Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov (Turkmen. Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhammedow) is a Turkmen statesman, since 2007 he has been the second president of Turkmenistan.
Biography
Born on June 29, 1957 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, then graduate school. Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor in the specialty "Social Hygiene and Health Organization". He began his career in 1980 as a dentist.
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 Berdimuhammedov was the illegitimate son of Turkmenbashi. The reliability of this information is called into question, since the age difference between them is only 17 years.
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 of Turkmenistan, Ovezgeldy Ataev, the chairman of the Mejlis, was supposed to head, 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 that the innaguration 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 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.
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.
Election promises
Berdymukhammedov promises to make the Internet accessible to the people of Turkmenistan (now only 1% of the population uses the network, 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 fulfilled. 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, returning schools to the provinces that Niyazov had abolished, and extending 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.
With the first decree, Berdymukhammedov returned a ten-year education to schools. Uniforms of university 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 limiting 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 Berdymukhammedov, but also about all future presidents, without glorifying a specific person).
Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov has canceled 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. The reports of the Russian information services that this happened on July 6 were almost a week behind the fact.
Order "Watan" ("Watan" - "Motherland") (2007)
Order "Galkynyş" ("Galkynysh" - "Revival")
Order "Prezidentiň Ýyldyzy" ("President Yildyzy" - "Star of the President")
Order of the President of Turkmenistan "Garaşsyz Türkmenistana bolan beýik soýgusi üçin" ("Garashsyz of Turkmenistan bolan beyik soygusi uchin" - "For great love for Independent Turkmenistan")
Medal "Watana bolan soýgusi üçin" ("Watana bolan soygusi uchin" - "For the love of the Motherland")
Medal "Turkmenistanyn Garaşsyzlygynyn 11 ýyllygyna"
Anniversary medal "10 years of Astana" (Kazakhstan, 2008)
According to the Central Election Commission of Turkmenistan, in the presidential elections held on Sunday, February 12, the 59-year-old was re-elected as the head of Turkmenistan. In addition to Berdimuhamedov, eight other candidates competed for the presidency.
According to the new version of the Constitution, the presidential term will be seven years instead of five.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Dossier
Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov was born on June 29, 1957 in the village of Babarab, Gekdepe district, Ashgabat region, Turkmenistan.
In 1979 he graduated from the Turkmen State Medical Institute. Doctor of Medical Sciences.
He began his career in 1979 as a dental intern at polyclinic No. 5 in Ashgabat.
From 1980 to 1982, he worked as a dentist in a rural outpatient clinic in the village of Errik-Kala, Ashgabat region.
In 1982-1985 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.
In 1990-1995, he was an assistant at the Department of Therapeutic Dentistry, Associate Professor, Dean of the Dental Faculty of the Turkmen State Medical Institute.
In 1995-1997, he was the 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.
On April 3, 2001, by decree of the President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov, he was appointed 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.
On December 21, 2006, by decision of the State Security Council of Turkmenistan and the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, he was appointed Acting President of Turkmenistan, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan, in connection with the death of the first president of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov (1940-2006).
On February 11, 2007, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was elected the second president of Turkmenistan. On February 14, the inauguration ceremony took place. By tradition, 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 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 Rukhnama.
In March 2007, he was elected head of the highest representative and legislative body of power in Turkmenistan - the People's Council (Halk Maslakhaty).
On February 12, 2012, the second alternative presidential elections were held in Turkmenistan. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov won 97.14% of the votes.
In 2017, he won the presidential election for the second time.
Cult of personality
Among the people, the president bears the unofficial title of "Leader of the Nation" and Arkadag (translated from Turkmen Arkadag - "patron"). Many social and cultural objects of Turkmenistan are named after him, as well as the names of his family members. Images and portraits of Berdimuhamedov are placed on thousands of posters and banners, countless photographs in the premises of institutions, in the cabs of vehicles.
Relations with Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin Putin praised Berdimuhamedov's contribution to the development of friendly relations between the two countries.
Earlier, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated that Russia and Turkmenistan have centuries-old friendly relations, which are constantly strengthened by new agreements and interaction in various sectors: the economy (in 2015, trade between the countries doubled), education and culture. In particular, about 17,000 Turkmen students study at Russian universities every year.
“Of course, the cultural and humanitarian sphere is very important for us, because these are issues of education, science, culture and sports. Even today we remember how you (Vladimir Putin) yourself founded the Russian-Turkmen school, which bears the name of the great poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. Over the years, a galaxy of graduates has been released who not only want to learn Russian, they love the Russian language. In many of our general education schools, and in higher educational institutions, great importance is attached to the study of the Russian language. Periodicals, exhibitions, photo exhibitions are very good with us, the work on the publishing press, namely on Russian periodicals, is going on at a high level,” the President of Turkmenistan said at a meeting with Putin in November 2016.
As for foreign policy, Turkmenistan and Russia have always understood each other, Berdimuhamedov said.
“We are a neutral country. We are grateful to you for supporting us twice, you even co-authored the document on the permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan. Therefore, we, as a neutral country, and the only neutral country in the world, conduct our foreign policy based on the Charter of the United Nations: it is peaceful in our country - and in this regard, we are also doing a lot with you and, of course, we will continue this policy in the future. ”, Berdimuhamedov emphasized at the time.
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has the title Arkadag, which means "protector" in Turkmen. He also holds the post of Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the country. Being an academician of the Republican Academy of Sciences, the President of Turkmenistan holds the title of Doctor of Economics. His military rank is General of the Army.
Biographical information
The biography of the President of Turkmenistan Berdimuhamedov begins on June 29, 1957, when he was born in the small village of Babarap, located in the Geok-Tepe district of the Ashgabat region. Turkmenistan.
His father, Myalikguly Berdimuhamedovich Berdimuhamedov, had a pedagogical education. Before retiring, he worked as the head of a unit in the field of corrective labor structures. The name of the mother of the future statesman is Ogulabat-edje.
Grandfather Berdimuhamed Annaev had to fight in the Great Patriotic War, although he had a peaceful teaching profession. Working as a director in an elementary school, he had a fairly wide popularity within the Turkmen USSR.
The future president of Turkmenistan was the only boy in the family. He had five sisters.
After graduating from high school, in 1979 he entered the Turkmen State Medical Institute, where he studied at the Faculty of Dentistry, after which he continued his studies there in graduate school.
Ultimately, Berdymukhammedov became a professor of social hygiene and healthcare organization, earning a doctorate in medical sciences.
About work
The future president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov, began his career as a dentist. In the period from 1980 to 1982, he worked in the village of Errik-Kala near Ashgabat in an outpatient clinic, then for three years he worked as a chief freelance dentist in the Ashgabat region.
In 1985-1987, he was in charge of dentistry at the Central District Hospital in the Keshi village council, while simultaneously acting as the chief freelance dentist in the Ashgabat region.
In 1990-1995, he worked at the Turkmen State Medical Institute, first as an assistant at the Department of Therapeutic Dentistry, where he became an assistant professor, then took the position of dean at the Faculty of Dentistry.
In 1995, Berdimuhamedov became the director of a dental center at the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, and since 1997 he has headed this ministry.
In 2001, he took the post of deputy chairman in the cabinet of ministers of the republic. The first president of Turkmenistan S. A. Niyazov headed the cabinet of ministers at that time.
In 2006, Berdymukhammedov participated on behalf of his republic in the Minsk CIS summit.
Death of Niyazov
On the eve of the death of S. A. Niyazov, rumors spread in Turkmenistan that Berdymukhammedov was the illegitimate son of Turkmenbashi. This was indirectly confirmed by the presence of their external similarity.
After the death of President Niyazov, Berdimuhamedov headed the funeral committee, then the State Security Council decided to appoint Berdimuhamedov and. O. the President of the Republic.
In this case, the Turkmen constitution provided for the nomination of the chairman of the Mejlis, Ovezgeldy Ataev, to this position, but a criminal case was suddenly opened against him.
On December 26, 2006, the highest state authority, the People's Council (Halk maslahaty), unanimously supported Berdimuhamedov's candidacy for nomination for the post of head of state. 2507 delegates voted for him.
Election of a new head of Turkmenistan
As a result of the elections on February 11, 2007, the second president of Turkmenistan was elected, whose photo was not only covered by the republican press. Many foreign publications have noted this fact. In the elections, Berdymukhammedov received 89.23 percent of the electoral votes of his compatriots.
On the morning of February 14, 2007, it was announced that a new president of Turkmenistan, Berdimuhamedov, was elected, after which the process of his inauguration began, consisting in the presentation of a presidential certificate and a distinctive sign (a gold chain on which an octagonal emblem is hung). After traditionally walking on the surface of a white carpet, which is a symbol of a bright path, the President of Turkmenistan received a number of symbolic items, such as sachak - bread wrapped in a special tablecloth, arrows in a quiver, the Koran, "Rukhnama".
In the presidency
The newly elected President of Turkmenistan paid his first official visit to Saudi Arabia. He visited Islamic shrines. He also performed the sacred hajj urma.
On April 23, 2007, Berdimuhamedov paid an official visit to Russia. At the meeting with the Russian president, gas supply contracts and prospects for cooperation in medicine and education were discussed. The Turkmen leader explained how the new authorities of the republic see the situation that has arisen in the world community, what guidelines are seen in this regard in foreign policy.
On August 4, 2007, Berdimuhamedov was elected to the post of chairman in the Galkynysh National Movement, as well as in the Republican Democratic Party.
Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov won the next presidential election on February 12, 2012, receiving 97.14 percent of the vote.
Since 2013, Berdimuhamedov has suspended membership in the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan for the period of his presidency.
On presidential campaign promises
Among other promises during the election campaign, Berdymukhammedov spoke about the need for the Internet to be accessible to every citizen of the republic. At that time, only five percent of Turkmens had access to the Internet.
The President of Turkmenistan, whose biography was previously associated with living in a rural area, already by February 2007 had achieved the operation of two Internet cafes in the republican capital, later their number increased to fifteen, similar establishments began to appear in the regions.
For students, employees of universities, research institutes, readers visiting the Republican Central Scientific Library, access to the Internet was made free.
Among Berdimuhamedov's promises was also a promise to reform the educational system, in particular, the return of previously canceled provincial music schools, an increase in high school education to ten years.
Education reforms
In his first decree, Berdymukhammedov returned to school a ten-year period of study, previously schoolchildren studied under a nine-year program.
Changes were made in the school uniform, the traditional national dresses for girls were replaced by dark green dresses, sewn according to the European type, to which an apron was added. However, among the students, wearing the national dress remained mandatory.
On June 12, 2007, the President of the Republic adopted a number of Resolutions concerning the improvement of the scientific sphere of Turkmenistan, the creation of the Academy of Sciences, the Science and Technology Fund, and the Higher Attestation Committee.
In 2012, however, an order was given to paste a photograph in the personal file of employees of a kindergarten, schools, universities and libraries, on which Turkmen national clothes are obligatory.
Ceremonial Changes
The mass celebration of the president's birthday, which had become widespread under Niyazov, was cancelled. Mandatory concerts dedicated to the president's visit to various regions of the republic were also canceled, as was the oath of allegiance to the president.
On the night of June 29, 2007 (the date of birth of the newly elected president), changes took place on Turkmen television - the image of the logo of television channels, on which one could see the bust of Turkmenbashi made of gold, was removed from the programs.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov made certain changes in state symbols and rituals, which was regarded as the elimination of the personality cult of the previous President Niyazov. His name was removed from the oath, which is taken by every Turkmen official, student and schoolchild. In the text of the anthem, instead of Niyazov's name, it began to sound simply - the president.
In 2009, all copies of the Ruhnama, a book written by S. Niyazov, were confiscated from all institutions and enterprises of the republic.
Instead, books written by the incumbent President Berdimuhamedov were brought there.
In the curriculum of general education schools, Ruhnama remained as a separate subject of study, but the volume of its teaching was sharply reduced. Within a week, the Ruhnama began to be studied for no more than one hour. Schools refused to take the final exam in Ruhnama.
On the elements of Berdimuhamedov's personality cult
Today the President of Turkmenistan is called the "Leader of the Nation".
A lifetime monument was erected to his father in the center of the village of Yzgant, where his name was given to the Palace of Culture and secondary school No. 27, as well as the Ashgabat military unit No. 1001.
On the day of the presidential fiftieth anniversary, the Central Bank minted commemorative coins with a portrait of the head of the country.
The statue of Berdimuhamedov, in the form of a horseman, was first installed in the Ashkhadab Museum of Art in 2012, and in 2015 the sculptor Babayev sculpted a 21-meter statue of the president, it was covered with gold.
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 Berdymukhammedov 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, forgetting neither about himself (January became known as "Turkmenbashi"), nor about his mother: the month of Gurbansoltan-eje now stands in Turkmenistan, and not April at all.
The Turkmen 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.
The Council of Elders of Turkmenistan obediently delayed and awarded him the title of Hero of Turkmenistan only two years later. Berdymukhammedov has four more Hero awards to catch up with Turkmenbashi in terms of the number of top awards.
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). It is interesting that 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 did not succeed. Either the horse turned out to be 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 tribune, the handsome horse bowed before the leader of the nation in a graceful bow."
There are few monuments to Berdimuhamedov so far, 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 conferring the high title of "Person of the Year - 2010" on honorable President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov" (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). 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.
When the event ended, exit security personnel began sifting through the crowd. Those with cameras were taken to a room under the stands and urged to erase all videos and photos. So that no one could hide the memory cards, student volunteers watched the crowd. In addition, the event was attended by foreign citizens and journalists: their laptops, tablets and phones were already confiscated at the airport. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan reported that several dozen people were then arrested for trying 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 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, being 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!
In general, Berdymukhammedov does not miss a chance to demonstrate to his subjects that he is in excellent physical shape.
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 golden. 
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. 
At the 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 the president's buildings, they are photographed in a suit and with his hand raised 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 Power and Happiness.
Good luck to you, dear friends. Continue tomorrow.
Berdimuhamedov Gurbangulu Berdumuhamedov Career: Rulers
President of Turkmenistan. Since 1997 he has headed the Ministry of Health. In 2001, he became Deputy Prime Minister in charge of healthcare, education and science, and since 2004 - culture and the media. In December 2006, he became the interim president of Turkmenistan, and in February 2007 he was elected president of the country. Head of the government. Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan, General of the Army, Doctor of Medical Sciences.
Gurbanguly Myalikkulievich Berdimuhamedov was born in 1957 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. Since 1979, Berdimuhamedov has worked in Ashgabat as a dentist. In 1987 he went to Moscow to study in graduate school, graduated in 1990 and received the level of candidate of medical sciences. In 1990-1995, Berdimuhamedov served as an assistant at the Department of Therapeutic Dentistry, Associate Professor and Dean of the Dental Faculty of the Turkmen State Medical Institute.
In 1995, Berdimuhamedov became director of the dental center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan. May 28, 1997 was appointed Minister of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan. In addition, in 1998 he became the head of the Saparmurat Niyazov International Medical Center. On April 3, 2001, Berdimuhamedov, in addition to his ministerial position, became Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Turkmenistan, responsible for health, education and science, and from August 2004 he began to oversee culture and the media.
Berdymukhammedov's activities as minister and vice president were in practice not covered by the media, as was the service of other high-ranking Turkmen officials. It is known that in November 2002 he ordered to expand the experience of renaming the days of the week and months of the year, as well as replacing the traditional greeting "Salam Aleykum" in favor of Niyazov's "Rukhnama" and "Shamchirag". In July 2003, Berdymukhammedov headed the state commission for admission to higher educational institutions, which became likely to enter only after this two-year work in the chosen specialty, and not immediately after graduation. From July 9 to August 9, 2003, it was planned to enroll 3,920 students in 16 Turkmen universities. In November 2003, Berdymukhammedov was reprimanded by Turkmen President Niyazov for the low qualifications of Turkmen doctors, but kept his post. In April 2004, Niyazov fined Berdymukhammedov three months of his salary for accounting 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 the one hand, Berdymukhammedov owed his government posts to the president of Turkmenistan, who personally periodically dismissed high-ranking officials, preventing them from gaining connections and gaining a foothold in power. On the other hand, some experts named Berdimuhamedov among those officials who influenced Niyazov's such decisions, thereby eliminating competitors. Thus, in November 2002, Berdymukhammedov and Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the oil and gas industry, Elly Gurbanmuradov, allegedly managed to dismiss Rejep Saparov, who had been appointed head of the administration of the President of Turkmenistan, from the post of Deputy Prime Minister. Experts then spoke about the inevitable clash of interests between Berdimuhamedov and Gurbanmuradov and relied on the latter. On May 20, 2005, Gurbanmuradov was arrested on charges of corruption and cooperation with foreign intelligence agencies in order to politically destabilize the country. On July 2, 2005, Saparov, elected in August 2003 as deputy chairman of the People's Council (Halk Maslakhaty), was arrested for bribery, illegal acquisition and possession of weapons, abuse and abuse of power. At the end of July 2005, Saparov and Gurbanmuradov were sentenced to 20 and 25 years' imprisonment respectively. Soon there were unofficial reports that the finalist had committed suicide.
According to some reports, in September 2004, Berdymukhammedov took part in a closed meeting of the President of Turkmenistan, held in a narrow circle. Niyazov was allegedly very frightened by the speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who announced on September 13, 2004 (following the Beslan events) that the heads of regions and republics would henceforth be appointed by the country's president. According to experts, it seemed to Niyazov that the interrogative motif about the leader of Turkmenistan would be briskly ventured anew in Moscow. To discuss the expediency of holding an all-Turkmen referendum on "reunification with Russia," he called an emergency meeting, which, to the surprise of experts, was attended by the head of the presidential administration Saparov, his deputy Alexander Zhadan and Berdimuhamedov. It is authentically known that from September 13 to 15, 2004, the German cardiac surgeon Hans Meissner conducted another examination of Niyazov.
On November 28, 2006, instead of Niyazov, Berdimuhamedov took part in a meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of State. A year earlier, Niyazov asked the leaders of the CIS to consider Turkmenistan not as a permanent, but as an associated member of this organization. In the fall of 2006, Berdymukhammedov, who allegedly is Niyazov's illegitimate son, was named a possible successor to the president. True, according to experts, the same rumors circulated about the former head of the National Security Committee, Mukhammed Nazarov, who in April 2004 was sentenced to 25 years.
During the hours of darkness from 20 to 21 December 2006, Niyazov died of sudden cardiac arrest. On December 21, 2006, Berdimuhamedov became the interim president of Turkmenistan. In accordance with the constitution of Turkmenistan, the powers of the president of the country were to be removed to the chairman of the parliament (Mejlis), and he had no right to participate in new elections, which were to take place no later than two months later. However, Parliament Chairman Ovezgeldy Atayev was taken into custody, and the Security Council of Turkmenistan appointed Berdimuhamedov, who was also appointed head of the commission for organizing Niyazov's funeral, as acting president. According to some experts, a coup has essentially taken place in the country. On December 23, 2006, Berdimuhamedov relieved himself of the post of Minister of Health and Medical Industry, appointing Byashim Sopyev as Acting Minister. On December 24, 2006, Niyazov was buried, and an emergency congress of the People's Council was scheduled for December 26, 2006 to determine his likely successors.
On December 26, 2006, Berdymukhammedov was elected chairman of the Congress of the People's Council, which on that day changed the constitution of Turkmenistan, passed the law on presidential elections, set the date for the presidential election, and approved six candidates. The congress delegates, at the suggestion of the second secretary of the ruling Democratic Party, Ondzhik Musaev, who allegedly remembered Niyazov's posthumous will, entered amendments into the main law of the country, allowing the vice-premier to act as president of the republic. The head of the Central Election Commission of Turkmenistan announced that elections would be held on February 11, 2007. Then representatives of all five velayats (regions) and the capital of Turkmenistan, which has the status of a region, nominated ten candidates. The last - eleventh - was Berdimuhamedov, whose candidacy was proposed by Musaev. Each of the nominated candidates had to be approved as a presidential candidate by two-thirds of the members of the People's Council: only five out of ten passed the same selection, while Berdymukhammedov was voted unanimously.
On February 11, 2007, Berdimuhamedov was elected president of Turkmenistan. More than 2 million 677 thousand inhabitants of the country (98.65 percent of voters) took part in the elections, of which 89.23 percent voted for Berdimuhamedov. Already on the day of voting, the date of the inauguration of the new president was announced, despite the theoretical possibility of a second round of elections. On February 14, 2007, at a meeting of the People's Council, the final results of the vote were announced, Berdimuhamedov took an oath on the constitution of Turkmenistan and received a presidential certificate from the hands of the chairman of the CEC. In accordance with the constitution of Turkmenistan, the president of the country is the head of the government - the cabinet of ministers.
On May 4, 2007, the Mejlis of Turkmenistan awarded President Berdimuhamedov, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic, the rank of Army General. Prior to him, only Niyazov and two defense ministers, the former Danatar Kopekov and the current Agageldy Mammetgeldiyev, held this military rank in Turkmenistan.
In the summer of 2007, President Berdimuhamedov received the academic level of Doctor of Medical Sciences and the title of Professor in the specialty "Social Hygiene and Health Organization". This conclusion was adopted by the expert commission on medical sciences of the Supreme Council for Science and Technology of Turkmenistan on the basis of many years of scientific and practical work of Berdimuhamedov. In August 2007, Berdimuhamedov was elected chairman of the Galkynysh (Revival) National Movement and the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan.
In September 2007, during a visit to the United States, timed to coincide with a meeting of the UN General Assembly, Berdimuhamedov announced the upcoming reform of the economy and democratization of the country. Shortly thereafter, Berdymukhammedov began to revamp his administration. Already in October, he made a system of reshuffles in law enforcement agencies, replacing the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of National Security. In March 2008, Berdimuhamedov replaced the Prosecutor General and the leadership of the Supreme Court, and in April - the leadership of the Central Bank.
At the same time, in the second half of 2007, on the initiative of Berdimuhamedov, Turkmenistan began to abandon a number of restrictions imposed during the period of Niyazov's rule. In December 2007, the ban on foreign periodicals was lifted in January 2008 - on opera and the circus. On July 1, 2008, Turkmenistan returned to the Gregorian calendar, which was canceled by Niyazov back in 2002.
Berdymukhammedov's economic policy of that time was characterized by a desire to get closer to the West. Thus, according to some information, one of the topics of Berdimuhamedov's negotiations in the United States with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to be the opening of the gas sector of Turkmenistan for American investors. In October 2007, together with Georgia, Turkmenistan refused to sign the CIS Development Concept, which, in particular, envisaged the creation of an "integrated economic and political association of interested states." In November, it was reported that Berdymukhammedov supported the idea of building a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, one that would allow Europe to acquire Turkmen gas bypassing Russia. Along with this, in December of the same year, a final agreement was reached between Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia on the start of construction of the Caspian gas pipeline, one that should increase the volume of Turkmen gas supplies to Russia.
On April 18, 2008, Berdymukhammedov announced the creation of a special commission whose task was to create a new version of the Turkmen constitution. Her plan, published in July 2008, implied, in particular, the abolition of the highest body of state power - the People's Council, whose powers were divided between the president and parliament. On September 26, 2008, at the last meeting of the People's Council, a new version of the constitution was adopted, according to some experts, it greatly increased the powers of the president.
In October 2008, the Izvestia newspaper reported on the out-of-print book "Teacher, Fighter, Citizen. Berdimuhamed Annaev's Life-Feat", dedicated to the story of Berdimuhamedov's paternal grandfather. The genealogy of the head of state and the history of his ancestral village Yzgant were also given there. "It seems that the republic is smoothly entering the new era of Turkmenbashi-2," the article noted. In the same month, the World Karate Federation awarded President Berdymukhammedov with a 6th dan black belt "for his outstanding contribution to the formation of the national sport." As Turkmen TV reported, the president of Turkmenistan received a black belt in karate in connection with the 17th anniversary of the country's independence.
Berdimuhamedov is the author of two books published in 2007 - a collection of articles "Scientific foundations for the development of health care in Turkmenistan" and "Turkmenistan - a state of healthy and highly spiritual people." In October 2008, a presentation of a new book by the President of Turkmenistan took place in Ashgabat, it is dedicated to horses and is called "Akhal-Teke horse - our pride and glory."
Also read the biographies of famous people:
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow
President of Turkmenistan. Candidate of Medical Sciences. Since 1997 he has been the head of the Ministry of Health. In 2001 he became Deputy Prime Minister,..
Gurgen Melkonyan Gurgen Melkonyan
Armenian military figure.
Guru Chovang Guru Chovang
The second of the five famous Terton kings was Guru Chokyi Wangchuck.
Guus Hiddink Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch footballer and coach. Born November 8, 1946. At the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, Guus Hiddink coached..
