports, while inspecting the many new developments that are underway across the country. TV presenters and commentators attribute almost every positive news to the account of "our dear president." When the first South Korean buses appeared on the streets of Ashgabat, they were marked with the inscription “Gift of the respected president”.

Achievements, sayings and resolutions of the president of Turkmenistan are often at the center of the speeches of Turkmen officials, even if the event has little to do with it.

The limits of narcissism

So far, Berdymukhammedov's self-praise has been somewhat limited. Until recently, he did not erect monuments to himself, like his predecessor, and did not print his image on banknotes. True, in 2015, a giant golden statue of Berdymukhammedov on horseback on top of a marble cliff was nevertheless erected. Most private houses and restaurants do not have posters of the president. The names of the months and days of the week do not bear his name or the names of his relatives, as was the case under Niyazov.

One Actor Theater

While there are undoubtedly people who have influence over Berdymukhammedov, the government of Turkmenistan is his deputies in government who are extremely deferential to the president in both public and private meetings. In many ways, they act as his attendants. From weddings and New Years to everyday activities like going to the gym, the President of Turkmenistan has literally filled it all up. will continue to grow, as the Turkmens do not know other models of local government. One sign of Berdymukhammedov's growing image as the sole source of power is plans to move some statues of the former president.

Lover of Coca-Cola

Berdymukhammedov is not as healthy as he is portrayed. He suffers from type 2 diabetes and likely long-term consequences associated with it. Given his weight problems and addiction to Coca-Cola, such a diagnosis seems plausible.

The President of Turkmenistan only drinks Coca-Cola in small glass bottles. Every few months, a government official from his administration visits the plant and randomly selects crates of sweet water. Coca-Cola accounts for 60% of the company's sales in Turkmenistan, mainly because the president of the country, a dentist by profession, loves this particular drink.

Place of birth, education. Born in the village of Babarap, Geok-Tepe district, Ashgabat region, Turkmen SSR. In 1979 he graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry of the Turkmen State Medical Institute. In 1987, he entered graduate school in Moscow, from which he graduated in 1990 and received the degree of Candidate of Medical Sciences.

Career. Since 1979 he worked in Ashgabat as a dentist. In 1990-1995 held the positions of an assistant of the Department of Therapeutic Dentistry, Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Turkmen State Medical Institute.

In 1995, Berdymukhammedov became the director of the dental center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan. In May 1997, he was appointed Minister of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan. In addition, in 1998 he headed the International Medical Center named after Saparmurat Niyazov. On April 3, 2001, Berdymukhammedov, in addition to his ministerial position, received the post of Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan, responsible for health, education and science. Since August 2004, he began to oversee culture and the media.

In July 2003, Berdymukhammedov headed the state commission for admission to higher educational institutions, which became possible to enter only after two years of work in the chosen specialty, and not immediately after graduation. Four months later, Berdymukhammedov was reprimanded by the president for the low level of qualifications of Turkmen doctors, but retained his post. In April 2004, Niyazov fined Berdymukhammedov three months' salary for about half of Turkmenistan's wage arrears in education and health care. According to some reports, Berdymukhammedov was at one time Niyazov's personal physician.

On November 28, 2006, instead of Niyazov, Berdymukhammedov took part in a meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of State. On the night of December 20-21, 2006, Niyazov died of sudden cardiac arrest. On December 21, 2006, Berdymukhammedov became the interim president of Turkmenistan.

On December 26, 2006, Berdymukhammedov was elected chairman of the Congress of the People's Council, which on that day changed the Constitution, passed the law on presidential elections, set the date for the presidential election, and approved six candidates.

On February 12, 2012, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov won an absolute majority of votes (97.14%) in the presidential elections and was recognized as the elected president of Turkmenistan.

On February 2, 2017, he was re-elected head of state for the third time.97.69% of voters voted for him.

Views and assessments. Berdymukhammedov lifted a number of restrictions imposed by Niyazov. Thus, the ban on foreign periodicals, opera and circus was lifted. In addition, the new president opened Internet access for the population. Immediately after taking office, he carried out an educational reform, returning the school ten-year-old and replacing the traditional dresses for girls with modern European-style uniforms. In addition, Berdymukhammedov led the fight against the personality cult of Turkmenbashi: the name of Niyazov in the text of the oath and the anthem was replaced by the word "president".

Berdymukhammedov's economic policy of that time was characterized by a desire to get closer to the West. In October 2007, Turkmenistan, together with Georgia, refused to sign the CIS Development Concept, which envisaged the formation of an "integrated economic and political association of interested states." Berdymukhammedov supported the idea of ​​a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline that would allow Europe to receive Turkmen gas bypassing Russia. At the same time, a final agreement was reached between Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia on the start of construction of the Caspian gas pipeline, which should increase the volume of Turkmen gas supplies to the Russian Federation.

At the initiative of Berdymukhammedov, the Constitution was adopted, which abolished the People's Council - the highest body of legislative power, and, according to experts, significantly increased the powers of the head of state.

2009 was marked by new reforms. Thus, Berdymukhammedov approved a new military doctrine of Turkmenistan, which maintained its neutral status and provided for the transition of the army to a contract basis.

In 2009, Turkmenistan announced an increase in gas supplies to Iran and the construction of a new Turkmen-Iranian gas pipeline. In addition, Berdymukhammedov announced his country's readiness to participate in the Nabucco gas pipeline project, bypassing Russia.

In 2013, the privatization of housing was allowed.

In the 2013/14 academic year, schools switched to a 12-year education system. Since 2015, in addition to Russian and English, schools have introduced the teaching of Chinese and Japanese languages ​​in a number of schools and universities in Turkmenistan.

Regalia. He was awarded many orders and medals, including the Medal of the highest degree named after the national hero of Afghanistan Gaza Amanullah Khan, as well as the UNESCO Avicenna Gold Medal.

Hobbies. Berdymukhammedov loves hunting, perceives it as "a good excuse for an extra meeting with the many-sided nature of Turkmenistan."

Family bonds. According to some reports, Berdymukhammedov was married twice: his first wife was a Turkmen, the second was a Russian. He has one son, three daughters and four grandchildren.

Berdimuhamedov Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich

Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov (Turkmen. Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow; born June 29, 1957, Babarap village, Geok-Tepe district, Ashgabat region, Turkmen SSR, USSR), bears the title Arkadag (Turkmen. Arkadag - "patron") - the president of Turkmenistan with February 14, 2007 (from December 21, 2006 to February 14, 2007, he served as acting president of Turkmenistan), statesman, chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, supreme commander of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan, army general, doctor of medical sciences, doctor of economic sciences, academician of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan , former chairman of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (from 2007 to 2013). Biography President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov with President of the Republic of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev during a visit to the Kul-Sharif mosque Born on June 29, 1957 in the village of Babarap, Geok-Tepe district, Ashgabat region, Turkmen SSR. Father, Myalikguly Berdimuhamedovich Berdimuhamedov - teacher, candidate member of the CPSU, former head of the department of correctional labor institutions, now a pensioner. Mother - Ogulabat-edzhe. Grandfather, Berdimuhamed Annaev, was a famous teacher, worked as the director of an elementary school, during the Great Patriotic War he fought at the front. Gurbanguly was the only son in the family, his sisters are Durdynabat, Gulnabat, Myahri, Guljamal and Oguljamal. In 1979 he graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry of the Turkmen State Medical Institute, then graduate school. Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor in the specialty "social hygiene and healthcare organization". He began his career in 1980 as a dentist. From 1980 to 1982 he worked as a dentist in a rural outpatient clinic in the village of Errik-Kala, Ashgabat region. From 1982 to 1985 he was the chief freelance dentist of the Ashgabat region. From 1985 to 1987 he was the head of the dental department of the Central District Hospital of the Keshi village council of the Ashgabat region and the chief freelance dentist of the Ashgabat region. 1990-1995 - Assistant Professor, Department of Therapeutic Dentistry, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Turkmen State Medical Institute. 1995-1997 - Director of the Dental Center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan. Since 1997 - Minister of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan. Since 2001 - Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan (Niyazov himself was the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan). In November 2006, he represented Turkmenistan at the CIS summit in Minsk. Long before the death of S. A. Niyazov, rumors were circulated in the press, according to which Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was the illegitimate son of Turkmenbashi, an indirect confirmation of which was the resemblance and the fact that little is known about Berdimuhamedov's parents. After Niyazov's death, he headed the funeral commission and became acting president by decision of the State Security Council. In accordance with the Constitution, Ovezgeldy Ataev, the chairman of the Mejlis, was supposed to head Turkmenistan, but a criminal case was suddenly initiated against him. On December 26, at a meeting of the Halk Maslahaty (People's Council), he received the unanimous support of 2,507 delegates of the country's supreme authority as a candidate for the presidency of Turkmenistan. He won the presidential elections on February 11, 2007 with a score of 89.23% and became the second president of Turkmenistan. On the morning of February 14, 2007, the Central Election Commission of Turkmenistan announced the name of the winner, immediately after which the inauguration of the new president began. Berdimuhamedov was presented with a presidential certificate and a distinctive sign in the form of a gold chain with an octagonal emblem. The new president walked on a white carpet, symbolizing a bright path. He was presented with sachak - bread wrapped in a tablecloth, a quiver with arrows, the Koran and the Ruhnama. He made his first official visit to Saudi Arabia. The President visited the shrines of the Islamic world, performed the holy Hajj Umrah. On April 23, 2007, he paid an official visit to Moscow and held a meeting with Putin, during which gas contracts, cooperation in the field of medicine and education, and the foreign policy orientation of the new Turkmen authorities were discussed. On August 4, 2007, he was elected chairman of the Galkynysh National Movement and the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan. He won the presidential election on February 12, 2012 with a score of 96.70%. In 2013, he suspended his membership in the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan for the duration of his presidency. Campaign Promises Berdymukhammedov promises to make the Internet accessible to the people of Turkmenistan (only 5% of the population now uses the network, and many objectionable sites are blocked). In his televised speech, Berdymukhammedov said: "I believe that the international Internet network, the latest communication technologies should be available to every citizen." This promise has already been realized. On February 17, 2007, two modern Internet cafes began operating in Ashgabat. An hour of using the Internet costs a little less than 4 euros. According to the Ministry of Communications of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat will soon have 15 Internet cafes, and they will also appear in the velayats (regional centers). Students and employees of all higher educational institutions and research institutes, readers of the Central Scientific Library of Turkmenistan have free access to the Internet. He also promised to reform the education system, bringing back music schools in the provinces that Niyazov had abolished, and extending the duration of secondary school (from nine to ten years) and universities (from four to five years). Berdymukhammedov intends to increase pensions, which were reduced by almost 20 percent in 2006. On June 12, 2007, the Resolutions "On the activities of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan" and "On the improvement of the scientific system of Turkmenistan" were adopted, creating the Academy of Sciences, the Higher Attestation Committee and the Science and Technology Fund of Turkmenistan. Presidential elections of 2012 On December 15, 2011, during the VII Congress of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan and the national movement "Galkynysh", it was announced that Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov would nominate his candidacy in the presidential elections in 2012. On January 3, 2012, Berdimuhamedov was registered as a contender for the post of President of Turkmenistan. On January 9, 2012, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov spoke on national television with his election program. Elections were held on February 12, 2012. The CIS mission, represented by its head, reported that "the presidential campaign in Turkmenistan was held in compliance with ethical standards, correctly, in a calm atmosphere", "complaints and statements from voters were not received." The election results were summed up at a meeting of the Central Election Commission on February 15. In accordance with Article 51 of the law "On the Election of the President of Turkmenistan", candidate Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov won an absolute majority of votes (97.14%) and was recognized as the elected president of Turkmenistan. Reforms With a first decree, Berdymukhammedov returned a ten-year education to schools. The promise to abolish the compulsory wearing of national attire for students of secondary and higher educational institutions has not been fulfilled to this day. The traditional dresses used as school uniforms for girls were replaced with dark green European-style dresses with aprons. In the spring of 2009, an action was initiated to confiscate copies of the book "Rukhnama" in all institutions and enterprises of the country. Instead, books by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov were brought there. In the general education schools of Turkmenistan, Rukhnama was left on the list of subjects, but its teaching was reduced to one hour a week. The final exam in Ruhnama was also cancelled. He also made some changes in state symbols and rituals, which are interpreted as a restriction of Niyazov's personality cult: his name was first removed from the text of the oath, and then from the anthem of Turkmenistan and replaced with the word "president" (thus, we are talking not only about the current President, that is, about Berdimuhamedov, but also about all future presidents, without glorifying a specific person). Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov abandoned the mass celebration of his birthday, canceled mandatory concerts dedicated to his visits to various regions of the country, as well as the oath of allegiance to the president, which was taken by employees, students and schoolchildren. On June 29, 2007, on the night of the newly elected president's birthday, the logo of the TV channels in the form of the image of the golden bust of Turkmenbashi disappeared from the programs of Turkmen television. Personal life and family Heirs: one son (Serdar), three daughters and four grandchildren. Hobbies According to information in the media in December 2009, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov enjoys reading, horseback riding, sports, playing various musical instruments, writing poems about the Motherland. He spends his summer holidays at the Turkmen resort Avaza. According to the Turkmen media, the president is also fond of riding a sports bike, jet ski, gardening, and fishing. He is the author of a number of books, including scientific papers, among them: “Turkmenistan is a country of healthy and highly spiritual people”, “Akhal-Teke horse is our pride and glory”, “Medicinal plants of Turkmenistan”, “A good name is imperishable”. At the end of 2011, he became the author and performer of the song "You are my white flowers." Since childhood, he has been fond of motorsport. In April 2012, he set a lap record and became the winner of the auto racing competition in a Turkish-made Volkicar. The car driven by the President was transferred to the National Sports Museum. In September 2013, he became the winner of the race in an Alfa Romeo sports car, at a distance of 2340 meters. Holder of the Diploma of the Honorable Holder of the 10th Dan in Karate. On April 28, 2013, he took part in the races held at the arena of the International Equestrian Complex on his own Akhal-Teke horse Berkarar, and won first place, winning $ 11.05 million. The amount won was transferred to the account of the State Association "Turkmen atlary". After crossing the finish line, Berdymukhammedov fell off his horse. Subsequently, law enforcement agencies prevented the dissemination of information about this incident. Favorite number is "7". Interesting facts Supports the football club "Rubin"]. He came to the presidential elections in 2012 in a tinted VAZ-2106 car. Fluent in German and Russian. Jennifer Lopez, Mustafa Sandal, Nancy Ajram, Ziynet Sali, Philip Kirkorov, Ani Lorak, Sati Kazanova and the Reflex group came to Avaza to celebrate the 56th anniversary of the President. At the end of the gala concert, Jennifer Lopez sang the famous song "Happy Birthday, Mr. President”, for which she was criticized by world human rights activists.

I once asked a Turkmen how the personality cult of Turkmenbashi (the title of Saparmurat Niyazov, translated as “Head of the Turkmens”) differs from the personality cult of Arkadag (the title of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, translated as “Patron”).

You know, before we had portraits of Turkmenbashi hanging everywhere. Hung once - and forgotten. And then, in his old age, he decided to dye his hair black, and they announced to the people that the leader had begun to grow younger. Then all the portraits throughout the country were changed. And when Arkadag came, we change portraits every year. No, he does not dye his hair all the time, he just takes his photographs very carefully. Either it should be against a white carpet, or against a red carpet. And you need to constantly run and buy new portraits. We buy portraits with our own money. We jokingly call it the "tax on people's love."

In general, it is very interesting to observe how people are blown away by the unlimited dough and impunity. I can still imagine how Turkmenbashi seized power and began to erect golden statues of himself. A person has a difficult childhood (he grew up in an orphanage), all his life he was a party functionary. And so he decided to break away and take revenge on everyone. But Berdimuhamedov seems to be from a family of teachers, he himself is a doctor of medical sciences, a dentist, he worked as a doctor all his life, then he became the Minister of Health. It would seem that an educated person could pull the country out of medieval rituals. But several years have passed since Berdymukhamedov sat on the throne, and now, with a large crowd of people, a golden monument is opened to him, and portraits of Berdymukhamedov come across on the streets more often than paid parking signs in the center of Moscow.

But let's start in order.

The first president of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, ruled the country for more than 30 years. Back in 1985, he became the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Turkmen SSR, before that he headed the Ashgabat city committee for five years.

When the USSR staggered, Niyazov became chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the republic, which proclaimed its independence. And already in June 1992, the former party worker was elected president of Turkmenistan. They say it was a completely democratic election with a single candidate and a fair 99.5% vote.

Just a year later, the Mejlis, that is, the parliament, bestowed on Niyazov the title of Turkmenbashi, which meant that from now on he is the head of all the Turkmens of the world. Later, the word "Great" was added to the title for persuasiveness. Optional during the reign of Turkmenbashi were such titles as "savior of the nation" and "messenger of Allah", commonly used (including in the media) - Serdar, or "leader". In addition, Niyazov, who did not serve in the army, had the rank of marshal and was awarded the title of Hero of Turkmenistan five times. Officials, when meeting with Turkmenbashi, had to kiss his right hand, studded with rings with emeralds and diamonds.

You think these are just titles, but no. Under the titles, the national anthem was changed. One Turkmen told me that at school on the blackboard where the anthem was, one line was smeared with white paint all the time, and then “Turkmenbashi”, then “Great Turkmenbashi”, or something else was manually entered there.

In the mid-1990s, Niyazov seriously considered declaring himself Shah, but it is said that the elders, as well as the heads of Iran, Russia and Uzbekistan, opposed this. To console himself, in 1999 Turkmenbashi forced the People's Council of the Republic to proclaim him president for life.

To emphasize his greatness, Turkmenbashi ordered to erect a giant 83-meter monument, known as the Arch of Neutrality, in the center of Ashgabat. At its top was a gilded statue of Niyazov himself, which rotated after the sun.

After the death of Turkmenbashi, the arch was dismantled and moved to the outskirts of the city. Now the statue does not rotate, because otherwise the golden figure of the leader would have been turned back to the capital for half a day. Ugly.

In 2000, another giant statue of Turkmenbashi appeared in the Turkmen capital, this time in front of the Independence Monument.

Near the Independence Monument there is the Alley of Presidents, where visiting leaders plant pine trees. This is Medvedev's pine, for example.

And here is Yanukovych's pine.

In total, 14,000 statues and busts of Turkmenbashi appeared in the country in a couple of decades. Their number began to decrease only with the coming to power of Berdimuhamedov. But even now there are a lot of statues.

Golden Turkmenbashi sits near the entrance to the local KGB, his profile adorns the buildings of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Press. And here is his statue in front of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan.

Another statue stands in the park of the 10th anniversary of the independence of Turkmenistan in the very center of Ashgabat.

The city of Turkmenbashi (former Krasnovodsk) and the peak of the Great Turkmenbashi (Ayribaba peak, the highest peak of the Koytendag ridge) were named after Niyazov. All the streets of Turkmen cities bore the names and titles of either Turkmenbashi himself or his relatives. The rest were either numbered, or had names that were not related to people (for example, Neutral Turkmenistan Street), or were named after two or three historical figures.

In all offices of officials, auditoriums, industrial premises and vestibules, portraits of the leader were to be placed. Of course, the bright face of Turkmenbashi looked at his subjects from the banknotes of the national currency.

The country sold vodka "Serdar" (leader) and toilet water "Turkmenbashi", produced in France. The fragrance, it seems, was chosen by Niyazov himself.

Name brandy

Yanardag Niyazov decided to place his Akhal-Teke horse in the center of the coat of arms of Turkmenistan. After the death of Turkmenbashi, his heir ordered to replace the horse with his own.

Deciding that all this was not enough, Turkmenbashi wrote a great work, which he called "Rukhnama". Niyazov himself called it "the main book of the Turkmen people" and "guide book".

"Rukhnama" was first published in 2001, but in five years they managed to translate it into more than 40 languages ​​of the world, and its total circulation exceeded 1 million copies. To study the book, a separate subject was introduced in schools and universities of the country, knowledge of the "Rukhnama" was tested at entrance exams, as well as when applying for a job.

In 2002, the month of September in Turkmenistan was renamed Rukhnama, and in 2005, construction began on the university. Ruhnama. But a year later, Niyazov died, and this plan could not be implemented. But in Ashgabat, they managed to erect a monument to the Ruhnama.

Few people believe that Turkmenbashi himself wrote the "holy book": it is believed that this is the work of literary blacks. However, this is no longer possible to prove. Turkmenbashi's heir, Berdymukhammedov, partially debunked the cult of the Ruhnama, but instead delighted his subjects with works of his own composition.

By the way, not only September received an actual name. Niyazov renamed the whole year, not forgetting either about himself (January became known as "Turkmenbashi"), or about his mother: the month of Gurbansoltan-eje now stands in Turkmenistan, and not April at all.

The Turkmens even had a joke: "Come to Turkmenbashi (city) to Turkmenbashi (month) along Turkmenbashi (street) to Turkmenbashi (hotel)".

The cult of Niyazov's mother is part of the cult of Turkmenbashi himself. First of all, with the light hand of the President, his parents became Heroes of Turkmenistan. Chorek, the national Turkmen bread, was named after Gurbansoltan-edje. In addition, it was the mother of Turkmenbashi who began to personify Justice instead of the goddess Themis.

In Ashgabat, of course, there were monuments to Gurbansoltan-eje and the father of the leader, Atamurat Niyazov, but in 2014 they were dismantled.

In 2004, in the city of Kipchak, where Niyazov was born, the Turkmenbashi Rukhy Mosque was built, at that time the largest single-domed mosque in the world. On the walls of the mosque there was a place for quotes from the Ruhnama.

Next to the mosque, a mausoleum was prudently built, in the corners of which Niyazov's father, mother and two brothers were buried, and Turkmenbashi himself was buried in the central sarcophagus in 2006.

After Niyazov's death, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov (who is widely rumored to be his illegitimate son) became president of Turkmenistan. Since the beginning of his rule, Berdymukhammedov has been trying to replace Niyazov's personality cult with a personality cult of himself.

But the golden statues of Turkmenbashi still stand outside the buildings of most state institutions. Berdimuhamedov has not yet decided to remove them.

Two years after the start of Berdymukhammedov's presidency, one of the officials reported that from all over the country there were "numerous wishes from citizens, collectives of enterprises, institutions and public organizations with a proposal to confer on the president the title of Hero of Turkmenistan."

The local media wrote that "these words ... those present at the meeting of the government met with a standing ovation, thunderous unceasing applause."

Berdymukhammedov was embarrassed and said that he was too young for the highest rank in the country:

I'm still young, I'm ready to work a little more, so that you can then give me such a high rating.

In order for the new president to keep up with Turkmenbashi in other respects, loyal subjects gave him the title "Arkadag", which means "Patron" in translation. It was given to Berdimuhamedov at a military parade in 2010.

Journalists of the Turkmen edition of Radio Liberty, according to an unnamed blogger, tell how it happened:

A large detachment of the Turkmen military, marching past Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, stopped and turned to face him, and they all selflessly knelt before him. Perhaps this was supposed to symbolize a nation that knelt before its Patron (Arkadag). Interestingly, at the parade after the passage of the military, servile horsemen brought an Akhal-Teke horse to the podium with the "Patron of the Turkmens" and several times tried to force him to kneel before him, but they failed. Either the horse turned out to be thoroughbred, or they didn’t explain to him who was in front of him.

There are still few monuments to Berdimuhamedov, the campaign for their mass installation is just beginning.

But Arkadag uses the latest achievements of progress and loves to place his portraits on multimedia screens along the streets. Usually he is depicted either against the background of a light-colored carpet, or against the background of a waving flag.

But sometimes he just goes to a brighter future on the green carpet. Here, for persuasiveness, the main sights of Ashgabat were placed behind Berdimuhamedov's back.

In the main newspaper of the country "Neutral Turkmenistan", the writer Gozel Shagulyeva published "A song of joy in honor of the awarding of the honorable President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov with the high title of "Person of the Year - 2010"" (this title was awarded to him by the Institute of International Relations and Economic Cooperation of Romania, and many are lost in conjecture why did he do it). Here is what was written in it:

First of all, I want to say about the main thing: I am happy because I am an eyewitness of the great deeds of the great era of the Great Son. I am happy because I consider it my duty to sing the days of the Renaissance of my country, full of great deeds, the fame of which has spread throughout the world.

The world-renowned Arkadag, our stronghold, support, hope, reviving the ancient Silk Road of the Turkmen people with its sympathetic heart, has today turned its Fatherland into a peacemaking center.<...>

When I see how the grandiose plans of our esteemed President are being implemented, when I listen to his historic speeches, I cannot hold back tears of happiness and pride from excitement. And light tears roll down my cheeks - like droplets of my inspiration. When great words merge with great deeds, a real miracle occurs that can amaze our consciousness.

Arkadag welcomes you, traveler.

Sometimes you can see the continuity of generations: the golden statue of Turkmenbashi obscures the portrait of Berdimuhamedov.

In 2013, Berdymukhammedov attended the horse races on the occasion of the Akhal-Teke Horse Festival. He wanted to take part in the races himself, and the panel of judges included him in the Mentors' Race. He rode on his own horse named Berkarar and, unexpectedly for everyone, took first place. The only thing that overshadowed the jubilation of the crowd was the unexpected fall of Berkarar and his rider immediately after the finish.

For a few seconds, the people were numb, but then guards, intelligence officers and ministers rushed to Berdimuhamedov, who was lying motionless. He was taken away in an ambulance, for about an hour the audience waited tensely for news. At the end of the event, the president, alive and almost unharmed, nevertheless appeared in public and even talked with the offending horse:

In the end, Berkarara was taken to the treadmill. The leader of Turkmenistan, known for his love of horses, tried to kiss the horse, but he recoiled. The President did not back down, pulling his horse up again. The horse was forgiven. The crowd cheered.

Be that as it may, winning the race brought the president $11.05 million. He promised to transfer them to the state association "Turkmen horses". By the way, the horses that took second and third place also belonged to Berdimuhamedov.

The president participates not only in horse races, but also in auto racing. On them, he also invariably wins and even sets records. Usually such events are described as follows:

To the thunderous applause of the audience in the stands, the leader of the nation enters the track. The fireballs take off and immediately pick up high speed, rapidly covering the distance .... But the seventh number [under which Berdimuhamedov usually drives, because 7 is his favorite number] no longer leaves a chance for the opponent.<...>As you know, having been fond of driving cars since childhood, the leader of the nation has established himself as a high-class race car driver. Having shown a high class of driving a sports car, the pilot won a confident victory ... at number seven - President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov!

Berdimuhamedov also loves everything gold. Garden equipment included. Here is a golden leechka.

And this is a golden car. It is clear that the person is not easy.

Berdimuhamedov also writes books. He called one of them “The good name is imperishable” and dedicated it to his grandfather Berdimuhamed Annaev, who was a teacher. There are other works under the titles "Turkmenistan - a country of healthy and highly spiritual people", "Akhal-Teke - our pride and glory", "Flight of heavenly horses" and "Medicinal plants of Turkmenistan". At the initiative of the president, in 2009, copies of the Rukhnama written by Turkmenbashi were confiscated from Turkmen schools. In exchange, Berdymukhammedov's books are brought there.

In 2016, two new books were published at once: "The Source of Wisdom" (a collection of Turkmen proverbs and sayings) and "Tea - medicine and inspiration". Berdymukhammedov usually presents his novelties to their deputy prime ministers and ministerial heads, who in return bow at his waist and place the gift on their foreheads.

Berdimuhamedov loves to portray himself against the background of the people, against the background of children and/or elders. There are a lot of portraits where he goes somewhere, young and cheerful, and leads the people.

A classic photo of the leader against a light-colored carpet. This is just the standard of a portrait, which almost everyone in Turkmenistan has.

When possible, the portrait is hung directly on the carpet. The frame, of course, should be gold.

This is the ticket office of the entertainment complex with a Ferris wheel. Here everyone is again met by Arkadag against the background of children.

Portraits hang absolutely everything. They hang at airports, railway stations, many administrative buildings and, of course, in the offices of state and not only companies. This is, for example, the office of MTS. Arkadag here is adjacent to the flag and emblem of Turkmenistan.

In hotel.

This is how the booth looked like at one of the exhibitions of our KamAZ. All companies must equip their stand with a portrait of Berdymukhammedov against the backdrop of a carpet, otherwise, they say, things will not work in the country.

Every year, state institutions and enterprises must update the portraits of the president. The country has a special commission that orders, evaluates and approves new portraits. For different institutions, they are different: for hospital portraits, Berdymukhammedov is photographed in a white coat, for military departments and special services - in a brown uniform and with a serious face, and for the facades of buildings of the president, they are photographed in a suit and with a raised hand in greeting. Portraits of the organization must be purchased at their own expense. For example, last year school teachers bought presidential portraits for 33 manats (about 650 rubles) for their classes.

In general, the universal worship of Turkmenbashi is gradually fading into the past, but the personality cult of his successor continues to grow stronger. Berdymukhammedov recently decided to erect a monument to himself.

Here he is! The monument "Arkadag" is a lifetime equestrian monument to Berdimuhamedov. Reminds me of St. Petersburg Peter I, only bigger)

It was opened like this.

The authorities presented the fundraising for the monument as voluntary. But according to the journalists of "Chronicles of Turkmenistan", in fact, the money needed for its construction was simply withheld from the salaries of people in the civil service. According to the plan, the monument was to overshadow the famous Arch of Neutrality with the golden figure of Turkmenbashi on top, which had been moved to the outskirts of the city a few years before.

The period of Berdimuhamedov's first presidential term was called the Epoch of the Great Renaissance. The period of the second term was declared the Epoch of Might and Happiness.

Good luck to you, dear friends. Continue tomorrow.

On the afternoon of July 21, information about the death of the second president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Myalikguliyevich Berdimuhamedov, began to actively spread in the Russian-language media and telegram channels. The reference in all the media was to a single political scientist who had not previously dealt with Turkmenistan at all, but many believed immediately and immediately began to build versions: Berdimuhamedov could not die from “kidney failure”, there is poisoning. The previous president, Saparmurat Niyazov, also died suddenly, which means that we see a format of transfer of power taking root in a super-closed country.

Then the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Russia issued an official denial (although, given the regime they represent, one can trust them with the same skepticism as this political scientist), and the main source of information issued an official apology. Berdimuhamedov, according to journalists more or less aware of the situation, is in Germany, since his mother is in a clinic there in a serious condition.

The health of Arkadag himself (this is his official status of president, “patron” is translated, so as not to be confused with the “father of all Turkmens” Turkmenbashi) is also naughty: they say he recently had a kidney transplant. But still, such a simple, trivial death at the age of 61 is not at all what fits in with the image that official Turkmen propaganda paints for Berdimuhamedov.

And this image is massive. Berdimuhamedov is a writer, singer, equestrian, pistol shooter in a sitting position on a bicycle, racer, weightlifter, author of the Asian Games anthem, patron of kittens and, in general, a Turkmenator.

In a country where before that a man ruled for many years, replacing the names of the months with the names of relatives, it is difficult to surpass the level of the cult of personality, but Niyazov's personal dentist Berdimuhamedov tried very hard. All this looks comical - but this is from Moscow or even from Minsk, and in Turkmenistan, where people see nothing and no one else in the media, many people seriously think that this is how everything works. Superman President: In between writing books about the healing power of tea and horses, he saves his native country from outside enemies. Turkmenistan, by the way, is officially neutral - like Switzerland.

But Ashgabat is, of course, not Bern, but our Pyongyang: there is even a joke that the most terrible criminals in North Korea will face a terrible punishment - exile in Turkmenistan. This is perhaps an exaggeration, but not a very strong one: at least they are trying to have a dialogue with North Korea, while Turkmenistan seems to exist on a separate planet. They don’t burn officials with flamethrowers (but this is inaccurate), but there is simply no way out of this constant Looking Glass, where it is customary to kiss his own book presented by the president, because it is higher than the Koran or bread.

Dmitry Medvedev and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat. Photo: Ekaterina Shtukina / press service of the government of the Russian Federation / TASS

A country of chic and obligatory white buildings (Berdymukhammedov really dislikes black) and at the same time an acute shortage of food, medicines, and even forms for these medicines.

A showcase that is a distorted mirror in every sense: both a personal show by Gurbanguly Vaganovich Petrosyan, and a lens for a distorted perception of the reality of all more than five million people inside. Day after day, a simple resident of some Kunya-Urgench is immersed in this total lie, like in the quicksands of the Karakum, about which the Soviet hit Berdimuhamedov so fervently sang.

But life in this microcosm for Berdimuhamedov only seems to be going on in a “relaxation”. Palace intrigues in a country where everyone lies to everyone are heated to the limit, but you yourself never understand who to be afraid of and who to bring closer to yourself. Berdymukhammedov himself came to power this way: when Saparmurat Niyazov died, Arkadag took advantage of the general confusion and, with the participation of the special services, declared himself the heir to Turkmenistan, and then the same special services first of all cleared out. Now the situation is even worse: it is always more difficult to defend power than to win it. When health begins to fail, one must also transfer one's powers to someone. Transit of power, be it wrong.

Berdimuhamedov has a son, Serdar, who is clearly being considered as a successor: on television he is called the “son of the people”, and this year the 37-year-old colonel, an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a process engineer, a doctor of technical sciences and a chief specialist of the Office for the Beer, Non-Alcoholic and Wine Industry Association of the Food Industry of Turkmenistan also became the khakim (governor) of the most important Akhal velayat, that is, the Ashgabat region.

The son will certainly be on his side in the event of an attempted palace coup, but one cannot be sure of this either: at one time, Berdimuhamedov Sr. was called the illegitimate son of Niyazov (they are really very similar) and, they say, could help speed up the replacement of Turkmenbashi with his beloved . History tends to repeat itself, and in a country like Turkmenistan, you can never know exactly at what point the spiral will start a new turn.

This is the biggest pain of a president-dictator: no one can be trusted.

You and your family can't even get sick in your own country, because even with a discount on the lack of medicines, the road to the hospital can always be the way to the finish line

(And for some reason, their own recipes for tea treatment do not help). People applaud your shooting from a rifle at targets falling before the shot, but behind your back they secretly hope that you will die quickly. Berdimuhamedov could already feel this in full measure when in 2013 he fell off his horse at full speed during the races, now he has to live these feelings again.

One can console oneself: although the next ruler of Turkmenistan will certainly have a hand in ensuring that Arkadag quickly leaves his post for eternity, it will be extremely difficult for him to find an area of ​​human existence in which Berdimuhamedov would no longer become a pioneer.