Berdimuhamedov Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich

Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov (Turkmen: Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow; born June 29, 1957, village of Babarap, Geok-Tepinsky district, Ashgabat region, Turkmen SSR, USSR), bears the title Arkadag (Turkmen: Arkadag - “patron”) - President of Turkmenistan since February 14, 2007 (from December 21, 2006 to February 14, 2007, acting President of Turkmenistan), statesman, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief 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-Tepinsky district, Ashgabat region of the Turkmen SSR. Father, Myalikguly Berdimuhamedovich Berdimuhamedov, is a teacher, candidate member of the CPSU, former head of the department of correctional labor institutions, now a pensioner. Mother - Ogulabat-edje. Grandfather, Berdymukhamed Annaev, was a famous teacher, worked as a primary school director, and fought at the front during the Great Patriotic War. Gurbanguly was the only son in the family; his sisters are Durdynabat, Gulnabat, Myakhri, Guljamal and Oguljamal. In 1979 he graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry of the Turkmen State Medical Institute, then graduated from graduate school. Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor specializing in 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 - 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 of the Department of Therapeutic Dentistry, Associate Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry of the 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 spread in the press according to which Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was the illegitimate son of Turkmenbashi, indirect confirmation of which was the external similarity and the fact that little is known about Berdimuhamedov’s parents. After Niyazov’s death, he headed the funeral commission and, by decision of the State Security Council, became acting president. In accordance with the Constitution, Turkmenistan was supposed to be headed by Ovezgeldy Ataev, the chairman of the Mejlis, but a criminal case was suddenly opened against him. On December 26, at a meeting of the Halk Maslakhaty (People's Council), he received the unanimous support of 2,507 delegates of the country's highest authority as a candidate for the presidency of Turkmenistan. He won the presidential elections on February 11, 2007 with a result 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, and immediately after this 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 along a white carpet, symbolizing a bright path. He was presented with a sachak - bread wrapped in a tablecloth, a quiver of arrows, the Koran and the Rukhnama. Made his first official visit to Saudi Arabia. The President visited the shrines of the Islamic world and performed the holy Umrah hajj. On April 23, 2007, he came on 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 National Movement “Galkynysh” and the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan. He won the presidential elections on February 12, 2012 with a result of 96.70%. In 2013, he suspended his membership in the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan for the duration of his presidency. Election promises Berdymukhammedov promises to make the Internet accessible to residents of Turkmenistan (currently only 5% of the population uses the Internet, many objectionable sites are blocked). In his televised speech, Berdymukhammedov said: “I believe that the international Internet network and 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 Internet use costs just under 4 euros. As the Ministry of Communications of Turkmenistan reported, in the near future there will be 15 Internet cafes in Ashgabat, and they will also appear in velayats (regional centers). Students and employees of all higher educational institutions and research institutes, as well as readers of the Central Scientific Library of Turkmenistan have free access to the Internet. He also promised to reform the education system, returning music schools in the provinces that had been abolished by Niyazov, and increasing the duration of education in secondary schools (from nine to ten years) and universities (from four to five years). Berdymukhammedov intends to increase pensions, which were cut 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 Foundation 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 run for 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 appeared on national television with his election program. The elections took place on February 12, 2012. The CIS mission, represented by its head, reported that “the presidential campaign in Turkmenistan took place in compliance with ethical standards, correctly, in a calm atmosphere”, “there were no complaints or statements from voters.” 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 received an absolute majority of the votes (97.14%) and was recognized as the elected President of Turkmenistan. Reforms With his first decree, Berdymukhamedov returned ten years of education to schools. The promise to abolish the mandatory wearing of national dress 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 by dark green, European-style dresses with aprons. In the spring of 2009, an action was initiated to confiscate copies of the book “Rukhnama” from all institutions and enterprises of the country. Instead, books by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov were brought there. In Turkmenistan's general education schools, the Rukhnama was left on the list of subjects, but its teaching was reduced to one hour a week. The final exam on the Rukhnama was also cancelled. He also made some changes in state symbols and rituals, which are interpreted as a limitation of Niyazov’s personality cult: his name was removed first 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 the president, that is, about Berdimuhamedov, but also about all future presidents, without glorifying a specific person). Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov refused the mass celebration of his birthday, canceled the mandatory concerts dedicated to his visits to various regions of the country, as well as the oath of allegiance to the president, which was sworn by employees, students and schoolchildren. On June 29, 2007, on the night of the newly elected president’s birthday, the TV channels’ logo in the form of an image of a golden bust of Turkmenbashi disappeared from Turkmen television programs. 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, horse riding, sports, playing various musical instruments, and writing poems about the Motherland. He spends his summer holidays in the Turkmen resort of Avaza; according to Turkmen media reports, the president also enjoys riding a sports bike, jet ski, gardening, and fishing. He is the author of a number of books, including scientific works, among them: “Turkmenistan is a country of healthy and highly spiritual people”, “Ahal-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 “My White Flowers for You.” Since childhood, he has been interested in motorsports. In April 2012, he set a lap record and won a car racing competition in a Turkish-made Volkicar. The car the President drove was transferred to the National Sports Museum. In September 2013, he won a race in an Alfa Romeo sports car over a distance of 2340 meters. Recipient of the Honorable 10th Dan Diploma in Karate. On April 28, 2013, he took part in the races held at the International Equestrian Complex on his own Akhal-Teke horse, Berkarar, and took first place, winning $11.05 million. The winning amount was transferred to the account of the State Association “Turkmen Atlary”. After crossing the finish line, Berdymukhamedov fell from his horse. Subsequently, security forces prevented the dissemination of information about this incident. Favorite number is “7”. Interesting facts Supports the football club "Rubin"]. I arrived at the 2012 presidential elections in a tinted VAZ-2106 car. Fluent in German and Russian. Jennifer Lopez, Mustafa Sandal, Nancy Ajram, Ziynet Sali, Philip Kirkorov, Ani Lorak, Sati Casanova and the Reflex group came to Avaza to celebrate the 56th anniversary of the President. At the end of the festive concert, Jennifer Lopez sang the famous song “Happy Birthday, Mr. President,” for which she was criticized by world human rights activists.

Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov (Turkmen: Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhammedow) is a Turkmen statesman, since 2007 - the second president of Turkmenistan.

Biography

Born on June 29, 1957 in the village of Babarap, Geok-Tepinsky district, Ashgabat region, Turkmen SSR.

In 1979 he graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry of the Turkmen State Medical Institute, then graduated from graduate school. Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor specializing in “Social hygiene and healthcare organization”. He began his career in 1980 as a dentist.

1990-1995 - Assistant of the Department of Therapeutic Dentistry, Associate Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry of the 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 spread in the press according to which Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov was the illegitimate son of Turkmenbashi. The reliability of this information is questioned, since the age difference between them is only 17 years.

After Niyazov’s death, he headed the funeral commission and, by decision of the State Security Council, became acting president. In accordance with the Constitution of Turkmenistan, Ovezgeldy Ataev, the chairman of the Mejlis, was supposed to head it, but a criminal case was suddenly opened against him.

On December 26, at a meeting of the Halk Maslakhaty (People's Council), he received the unanimous support of 2,507 delegates of the country's highest authority as a candidate for the presidency of Turkmenistan.

He won the presidential elections on February 11, 2007 with a result 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, and immediately after this the inauguration of the new president began. Berdymukhammedov 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 along a white carpet, symbolizing a bright path. He was presented with a sachak - bread wrapped in a tablecloth, a quiver of arrows, the Koran and the Rukhnama.

On April 23, 2007, he came on 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.

Election promises

Berdymukhammedov promises to make the Internet accessible to residents of Turkmenistan (currently only 1% of the population uses the Internet, many objectionable sites are blocked.) In his televised speech, Berdymukhammedov said:

“I believe that the international Internet network and the latest communication technologies should be available to every citizen”

This promise has already been fulfilled. On February 17, 2007, two modern Internet cafes began operating in Ashgabat. An hour of Internet use costs just under 4 euros. As the Ministry of Communications of Turkmenistan reported, in the near future there will be 15 Internet cafes in Ashgabat, and they will also appear in velayats (regional centers). Students and employees of all higher educational institutions and research institutes, as well as readers of the Central Scientific Library of Turkmenistan have free access to the Internet. ,

He also promised to reform the education system, returning schools to the provinces that had been abolished by Niyazov, and increasing the duration of education in secondary schools (from nine to ten years) and universities (from four to five years).
Berdymukhammedov intends to increase pensions, which were cut 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 Foundation of Turkmenistan.

With his first decree, Berdymukhammedov returned ten years of education to schools. Uniforms for higher education students were also abolished, and the traditional dresses used as school uniforms for girls were replaced with dark green, European-style dresses with aprons.

He also made some changes in state symbols and rituals, which are interpreted as a limitation of Niyazov’s personality cult: his name was removed first 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 Berdymukhammedov, but also about all future presidents, without exalting a specific person).

Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov refused the mass celebration of his birthday, canceled the mandatory concerts dedicated to his visits to various regions of the country, as well as the oath of allegiance to the president, which was sworn by employees, students and schoolchildren.

On June 29, 2007, on the night of the newly elected president’s birthday, the TV channels’ logo in the form of an image of a golden bust of Turkmenbashi disappeared from Turkmen television programs. Reports from Russian news services that this happened on July 6 were almost a week behind the facts.

Order "Watan" ("Watan" - "Motherland") (2007)
Order "Galkynysh" ("Galkynysh" - "Renaissance")
Order "Prezidentiň Ýyldyzy" ("President Yyldyzy" - "Star of the President")
Order of the President of Turkmenistan “Garaşsyz Türkmenistana bolan beýik soýgusi üçin” (“Garaşsyz of Turkmenistan bolan beyik soygusi uchin” - “For great love for Independent Turkmenistan”)
Medal “Watana bolan soýgusi üçin” (“Watana bolan soygusi uchin” - “For love of the Motherland”)
Medal “Türkmenistanyň Garaşsyzlygynyň 11 yyllygyna” (“Turkmenistan Garashsyzglygynyn 11 yyllygyna” - “11 years of independence of Turkmenistan”)
Jubilee medal “10 years of Astana” (Kazakhstan, 2008)

I once asked one 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, we used to have portraits of Turkmenbashi hanging everywhere. They hanged him once and forgot about it. 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 look younger. Then all the portraits across the country were changed. And when Arkadag came, we change the portraits every year. No, he doesn't dye his hair all the time, he just pays very close attention to his photographs. Either it should be against the background of a white carpet, or against the background of a red one. And you need to constantly run around and buy new portraits. Moreover, we buy portraits with our own money. We jokingly call this “the people’s love tax.”

In general, it’s very interesting to watch how people’s minds are blown away by limitless money and impunity. I can still imagine how Turkmenbashi seized power and began erecting golden statues of himself. The man had a difficult childhood (he grew up in an orphanage), and was a party functionary all his life. And so I decided to break away and take revenge on everyone. But Berdimuhamedov seems to come from a family of teachers, he himself is a doctor of medical sciences, a dentist, worked as a doctor all his life, then 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, in front of a large crowd of people, a golden monument is unveiled to him, and portraits of Berdymukhamedov are seen 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 which he headed the Ashgabat city committee for five years.

When the USSR faltered, Niyazov became chairman of the Supreme Council 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 99.5% of the votes fairly received.

Just a year later, the Mejlis, that is, the parliament, gave Niyazov the title of Turkmenbashi, which meant that from now on he was the head of all Turkmens in the world. Later, the word “Great” was added to the title for credibility. During the reign of Turkmenbashi, titles such as “savior of the nation” and “messenger of Allah” were optional; the commonly used titles (including in the media) were 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. When meeting with Turkmenbashi, officials had to kiss his right hand, strewn with rings with emeralds and diamonds.

You think these are just titles, but no. The national anthem was changed to match the titles. One Turkmen told me that at school, on the blackboard where the anthem was, one line was always covered with white paint, and either “Turkmenbashi”, or “Great Turkmenbashi”, or something else was manually written there.

In the mid-90s, Niyazov seriously thought about declaring himself Shah, but they say that the elders, as well as the heads of Iran, Russia and Uzbekistan, opposed this. To console himself, Turkmenbashi in 1999 forced the People's Council of the Republic to proclaim him president for life.

To emphasize his greatness, Turkmenbashi ordered the erection of a gigantic 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, since otherwise for half the day the golden figure of the leader would have been turned with its back towards the capital. Ugly.

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

Next to the Independence Monument there is the Avenue of Presidents, where visiting leaders plant a pine tree. 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 over a couple of decades. Their number began to decrease only with Berdymukhamedov coming to power. 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 (formerly Krasnovodsk) and the peak of 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, had unrelated names (for example, Neutral Turkmenistan Street), or were named after two or three historical figures.

All offices of officials, auditoriums, production facilities and lobbies were to have portraits of the leader. Of course, the bright face of Turkmenbashi looked at his subjects from the banknotes of the national currency.

Vodka "Serdar" (leader) and eau de toilette "Turkmenbashi", produced in France, were sold in the country. It seems that the aroma was chosen by Niyazov himself.

Personalized cognac

Niyazov decided to place his Akhal-Teke horse named Yanardag in the center of the coat of arms of Turkmenistan. After the death of Turkmenbashi, his heir ordered the horse to be replaced 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 a “guide book.”

"Rukhnama" was first published in 2001, but in five years it was translated 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 across the country; knowledge of the Rukhnama was tested in entrance exams, as well as when hiring.

In 2002, the month of September in Turkmenistan was renamed Ruhnama, and in 2005, construction began on the university named after. 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 Rukhnama.

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

By the way, not only September received the current name. Niyazov renamed the whole year, not forgetting either himself (January began to be called “Turkmenbashi”), or his mother: in Turkmenistan the month is now Gurbansoltan-edje, and not April at all.

The Turkmen even had a joke: “Arriving in 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. The national Turkmen bread Chorek was named after Gurbansoltan-eje. In addition, instead of the goddess Themis, it was Turkmenbashi’s mother who began to personify Justice.

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

In 2004, in the town 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.

A mausoleum was prudently built next to the mosque, 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, according to widespread rumors, is his illegitimate son) became the president of Turkmenistan. Since the beginning of his reign, Berdymukhamedov has been trying to replace Niyazov’s personality cult with a personality cult of himself.

But golden statues of Turkmenbashi still stand outside most government buildings. Berdymukhamedov has not yet decided to remove them.

Two years after the start of Berdymukhamedov’s presidency, one of the officials reported that from all over the country there were “numerous wishes from citizens, enterprise teams, institutions and public organizations with a proposal to award the president the title of Hero of Turkmenistan.”

The local media wrote that “these words... were greeted by those present at the government meeting with standing, stormy, incessant applause.”

Berdimuhamedov became 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.

The Council of Elders of Turkmenistan obediently delayed and awarded him the title of Hero of Turkmenistan only two years later. Berdimuhamedov has four more Hero titles left to catch up with Turkmenbashi in terms of the number of top awards.

To ensure that the new president does not lag behind Turkmenbashi in other respects, his loyal subjects came up with the title “Arkadag”, which means “Patron”. It was awarded to Berdymukhamedov at a military parade in 2010.

Journalists from the Turkmen editorial office of Radio Liberty, in the words of an unnamed blogger, tell how this happened:

A large detachment of 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 the nation kneeling before its Patron (Arkadag). It is interesting that at the parade, after the passage of the military, the 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 in front of him, but they did not succeed. Either the horse turned out to be a thoroughbred, or they didn’t explain to him who was in front of him.

But the government website “Turkmexpo” stated that “stopping in front of the central stand, the handsome horse bowed before the leader of the nation in a graceful bow.”

There are still few monuments to Berdymukhamedov; 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 carpet or against the background of a waving flag.

But sometimes he just walks the green carpet towards a brighter future. Here, for the sake of credibility, the main attractions of Ashgabat were placed behind Berdymukhamedov’s back.

In the main newspaper of the country “Neutral Turkmenistan”, writer Gozel Shagulyeva published “A Song of Joy in honor of awarding the esteemed President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov the high title “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 at a loss , why did he do it). This is what it said:

First of all, I want to say the main thing: I am happy because I am an eyewitness to the great deeds of the great era of the Great Son. I am happy because I consider it my duty to glorify the days of the Renaissance of my country, filled with great deeds, the glory of which spread throughout the world.

The internationally recognized Arkadag, our stronghold, support, hope, reviving with its responsive heart the ancient Silk Road of the Turkmen people, today has turned its Fatherland into a peacekeeping center.<...>

When I see how the grandiose plans of our esteemed President are being implemented, when I listen to his historical speeches, I cannot hold back tears of happiness and pride from excitement. And bright 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 Berdymukhamedov.

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

For a few seconds, the people were numb, but then security guards, security officers and ministers rushed to Berdymukhamedov, who was lying motionless. He was taken away in an ambulance, and spectators waited tensely for about an hour 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:

At the end, Berkarar was taken out onto the treadmill. The leader of Turkmenistan, known for his love of horses, tried to kiss the horse, but it recoiled. The President did not retreat, pulling his horse towards him again. The horse was forgiven. The crowd cheered.

As the event ended, exit security began sifting through the crowd. Those who had cameras were taken to a room under the stands and were urged to delete all videos and photographs. To ensure that no one could hide the memory cards, student volunteers monitored the crowd. In addition, foreign citizens and journalists were present at the event: their laptops, tablets and phones were confiscated at the airport. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan reported that several dozen people were then arrested for attempting to take “prohibited materials” abroad.

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 Berdymukhamedov.

The President participates not only in horse racing, but also in auto racing. He also invariably wins them and even sets records. Usually such events are described like this:

To the thunderous applause of the spectators in the stands, the leader of the nation enters the track. The cars take off and immediately pick up high speed, quickly covering the distance.... But number seven [under which Berdymukhamedov usually races, because 7 is his favorite number] no longer leaves a chance for the opponent.<...>As is known, having been fond of driving cars since childhood, the leader of the nation has established himself as a high-class racing driver. Having demonstrated a high level of control of a sports car, the pilot won a landslide victory... number seven - President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov!

In general, Berdymukhamedov does not miss an opportunity to demonstrate to his subjects that he is in excellent athletic shape.

Berdymukhamedov also loves everything gold. Including gardening equipment. Here is a golden watering can.

And this is a golden car. It is clear that he is a difficult person.

Berdymukhamedov also writes books. He called one of them “A good name is imperishable” and dedicated it to his grandfather Berdimuhamed Annaev, who was a teacher. There are other works entitled “Turkmenistan - a country of healthy and highly spiritual people”, “Ahal-Teke horse is our pride and glory”, “Flight of heavenly horses” and “Medicinal plants of Turkmenistan”. On the initiative of the president, in 2009, copies of the Rukhnama written by Turkmenbashi were confiscated from Turkmen schools. In exchange, Berdymukhamedov'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.” Usually Berdymukhamedov presents his new items to their deputy prime ministers and heads of ministries, and they respond by bowing to him from the waist and placing the gift to his forehead.

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 people.

A classic photograph of the leader against the backdrop of a light carpet. This is exactly the standard portrait that almost everyone in Turkmenistan has.

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

This is the ticket office of an entertainment complex with a Ferris wheel. Here Arkadag meets everyone again against the backdrop of children.

Absolutely everyone hangs portraits. They hang at airports, train stations, many administrative buildings and, of course, in the offices of government and other companies. This is, for example, the MTS office. Arkadag is adjacent to the flag and coat of arms of Turkmenistan.

At the hotel.

This is what the stand looked like at one of the exhibitions of our KamAZ. All companies must equip their stand with a portrait of Berdymukhamedov against the background of a carpet, otherwise, they say, things will not go well in the country.

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

In general, the universal worship of Turkmenbashi is gradually becoming a thing of the past, but the personality cult of his successor continues to grow stronger. Recently Berdymukhamedov decided to erect a monument to himself.

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

They opened it like this.

The authorities presented fundraising for the monument as voluntary. But according to journalists from “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 supposed to outshine the famous Arch of Neutrality with the golden figure of Turkmenbashi on top, which had been moved to the outskirts of the city several years earlier.

The period of Berdymukhamedov's first presidential term was called the Great Renaissance. The period of the second term was declared the Age of Power 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 Myalikgulievich Berdimuhamedov, began to actively spread in Russian-language media and telegram channels. The reference in all the media was to a single political scientist who had not previously worked on Turkmenistan at all, but many believed immediately and immediately began to build versions: Berdymukhamedov could not die from “kidney failure”, there was obvious poisoning. The previous president, Saparmurat Niyazov, also died suddenly - which means we are seeing a format for the transfer of power taking root in a super-closed country.

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

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

And this image is large-scale. Berdimuhamedov is a writer, singer, equestrian, pistol shooter while sitting on a bicycle, racer, weightlifter, author of the Asian Games anthem, patron of kittens and generally a Turkmenist.

In a country where a man who replaced the names of months with the names of relatives previously ruled for many years, it is difficult to surpass the level of the cult of personality, but Niyazov’s personal dentist Berdymukhamedov 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 exactly how everything works. President Superman: in between writing books about the healing power of tea and horses, he saves his native country from foreign enemies. Turkmenistan, by the way, is officially neutral, just 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 to Turkmenistan. This may be an exaggeration, but not a very strong one: at least they are trying to conduct a dialogue with North Korea, and Turkmenistan seems to exist on a separate planet. They don’t burn officials there with flamethrowers (but this is inaccurate), but there is simply no way out of this constant Through the Looking Glass, where it is customary to kiss his own book donated 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 Russian government/TASS

A country of luxurious and always white buildings (Berdymukhamedov really doesn’t like the color black) and at the same time an acute shortage of food, medicines and even forms for these medicines.

A showcase that is a distorting mirror in every sense: both a personal show by Gurbanguly Vaganovich Petrosyan and a lens for a distorted perception of the reality of all five-plus million people inside. Day after day, a simple resident of some Kone-Urgench is drowning in this total lie, like in the quicksand of the Karakum, about which the Soviet hit Berdymukhamedov so fervently quailed.

But life in this microcosm for Berdymukhamedov only appears to be “relaxed.” Palace intrigues in a country where everyone lies to everyone are heated to the limit, but you yourself never understand who to fear and who to bring closer to you. Berdimuhamedov 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 of Turkmenistan, and then the first thing he did was clear out these same special services. Now the situation is even worse: defending power is always more difficult than gaining it. When your health begins to fail, you also need to transfer your powers to someone. Transit of power, damn it.

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

His son will probably be on his side in the event of an attempted palace coup, but one cannot be sure of this either: at one time, Berdymukhamedov Sr. was called Niyazov’s illegitimate son (they are indeed very similar) and, they say, could have contributed to the acceleration of 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 take a new turn.

This is the biggest pain of a dictatorial president: you can’t trust anyone.

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

(and for some reason my own tea treatment recipes don’t help). People applaud your rifle shooting at targets falling before the shot, but behind their backs they secretly hope that you will die quickly. Berdymukhamedov could already feel this to the fullest when in 2013, during a race, he fell from his horse at full speed, and now he has to relive these feelings again.

One can take comfort in one thing: 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 Berdymukhamedov would no longer become a pioneer.

The logic of decisions made by the country's leadership, and in some states the political system, is largely determined by the personality of the main leader. News.ru continues to talk about the biographies, families and hobbies of the leaders of the post-Soviet republics. Previous articles were devoted to the heads of Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and Uzbekistan. Today the material is about the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov.

Son of a communist

The future holder of the title Arkadag (“patron”) was born in 1957 in the village of Babarap, fifty kilometers from Ashgabat, into an intelligent family of school teachers. The leader of Turkmenistan is proud of his parents; he periodically appears with them at public events. In Turkmenistan, military units, streets and squares are named in honor of Arkadag’s grandfather and father; their detailed biographies were published several years ago. From the books you can find out that the president’s grandfather Berdymukhamed Annayev was a rural teacher and school director, during the Great Patriotic War he fought with the rank of corporal, and was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor for his work. The president's father, Myalikguly Berdimuhamedov, is a historian by training, worked at school, then made a career as a correctional officer, rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the internal service, and worked in the apparatus of the Ministry of Fruit and Vegetable Farming of the Turkmen SSR. In the book “Loyal Son of the Motherland,” it is especially noted that the president’s father was a candidate member of the CPSU, was on the commission for preparing holidays in the party committee of the Ministry, and participated in various party and Komsomol meetings.

After graduating from school, the future leader decided to devote himself to healing people. At the age of 23, he graduated from the dental faculty of the Turkmen State Medical Institute and began working as a dentist in rural and urban clinics. In 1987, he went to Moscow for graduate school, and three years later he defended his thesis on the topic “Features of the clinic and pathogenesis of major dental diseases in children born to multiparous women.” Returning home, the future leader of the republic continued to treat patients’ teeth, at the same time deepened his knowledge and gradually became an associate professor, and then the dean of the Faculty of Dentistry. In 2007, when he had already taken the presidency, it was announced that Berdymukhamedov would be awarded the degree of Doctor of Science in Medicine.

At the age of 40 he was appointed Minister of Health. This fact, as well as the fact that in the future he was not subject to numerous purges in the government, gave rise to various gossip. Allegedly, the rapid rise was facilitated by the fact that Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is actually the illegitimate son of the former President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov. Moreover, the external similarity between the former and current leaders is striking. If we hypothetically present this version as true, it turns out that the current leader was born when Niyazov was only 17 years old.

The president has many relatives, but very little is known about what they do. Some information can be gleaned from a memo from employees of the US Embassy in Ashgabat for State Department employees in Washington, which was published by the Wikileaks portal. It follows from the document that the Turkmen leader has two daughters and a son, Serdar. The eldest daughter Guljahon lives in London and is married to Ilasgeldy Amanov, a representative of the Turkmen State Agency for the Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources in the UK. The youngest Gulshan lives in Paris and is married to Derya Atabaev, an employee of the Turkmen embassy in France; the couple has a villa on the Cote d'Azur. American diplomats also wrote that, according to rumors, Berdymukhamedov has an unofficial Russian wife named Marina, who previously worked as a nurse in the same dental clinic where the head of state worked. Marina, as well as her 22-year-old daughter with the president, according to American embassy workers, lived in London during the period of writing the note in 2010.

More information about son Serdar, born in 1981. In 2001, he received an engineering degree from the Turkmen Agricultural University and since then has become a doctor of science, a member of parliament, a lieutenant colonel, an honored trainer of the country, and in March 2018 he was appointed deputy minister of foreign affairs. Serdar has a wife, three daughters and a son.

Gurbanguly was the only son of his parents, but he has five sisters. Some of them occupy positions of responsibility, for example Gulnabat heads the national organization of the Red Crescent.

Recently, his grandson Kerimguly, the son of his eldest daughter Guljakhon, has often appeared in public with the president. In the summer, Turkmen television showed how the head of state and his grandson performed a rap of their own composition.

All that is known about the president’s wife is that her name is Ogulgerek, and she is the same age as her husband. Sometimes Berdymukhamedov appears in public with his wife, but extremely rarely; she does not give interviews. Arkadag does not like to let others into his family life. But he himself has recently been present in almost every wedding photograph in the country: since 2013, all newlyweds have been required to take a photo in the registry office with the portrait of the president in the background

Handyman

The President of Turkmenistan has many diverse interests. His list of hobbies also includes sports, which he has been involved in since childhood. At the age of 15, the future leader of the nation became the champion of Ashgabat in freestyle wrestling, and a year later - the champion of the republic in shooting. Now he has many sports titles in various international sports associations and federations, personally participates in horse racing and auto racing, and watches football competitions with interest.

Another area of ​​interest is music. The head of state plays the guitar, accordion, keyboards and drums, and composes songs in various genres, from pop and pop to rap. He also loves to sing, both songs of his own composition and those of other authors. This year, the president congratulated the women of the republic on March 8, performing Igor Sarukhanov’s song “Kara-kum”.

Berdymukhamedov also loves to invent and assemble equipment. State television recently showed how the president allegedly personally designed and then built a racing car from his own drawings.

But the biggest hobby of the leader of Turkmenistan is writing books, which are translated into many languages ​​of the world by a special staff of translators in the country. Berdimuhamedov wrote volumes, including on the importance of sports, the need to get an education, the benefits of drinking tea, the beauty of music and nature, the importance of water for the national economy, horse breeding, and spiritual self-improvement. The encyclopedic collection in 9 volumes “Medicinal Herbs of Turkmenistan” is recommended for use by all medical institutions of the republic. His latest opus, published in 2018, is called “The Teachings of Arkadag - the basis of health and inspiration.”