President of Turkmenistan
President of Turkmenistan. Since 1997, he headed the Ministry of Health. In 2001, he became Deputy Prime Minister in charge of healthcare, education and science, and since 2004 - culture and media. In December 2006, he became the acting president of Turkmenistan, in February 2007 he was elected president of the country, and in February 2012 he was re-elected for a second term. Head of the government. 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.
In 1995, Berdimuhamedov became director of the dental center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan. On May 28, 1997, he was appointed Minister of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan. In addition, in 1998, Berdimuhamedov 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 healthcare, education and science, and since August 2004, he also began to oversee culture and the media.
Berdymukhamedov's activities as minister and vice president were practically not covered in the media, as was the work of other high-ranking Turkmen officials. It is known that in November 2002, he ordered to expand the experiment of renaming the days of the week and months of the year, as well as replacing the traditional greeting “Salam Aleikum” in favor of Niyazov’s “Rukhnama” and “Shamchirag”. In July 2003, Berdymukhamedov headed the state commission for admission to higher educational institutions, which became possible to enter only after two years of work in the chosen specialty, and not immediately after graduation. It was planned to enroll 3,920 students in 16 Turkmen universities from July 9 to August 9, 2003. In November 2003, Berdymukhamedov received a reprimand from Turkmen President Niyazov for the low level of qualifications of Turkmen doctors, but retained his post. In April 2004, Niyazov fined Berdymukhamedov an amount equal to three months' salary for the fact that about half of the wage arrears in Turkmenistan were in the education and health sectors. According to some reports, Berdymukhamedov was at one time Niyazov's personal physician.
On the one hand, Berdymukhamedov owed his government posts to the President of Turkmenistan, who personally periodically dismissed high-ranking officials, preventing them from gaining connections and strengthening their position in power. On the other hand, some experts named Berdimuhamedov among those officials who influenced such decisions of Niyazov, thereby eliminating competitors. Thus, in November 2002, Berdimuhamedov and the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the oil and gas industry, Elly Gurbanmuradov, allegedly managed to dismiss Rejep Saparov, who was appointed manager of the office of the President of Turkmenistan, from his post as Deputy Prime Minister. Experts then talked about an 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 services with the aim of political destabilization in the country. On July 2, 2005, Saparov, elected in August 2003 as Deputy Chairman of the People's Council (Khalk Maslakhaty), was arrested for bribery, illegal acquisition and storage of weapons, abuse and abuse of power. At the end of July 2005, Saparov and Gurbanmuradov were sentenced to 20 and 25 years in prison, respectively. Unofficial reports soon appeared that the latter had committed suicide.
According to some reports, in September 2004, Berdymukhamedov took part in a closed meeting of the President of Turkmenistan, held in a narrow circle. Niyazov was allegedly greatly frightened by the speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who declared on September 13, 2004 (after the Beslan events) that the heads of regions and republics would henceforth be appointed by the president of the country. According to experts, it seemed to Niyazov that the issue of the leader of Turkmenistan would soon be decided again in Moscow. To discuss the feasibility of holding an all-Turkmen referendum on the issue of “reunification with Russia,” he convened an emergency meeting, in which, to the surprise of experts, the heads of the presidential administration Saparov, his deputy Alexander Zhadan and Berdimuhamedov took part. It is reliably known that from September 13 to 15, 2004, the German heart surgeon Hans Meissner conducted another examination of Niyazov.
On November 28, 2006, Berdimuhamedov, instead of Niyazov, took part in a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS. A year earlier, Niyazov appealed to the leaders of the CIS with a request to consider Turkmenistan not a permanent, but an associated member of this organization. In the fall of 2006, Berdymukhamedov, who was allegedly Niyazov’s illegitimate son, was called a possible successor to the president. True, according to experts, the same rumors circulated about the former head of the National Security Committee, Muhammad Nazarov, who was sentenced to 25 years in April 2004.
On the night of December 20-21, 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 country's president were to go to the chairman of the parliament (Majlis), and he did not have the right to participate in new elections, which were to be held no later than two months later. However, the chairman of the parliament, 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 actually occurred in the country. On December 23, 2006, Berdymukhamedov relieved himself of his post as 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, Berdymukhamedov was elected chairman of the congress of the People's Council, which on that day changed the constitution of Turkmenistan, adopted the law on presidential elections, set the date for presidential elections and approved six candidates. The congress delegates, at the proposal of the second secretary of the ruling Democratic Party Ondzhik Musayev, who allegedly remembered Niyazov’s posthumous will, amended the country’s basic law, allowing the deputy prime minister to serve as the president of the republic. The head of the Central Election Commission of Turkmenistan announced that the elections would take place 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 Berdymukhamedov, whose candidacy was proposed by Musaev. Each of the nominated candidates had to be approved as a presidential candidate by two-thirds of the votes of the members of the People's Council: only five out of ten passed this selection, while Berdymukhamedov was voted unanimously.
On February 11, 2007, Berdimuhamedov was elected president of Turkmenistan. Over 2.677 million residents of the country (98.65 percent of voters) took part in the elections, of which 89.23 percent cast their votes for Berdimuhamedov. Already on election day, the date for 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 voting results were announced, Berdymukhamedov took the oath of office on the Constitution of Turkmenistan and received the presidential certificate from the hands of the chairman of the Central Election Commission. 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, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic, the rank of army general. Before him, this military rank in Turkmenistan was held only by Niyazov and two defense ministers - former Danatar Kopekov and current Agageldy Mamedgeldyev.
In the summer of 2007, President Berdimuhamedov received the degree of Doctor of Medical Sciences and the title of professor in the specialty “Social Hygiene and Healthcare Organization.” This decision was made by the expert commission on medical sciences of the Supreme Council for Science and Technology of Turkmenistan based on Berdymukhamedov’s many years of scientific and practical activity. In August 2007, Berdymukhamedov was elected chairman of the National Movement "Galkynysh" ("Renaissance") 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 impending reform of the economy and democratization of the country. Shortly thereafter, Berdymukhamedov began revamping his administration. Already in October, he made a number of reshuffles in the law enforcement agencies, replacing the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of National Security. In March 2008, Berdymukhamedov also 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, Turkmenistan, on the initiative of Berdimuhamedov, began to abandon a number of restrictions introduced during the reign of Niyazov. In December 2007, the ban on foreign periodicals was lifted, and in January 2008, on opera and circus. On July 1, 2008, Turkmenistan returned to the Gregorian calendar, abolished by Niyazov back in 2002.
Berdymukhamedov's economic policy at this time was characterized by a desire to get closer to the West. Thus, according to some reports, one of the topics of negotiations between Berdimuhamedov in the United States and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was supposed to be the opening of Turkmenistan’s gas sector to American investors. In October 2007, Turkmenistan, together with Georgia, refused to sign the CIS Development Concept, which envisaged, in particular, the formation of an “integrated economic and political association of interested states.” In November, it was reported that Berdymukhamedov supported the idea of building a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, which would allow Europe to receive Turkmen gas bypassing Russia. Along with this, in December of the same year, a final agreement was reached between Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia to begin construction of the Caspian gas pipeline, which should increase the volume of Turkmen gas supplies to Russia.
On April 18, 2008, Berdymukhamedov announced the creation of a special commission whose task was to create a new edition of the Turkmen constitution. Her project, 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 significantly increased the powers of the president.
In October 2008, the Izvestia newspaper talked about the published book “Teacher, warrior, citizen. The life-feat of Berdymukhamed Annayev,” dedicated to the story of the life of Berdymukhamedov’s paternal grandfather. The pedigree of the head of state and the history of his ancestral village of Yzgant were also given there. “It seems that the republic is smoothly entering the new era of Turkmenbashi-2,” the article noted. That same month, the World Karate Federation awarded President Berdymukhamedov with a 6th dan black belt "for his outstanding contribution to the development of the national sport." As Turkmen television reported, the President of Turkmenistan received a black belt in karate in connection with the 17th anniversary of the country's independence.
In January 2009, Berdymukhamedov announced the need for new reforms related to “the creation of a new basis for political, economic, social and cultural legislation.” Shortly after this, Berdimuhamedov reorganized the composition of the Turkmen government: Defense Minister Mamedgeldyev, Deputy Prime Minister Khojamyrad Geldymyradov, who oversaw the economy, as well as the Minister of Social Security, the Minister of Communications, the Minister of Energy and Industry and a number of other senior officials were dismissed. , . At the same time, Berdimuhamedov approved a new military doctrine for Turkmenistan, which preserved its neutral status and provided for a gradual transition of the army to a contract basis and modernization of weapons. Later, at the end of May 2009, Berdymukhamedov also replaced the Minister of Internal Affairs, and in July removed another Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Railway Transport and the Minister of Education, who was responsible for the economy.
In March 2009, Berdymukhamedov visited Moscow and held talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Meanwhile, among the signed documents there was no agreement on the construction of the East-West gas pipeline, which was supposed to supply the Caspian gas pipeline that was under construction. Experts explained this by the fact that Turkmenistan continues to consider options for building gas pipelines to Europe, bypassing Russia. In July 2009, after Gazprom refused to purchase previously agreed volumes of Turkmen gas, Turkmenistan announced an increase in gas supplies to Iran and the construction of a new Turkmen-Iranian gas pipeline. In addition, Berdymukhamedov announced his country's readiness to participate in the Nabucco gas pipeline project, which was supposed to bypass Russia. In December of the same year, in the presence of Berdymukhamedov, as well as the leaders of China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Hu Jintao, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Islam Karimov, the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline was opened, which, according to experts, significantly reduced the economic dependence of the Central Asian republics on Russia. A week after this, during Medvedev's visit to Turkmenistan, it was announced that gas supplies to Russia would be resumed starting in 2010 at a price corresponding to the conditions of the European gas market.
Although Berdymukhamedov stopped practicing medicine, at the end of July 2009, during the opening of a new cancer center dedicated to the Day of Healthcare and Medical Industry Workers of Turkmenistan, the president personally performed an operation to remove a benign tumor. That same month, Berdimuhamedov was elected academician of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences. In July 2010, Berdymukhamedov was also awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Economic Sciences “based on the totality of fundamental scientific works.”
On July 7, 2011, a series of explosions occurred in the Turkmen city of Abadan. While the country's official media reported pyrotechnics intended for fireworks igniting, killing fifteen people, non-government sources claimed explosions at an ammunition depot resulting in the deaths of nearly fourteen hundred people. Berdimuhamedov himself indicated that “virtually a new city” would be built on the site of old Abadan.
In October 2011, during the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence, Berdymukhamedov was awarded the title of Hero of the country and the accompanying gold medal "Altyn Ay" ("golden month"). Noting the president's merits, speakers at the Council of Elders called him "Arkadag" ("patron") - Berdymukhamedov was regularly called this way since 2010 and, as reported in the press, this could become his official title, like Niyazov's "Turkmenbashi".
In mid-December 2011, on the eve of the next presidential election, at a joint meeting of representatives of the Democratic Party and a number of public organizations, Berdymukhamedov was nominated as a candidate for the post of head of state. In the elections held on February 12, 2012, Berdymukhamedov was formally opposed by seven candidates, but according to the official voting results, the incumbent president was re-elected for a second term: 97.14 percent of voters voted for him with a turnout of over 96 percent. On February 17, 2012, Berdymukhamedov officially assumed his second presidential term.
Berdimuhamedov is the author of two books published in 2007 - a collection of articles “Scientific foundations for the development of healthcare in Turkmenistan” and “Turkmenistan is a country of healthy and highly spiritual people.” In October 2008, a presentation of another book by the Turkmen president took place in Ashgabat, which was dedicated to horses and called “The Akhal-Teke Horse - Our Pride and Glory.” In December of the same year, the first volume of Berdymukhamedov’s selected works, entitled “Toward New Heights of Progress,” was published, and in June 2009, the second volume of the same publication was published. In July 2009, the first volume of Berdimuhamedov’s fundamental work “Medicinal Plants of Turkmenistan” was published in Turkmen, English and Russian versions; in June 2010, the second volume of this publication was published; in March 2012, the appearance of the third volume became known. In October 2011, a presentation of two more works by Berdimuhamedov took place - the book “Living Legend”, dedicated to Turkmen carpet weaving, and the novel “A Good Name is Imperishable”, published in Turkmen and Russian, which described the life of the “teacher and warrior” Berdimuhamed Annayev, the president’s grandfather.
In August 2010, Berdymukhamedov became president of the International Akhal-Teke Horse Breeding Association.
In June 2009, the Berdimuhamedov Museum opened in Ashgabat. In February 2011, the King of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, awarded Berdymukhamedov with the kingdom's highest honor, the Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, First Class.
According to some reports, Berdymukhamedov was married twice: his first wife was Turkmen, and his second was Russian. He has one son, three daughters and four grandchildren.
Used materials
The third volume of the book “Medicinal Plants of Turkmenistan” has been published. - TURKMENinform, 05.03.2012
Anna Kurbanova. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was awarded the certificate of the head of state for the second time. - ITAR-TASS, 17.02.2012
Berdimuhamedov won. - Interfax, 13.02.2012
CEC: The President of Turkmenistan was re-elected for a second term with a result of 97.14%. - NEWSru.com, 13.02.2012
Public organizations nominated Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov as a candidate for the post of President of Turkmenistan. - Turkmenistan.Ru, 16.12.2011
The President of Turkmenistan was made a hero of the country. - Sight, 25.10.2011
Berdimuhamedov was awarded the title of Hero of Turkmenistan for the first time; Niyazov had six such awards. - Gazeta.Ru, 25.10.2011
Representatives of domestic science got acquainted with the new books of the head of state. - TURKMENinform, 24.10.2011
An artistic and documentary novel has been published from the pen of the President of Turkmenistan. - Turkmenistan.Ru, 24.10.2011
Marcus Bensmann. Turkmenischer Sommer. - Die Tageszeitung, 15.07.2011
Human rights activists: a secret tragedy near Ashgabat claimed 1,382 lives, missiles hit a maternity hospital. - NEWSru.com, 14.07.2011
Human rights activists: the explosion in Abadan killed 1,382 people. - BBC News, Russian service, 14.07.2011
In Abadan, the consequences of explosions at a military arsenal are being eliminated. - IA Rosbalt, 09.07.2011
Extraordinary joint meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan and the Security Council of Turkmenistan. - State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH), 07.07.2011
The King of Bahrain presented the President of Turkmenistan Berdimuhamedov with the highest order of his country. - ITAR-TASS, 09.02.2011
Zhasulan Kukzhekov. The second president of Turkmenistan was given the title "Arkadag". - Radio Azattyk, 31.01.2011
The International Akhal-Teke Horse Breeding Association was established. - Turkmenistan.Ru, 16.08.2010
The President of Turkmenistan was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Economic Sciences. - Gundogar, 10.07.2010
Turkmenistan will resume gas supplies to the Russian Federation in January. - RIA News, 22.12.2009
Alexander Gabuev, Natalya Grib. Item of multi-gas consumption. - Kommersant, 15.12.2009. - №234 (4289)
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was elected academician of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan. - Turkmenistan.Ru, 25.07.2009
The President of Turkmenistan operated on the patient. - Turkmenistan.Ru, 22.07.2009
Mikhail Sergeev. Turkmenistan has found a replacement for Russia. - Independent newspaper, 14.07.2009
The President of Turkmenistan carried out high-profile resignations. - Moscow's comsomolets, 11.07.2009
The Minister of Education of Turkmenistan was dismissed for corruption in universities. - IA Trend, 04.07.2009
The Berdymukhammedov Museum opened in Ashgabat. - Gundogar, 30.06.2009
Anna Kurbanova. The second volume of selected works by President Berdimuhamedov has been published in Turkmenistan. - ITAR-TASS, 26.06.2009
Anna Kurbanova. On Police Day in Turkmenistan, the Minister of Internal Affairs was fired. - ITAR-TASS, 29.05.2009
The presidents of the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan tightened their pipes. - Kommersant, 26.03.2009. - №53 (4108)
Maria Tsvetkova, Denis Malkov. The pipe is on fire. - Vedomosti, 26.03.2009. - №53 (2323)
Vladimir Soloviev. Change of homeland. - Kommersant, 23.01.2009. - №11(4066)
Victoria Panfilova. Turkmenistan is arming itself. - Independent newspaper, 23.01.2009
A new military doctrine of an independent, permanently neutral Turkmenistan was approved. - Turkmenistan.Ru, 21.01.2009
The President of Turkmenistan approved a new military doctrine and replaced the Minister of Defense. - ITAR-TASS, 21.01.2009
The President of Turkmenistan replaced the Minister of Defense and the head of the border service. - Reuters, 21.01.2009
The President of Turkmenistan made a number of personnel appointments in government agencies. - Turkmenistan.Ru, 16.01.2009
The President of Turkmenistan fired a number of leaders. - IA Trend, 16.01.2009
Tuvakmammed Japarov was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Government of Turkmenistan. - Turkmenistan.Ru, 16.01.2009
The President of Turkmenistan replaced the head of the Ministry of Communications. - Turkmenistan.Ru, 16.01.2009
The Minister of Energy and Industry of Turkmenistan has been dismissed. - Turkmenistan.Ru, 16.01.2009
“Every day I understand more and more what a rich inheritance my parents left me. It is incomparable to anything, to any blessings in the world. All my life I try to be worthy of this inheritance, all my life I set myself the goal of being a son, worthy of his parents..."
Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi.
Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi name given by the people of S.A. Niyazov, the first and life-long President of Turkmenistan. He belongs to a generation of people for whom the name “children of the war and post-war years” is firmly established, harsh, hungry years that left a deep imprint on their entire lives, leaving memorable notches in their souls and hearts. The vast majority of people of this generation were the children of front-line soldiers, direct participants in the Great Patriotic War, who defended their Motherland from the fascist invaders; many of them lost their fathers, mothers, older brothers and sisters, and experienced the full bitter fate of orphanhood, deprivation, and premature adulthood.
S.A. did not escape this fate either. Niyazov the future Great Rain of the Turkmen people Saparmurat Turkmenbashi. In the sacred Ruhnama, he spoke about his fate and the tragic pages of the life of his family, which coincided with the dramatic pages of the history of the Turkmen people: the arrest of Annaniyaz Artyk’s grandfather in the 30s. mass repressions, the death of his father Atamurat aga in the 2nd World War, the loss of his mother Gurbansoltan Eje and two brothers in the Ashgabat earthquake of 1948, difficult childhood and adolescence. But nothing, no bitterness could undermine the spirit, harden the character of the future Great Serdar. The pages of the history of the Turkmen people passed through his heart helped him, having fully drunk the cup of the most difficult trials that befell him, to successfully withstand all adversities. Having spent a lot of strength, health, patience and will, he was able to accomplish what made him an outstanding son and generally recognized leader of the Turkmen people. The author of the sacred Ruhnama endlessly thanks his fate for the fact that no difficulties in life broke him or weakened him, but, on the contrary, made him stronger, tempered him, and his successes helped him not only survive, but also develop the moral principles inherent in him: honor, conscientiousness and hard work." No less important role in the formation of the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi as a leader, leader of the state and society was played by the unique genetic codes transmitted from ancestors to descendants. In the sacred Ruhnama, he emphasizes that he inherited from his parents only a good name and throughout his life in my life I heard from different people who knew his father, mother and grandfather, only the best words about them as exceptionally honest, decent and fair individuals. These words please, penetrate the heart and warm the soul of the Great Serdar, for whom such a legacy is incomparable with what blessings of the world and more valuable than all earthly treasures.The highest authority of seven generations of ancestors, father and mother, played a huge role in shaping the character and determining the life positions of the future President of Turkmenistan, obliging him to constantly follow their example, continuing their noble work. “Neither from my father nor from my grandfather did I inherit any material wealth. But they left me a much greater inheritance. All my life I heard from fellow countrymen who knew them closely that they were wonderful people... What could be more valuable than a good name c proudly notes the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi in the sacred Ruhnama. When asked what helped him, despite countless ups and downs in life, ". “to preserve in myself that core that allowed me to cultivate will, fortitude and determination,” he firmly answers: “An inexhaustible spring of desires began to flow in my heart - to live for my people, my country, for my native land, in the name of its sacred history for the sake of today day, for future generations. This spring gradually became a mudflow, a river...""
Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov was born on the 19th day of the month of Baydak (February) 1940. in Ashgabat in a modest, hardworking family. His parents are natives of the village of Kipchak, Askhabad district (now Rukhabat etrap, Ahal velayat) and are honest, conscientious workers. Father Atamurat Niyazov is a famous school teacher and financial worker, mother Gurbansoltan Atamuradova is an unsurpassed seamstress, embroiderer and carpet maker. They got married, and in 1937 they moved to Ashgabat, where Atamurat bought a small house. The marriage turned out to be happy. The spouses loved each other dearly, harmony of feelings and noble deeds reigned in the friendly family, national traditions and customs were observed. Let's go children. Three boys were born one after another: Niyazmurat, Saparmurat and Muhammetmurat.
When writing a biography of an outstanding political public figure, naturally, finding out his pedigree and finding information about his ancestors becomes important. Knowledge of the pedigree, family tree of a person allows us to identify hereditary connections that objectively influenced the abilities and character of the child.
Turkmen society traditionally consisted of socially connected large and small families, considered related up to the 7th generation. Since ancient times, Turkmen have been very jealous and careful about their ancestry and were proud of their ancestors. There was a long and strong tradition: every Turkmen must know his ancestors up to the seventh generation, respect them, follow their behests and family traditions. This was passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi believes, “the slogan “every person is obliged to know his ancestors to the seventh generation” should become the motto of our return to our origins and roots.”
Being hereditary by occupation has always been revered. When a business is passed on from father to son, from grandfather to grandson, then this alone already evokes a favorable disposition towards the bearer of the family tradition. Moreover, if the occupation itself is respectful and honorable. Thus, from time immemorial, hereditary zergars (jewelers), stone cutters, hunters and trackers, embroiderers and carpet makers, farmers, mirabs (an official who distributes water from the irrigation system), singers and bakhshi musicians, destan storytellers, dutarchi and gidjakchi and etc. Hereditary warriors, generals, serdars were especially valued, because military labor is not only hard, but also deadly. And special training is required here: stern, tireless and deeply patriotic.
The chain of family occupations, going back centuries, from generation to generation, reliably ensured many human achievements, preserved discoveries, secrets of creativity, useful traditions and skills. Great-grandchildren took advantage of the achievements of their distant ancestors, sometimes without even knowing their names. Alas, the historical destinies of the Turkmen people did not develop under favorable conditions. Who were the architects who built the temples and palaces of Nisa, Merv, Kunya-Urgench? Who bred the world-famous breed of Akhal-Teke horses, created the gels of amazing beauty and grace, the ornaments of Turkmen carpets, bred and cultivated the world-famous white wheat Ak Bugday? Will we ever know? Will we resurrect the memory of our wonderful ancestors? ...In the meantime, scientists are searching...
Compiling a pedigree of a Turkmen family is a very painstaking and complex task. This is not the same as, say, English lords or Russian nobles. Oh, they really knew how to preserve the memory of their ancestors, and how! Entire galleries of portraits were created, letters, diaries, and household items of the ancestors were preserved. Due to a number of historical conditions and circumstances, the Turkmens did not have this. Since ancient times, they have been in constant motion, forced by nature and the raids of neighbors to change their place of residence. Involuntarily, a situation arose that the memory of ancestors was sometimes preserved only in oral traditions, within two or three generations.
According to the relatives of the Great Serdar of the Turkmen people, Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov, his distant ancestors lived in the village of Nyazdepe near Bami, located on the territory of the Baharden etrap (now the Baharly etrap), and then migrated to the village of Kipchak, Ahal velayat. Since then, Kipchak has become the ancestral home of the Niyazov family.
Ancestors of S.A. Niyazov's paternal side were powerful and influential figures and played a huge role in managing the family. Great Serdar S.A. Niyazov is a representative of the fifth generation in an ascending line, starting from the Tangrykuli batyr, who spent his entire life in the saddle, was a good horseman, and was distinguished by his courage and combat training. At horse races and horse riding events held in the fall at harvest festivals, he amazed those gathered with his skill. Tangykuli batyr fell a hero of the Patriotic War in the Battle of Geoktepe. He left behind his only son Artyk (great-grandfather of S.A. Niyazov), who in 1883 became the archin of the village. He skillfully used the reins of government of his relatives, was a wise, fair leader and passed on this rich experience to his son, whom he named Annaniyaz.
Annaniyaz bai Artyk ogly is S.A.’s own grandfather. Niyazov. Annaniyaz bai was a strong and colorful personality. Possessing a naturally sharp mind, a sense of deep justice, and having a good education at that time, he enjoyed great respect in his environment. Therefore, the villagers of Kipchak aul repeatedly elected him archin. The Central State Archives of Turkmenistan preserved a document order for the Transcaspian region No. 32 dated the 13th day of the month of Gurbansoltan (April) 1917 on the approval of the archin elders of the Eastern region, elected at aul gatherings of the Askhabad district at the beginning of this month. It follows from the document that Annaniyaz Artyk ogly was elected archin in the village of Kipchak (he is number 17 in the list of approved elders). Annaniyaz bai, as it were, continued the line of his ancestors in clan governance. He was not afraid to express openly, in person, his own opinion about the problems of people’s lives, willingly helped those in need, and publicly and publicly resolved the most important issues of aul life.
All this convincingly demonstrates that being a leader, being able to manage people, expressing and defending their interests, thinking and acting like a state is in the blood of the entire pedigree of the Great Serdar. And it is quite natural that these precious qualities are most clearly manifested in the multifaceted and fruitful activities of the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, who tirelessly cares about the prosperity of the country and the well-being of the people in the Golden Age.
Annaniyaz bai enjoyed enormous authority and influence among the population even after the revolution. Direct, open, did not tolerate lies, a champion of justice and honesty, he did not come to the court of the new government, having his own opinion about the nature of the ongoing collectivization of agriculture. Annaniyaz Bai did his best to calm down his fellow countrymen who were dissatisfied with the regime, helped them with useful advice, and managed to convince some who decided to leave their homeland and go abroad not to make such a serious mistake. Under the pretext of dispossession (and he had his own plot, his own shop, and hired workers), he was exiled in 1932. In 1937, Annaniyaz bai returned from prison to Kipchak, where his fellow villagers elected him for the second time as archin, chairman of the village council. The arrest did not change his character: he still expressed dissatisfaction with the shortcomings of the existing system and system. Soon, on previous charges, he was again recorded as an “enemy of the people”, thrown into the dungeons of the KGB and sent into exile” to Siberia, from where he never returned, falling victim to the totalitarian regime. Having passed his life’s path with dignity, Annaniyaz bai left behind four sons and three daughters, raised by him in the spirit of the best traditions of the Turkmen people. He left in memory of himself the family surname Niyazov (Annaniyazov), which Saparmurat Atayevich bears with pride. In the family of Annaniyaz bai, three sons became participants in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Two of them - Atamurat (father of S.A. Niyazov) and Berdymurat died at the front, defending the Motherland. The father of the future President of Turkmenistan, Atamurat Niyazov, was the eldest son in the family. He was born in 1912. From childhood he discovered a passion for knowledge and a love of books His father, himself an educated man, sent his son to study with a local Kipchak mullah.Atamurat turned out to be a capable student: he quickly mastered literacy and Arabic script, and took an initial course in spiritual sciences.
When he reached the age of conscription for military service, the literate, physically strong Atamurat was assigned to the prestigious branch of the army of that time - the cavalry and served in the Turkmen cavalry regiment, then located on the outskirts of Ashgabat, in the village of Keshi. His service in the army (late 20s - early 30s) gave him a lot. Along with military training, he, knowing the Arabic script perfectly, studied the Russian language, mastered the Latin alphabet, read a lot, and expanded his educational horizons.
After completing his military service, during the period of the so-called cultural revolution that unfolded in the republic, Atamurat Niyazov took an active part in the work to eliminate illiteracy of the population. Having successfully completed a three-month training course for primary school teachers at the Ashgabat Pedagogical Institute in 1932, he was sent to the Kerkinsky district (now the Atamurat etrap of Lebap velayat), where for three years he worked as a school teacher in the villages of Chekir and Dashlyk, headed an educational program, and taught at a school for rural activists and young people of conscription age.
The thirst for knowledge and the desire to master the exact sciences led Atamurat Niyazov to the Ashgabat Accounting and Financial College at the department of planning and accounting. He not only studied well, but also actively participated in public life, was elected as a delegate to the Republican Student Conference, and was encouraged by literature. After graduating from college with honors, Atamurat worked in the financial authorities of Kerki, Tashauz (now Dashoguz), Bakharden, Geoktepe, and Ashgabat. And he left his good mark everywhere. Being a highly educated and cultured man, distinguished by his broad outlook, flexibility of mind and extraordinary organizational skills, he worked with knowledge and full dedication, generously shared his professional experience with his colleagues, prepared and gave a start to working life to many young specialists.
It is known from the sacred Ruhnama that Atamurat Niyazov, in general, had a very difficult and difficult life. Many difficulties befell him, and he steadfastly and bravely overcame them. In the memory of people who knew him well, the image of this highly honest, deeply decent, modest and noble man was preserved. Remembering him with kind words, they said that Atamurat aga “was a courageous and sympathetic person, he helped everyone he could. But even if he couldn’t, he still tried to at least somehow ease the lot of people. He knew how to find soul-warming words for everyone.
The leadership could not help but notice Atamurat Niyazov’s exceptionally conscientious, creative and responsible approach to any assigned task, his honest, impeccable fulfillment of his civic duty. And as an experienced teacher, a competent financier, and a skillful organizer, he was repeatedly promoted and appointed head of a paramedic school. He had big plans, he was going to go to college. But the war prevented him from continuing his education.
War is the most serious test of the strength of spirit, will and patriotism. For Atamurat Niyazov, there has never been a more sacred concept than the Motherland, and defending it at a difficult moment for the entire people, when mortal danger loomed over it, was the natural command of his soul. And therefore, as soon as the Great Patriotic War began, Atamurad submitted an application to the military registration and enlistment office with a request to be sent to the active army and in the month of Alp Arslan (August) 1941, as a volunteer, along with thousands of Turkmen citizens, he went to the front, where he showed heroism and courage. For his courage shown in battle and his ability to quickly understand the situation, he was appointed commander of a section of the 875th Guards Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division. In 1943, Atamurat Niyazov, risking his life, participated in heavy battles for the Caucasus. During the liberation of the village of Chikola with a group of soldiers, he was surrounded and shot by the fascist invaders. He was buried in a mass grave in the village of Chikola, Irafsky district of North Ossetia."
Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, in his memoirs, describes the heroic death of his father as follows: “According to the meager fragmentary information of the surviving fellow soldiers, the unit in which the father served was surrounded. The warriors, split into small groups, decided to fight their way to their own under the cover of the dark Caucasian night. one of them was my father. I don’t know what thoughts worried him that night: about the Motherland, about his native village or about his family. But he was ready to give his life for any of these concepts sacred to every person. He had something to defend, so he was not afraid of death. The most important thing for these fighters was to expel the Nazis from their native land, on which their ancestors lived for many centuries, to protect their native land. And what could be higher and purer than sacred love for the Fatherland!
United in the decision to die with honor rather than surrender to the mercy of the enemy, courageous and desperate daredevils moved forward with difficult battles. There was a long night raid. It seemed that the desired freedom was already close, was two steps away from them, that just a little more, and they would go out to their own people, unite with them, to once again beat the hated enemy. Suddenly voices, footsteps, and the usual sounds of front-line life were heard. “Well, finally, ours have arrived!” An encouraging, joyful thought flashed through.
Tired, exhausted and hungry soldiers did not suspect that they had reached the German camp. When they realized, they tried to disperse and retreat, desperately firing back. But it was too late: the enemy outnumbered the handful of brave fighters in both numbers and fire... A step into immortality... A mass grave in the foothills of the Caucasus and a few lines in the book "Memory"!.." (See: Khatyra, T.Z. Lists of Turkmen soldiers who died in battles, died from wounds and illnesses in evacuation hospitals and went missing during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), called up to the front from the Ahal velayat and Ashgabat. Ashgabat, 1995, p. 295.)
In the sacred Ruhnama, the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi spoke in detail about the fearlessness, perseverance and boundless courage of his father, relying on the testimonies of his military friends and fellow soldiers. The book quotes the words of one of them, Ivan Semenovich, full of admiration and pride for his fellow soldier: “What a reckless daredevil he was! In my opinion, he did not know the feeling of fear, he literally climbed under the bullets, and he himself was like a bullet, fired from a gun. I was older, I used to tell him: “Atamurat, take care of yourself, you have small children at home,” so he answered: “If I take care of myself, who will protect my children?” Having become an involuntary eyewitness to the heroic death of Atamurat Niyazov, Ivan Semenovich recalled that “he faced death courageously, without flinching. This exciting story makes a strong impression on readers, awakening in them noble feelings, love for the Motherland, and devotion to their homeland.
Like millions of brave and courageous front-line soldiers, Atamurat Niyazov bravely fought for the honor and freedom of the Fatherland, his native land, for the happiness of his families and future generations, and at the cost of his own life he defended justice in the world. Thus, he made an immeasurable personal contribution to the achievement and strengthening of the independence of the Turkmen state. For the special services of Atamurat Niyazov to the Turkmen people, shown by him during the Great Patriotic War, unbending spirit, military valor and courage, taking into account numerous appeals and wishes of citizens, on the 4th of the month of Magtymguly (May) 2000, by decree of the President of Turkmenistan, Atamurat Niyazov was awarded the high title of Hero of Turkmenistan.
Mother S.A. Niyazova Gurbansoltan Atamuradova (according to Turkmen tradition, the husband’s name becomes the wife’s surname when registering a marriage. Ed.) born in 1915 in the village of Kipchak, Askhabad district, in a family of hereditary farmers and cattle breeders. According to the stories of Yashuli and older women, she was a beautiful, literate (by the way, she was one of the first to study at a women's secular school, opened in the late 20s in the village of Kipchak) and a modest worker. She was famous throughout the entire district as a wonderful carpet weaver, whose art was known and highly valued by the most experienced craftsmen, and as an excellent storyteller who kept in her memory many works of oral folk art and poems by Turkmen classical poets. And in his memoirs, the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi especially emphasizes this: “My only joy, my only happiness was my mother. I am deeply grateful to her for knowing my native language, our sonorous songs and enchanting melodies, amazing fairy tales and legends, traditions, customs and rituals of my people. I am grateful to her for instilling in me a love of literature and art, and for much, much more. Everyone said about her that she had golden hands. With her milk, the need to do entered my blood people have kindness, hard work, honesty, justice, respect for elders and other best traits of the people." But the family happiness of Gurbansoltan eje and Atamurat aga did not last long. For the rest of his life, the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi remembered the words of his mother, with which she admonished his father, seeing him off to the front: “Don’t worry about us, one misfortune has come for all of us, and, therefore, it will be easier for the whole world to survive it... Know that We love and are waiting for you." Gurbansoltan Eje asked her husband to take care of himself and not to spare his enemies, promised him to be persistent, to pass on to his sons all the best from their father - modesty, hard work, thirst for knowledge, respect for people, love for their Motherland... And she fulfilled this promise with honor .
During the terrible years of the war, Gurbansoltan Eje bore on her shoulders all the hardships of war. Together with other women, she, without sparing herself, worked day and night for the sake of the approach of Victory, donated her family jewelry to the defense fund, knitted warm woolen socks for front-line soldiers and sent them parcels. Thus, she showed an excellent example of patriotism, hard work and dedication. And when “black funerals” came from the hated war, Gurbansoltan Eje visited families where grief happened, calmed people down as best she could and, if necessary, provided them with all possible assistance.
The Turkmens have a saying: “There is holy bread.” And, figuratively speaking, Gurbansoltan Eje ate this holy bread. She was a noble, fair person and had a pure heart. The great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi in the sacred Ruhnama writes that “people who knew my mother told me: “...your mother Gurbansoltan was a human soul, soft and kind.” She not only herself vividly responded to the pain of others, but also instilled compassion, mercy to her sons, laying this noble quality in their souls and hearts. Russian, Tatar, Turkmen, Armenian families lived in the neighborhood of Gurbansoltan Eje. And she treated everyone with deep respect. It happened that villagers sent her grapes and fruits. She she immediately filled the bowls with them and sent Niyazmurat and Saparmurat to the neighbors, whom she often treated with fresh churek baked with her own hands.
Gurbansoltan eje was a woman of unbending will. Neither the death of her beloved husband at the front, nor the post-war hardships and hardships, which she courageously overcame with heroic, selfless work, could break her. Carrying on her shoulders the entire burden of caring for her family and raising children, she not only worked as a highly qualified carpet maker in the Ashgabat artistic and experimental workshop at the State Carpet Fund of the Turkmen Covers Union (This workshop carried out orders for the production of the finest high-quality classical, portrait and subject-themed carpets according to the sketches of professional artists. Moreover, such orders came not only from Turkmenistan, but also from museums, theaters, palaces of culture in Moscow, Leningrad and other central cities of the country , as well as from abroad. Therefore, the best carpet weavers of the republic worked in the workshop), but also worked part-time at home by sewing, knitting, embroidery, and carpet weaving. In the sacred Ruhnama, the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi gratefully remembers his mother, who had a great influence on his life principles, notes her skillful, tireless hands, from dawn until late at night, knitting knots on the carpet: “Mom sat at the carpet loom all day long. In our poor in the house I could constantly hear the sound of the darak, similar to the clatter of horse hooves. Out of habit, waking up early in the morning, I went to the room where my mother was weaving a carpet, and she was already sitting at the loom, working. She worked at night, after putting us to bed... Already Having been left without a mother, much later I realized that with her work she not only tried to take away the need from us, but also drowned out the heartache and melancholy. I felt incredibly sorry for my mother, because she did not know rest, did not go anywhere, like other mothers. I remember sometimes I asked her:
Mom, mommy, well, rest a little, look how tired your hands are!
She was touched by my attention, she left her work, took me in her arms and rocked me like a baby. Then a magical smile appeared on her face, which I cannot forget to this day..."
Little Saparmurat was lucky. His first childhood years, or to be more precise, eight years, were spent in the purest atmosphere of friendship, love and happiness. A tender, caring mother, brothers, friendly with each other, ready to help each other, to protect each other in trouble, all this has accumulated in the soul a huge reserve of moral health. Happiness that cannot be replaced by anything!
The mother did not spoil the children, on the contrary, she taught them order and obedience, household work and self-care, but they were surrounded by such sincere love, such genuine participation, common family joys, fun and small celebrations that they did not feel the burden of the harsh war years. Many years later, the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi recalled: “And although it was a difficult time, years of hard times of war, hunger and deprivation, for me these years seem to be the happiest, the brightest. And you understand that this was the best time of your life.”
And one more place from the memories of S.A. Niyazova: “It seems to me that my mother knew how to do everything well: to calm her down when trouble happened, to ease pain and suffering, to protect her from the consequences of children’s pranks. And how tasty she could cook from the meager products of the hungry wartime! Somsa stuffed with ysmanak (garden spinach, a herbaceous plant whose young, juicy leaves are eaten), quinoa (herbaceous plant), young clover, crispy and melt-in-your-mouth pishme (small diamond-shaped flatbreads fried in oil), I still remember the unforgettable aroma of the finest homemade noodles.
I was under my mother’s wing for eight years, just eight years. And these were the happiest and most unforgettable, the best years of my life."
Childhood of S.A. Niyazov passed in an atmosphere of maternal love and a sense of happiness, and this became his best children's university. It was in childhood that the positive foundations of the character of the future statesman and the Great Serdar were laid.
In the month of Ruhnama (September) 1947, Saparmurat Niyazov entered the first grade of junior high school No. 11 in Ashgabat, where his older brother Niyazmurat studied in the third grade. The children were disciplined, inquisitive and quick-witted, they willingly, independently and well completed their homework, successfully mastered the curriculum and, therefore, did not bother their mother with calls to school, as was the case with some of their peers.
Gurbansoltan Eje could not help but be happy and proud of her sons. They grew up healthy, strong, obedient and independent, accustomed to any household chores. Niyazmurat and Saparmurat, as elders, sought to help their mother in everything and protected her in every possible way.
Post-war life gradually improved. True, bread was still issued on ration cards, but commercial stores had already appeared, where, after standing in long lines, one could buy an extra loaf or two of bread, some products at prices higher than state prices, but lower than market prices. There was a real holiday in the house, a small family celebration, when gourma (lamb meat fried in fat tail fat), gurt (dried sour milk), kak (dried melon), sultanas, vegetables and fruits appeared at the dinner sachak.
In a word, the Niyazov family lived together in peace and harmony, steadfastly enduring the hardships of the post-war period. Nothing seemed to foreshadow significant changes or irreparable disaster. However, on the night of the 6th day of the month Garashsyzlyk (October) 1948. An earthquake of monstrous force turned Ashgabat into ruins in a matter of seconds. Thousands of people remained under the rubble of buildings. The violence of nature did not spare the Niyazov family either: ten-year-old Niyazmurat, six-year-old Muhammetmurat and thirty-three-year-old Gurbansoltan Eje died. Wounded by brick debris, only eight-year-old Saparmurat was miraculously saved. He spent six days alone among the ruins of his home. And during all this time, not a single relative remembered or took care of him. In those days, a boy from whom the hated war and the blind elements took away those closest to him, was deprived of parental affection early, said goodbye to his childhood forever, and the tears in his eyes dried up forever. Thus began a new round of his independent life, full of uncertainty, and at the same time difficulties, hardships and suffering, which the future Great Serdar, relying on the genes and upbringing received from his parents, learned to overcome and which forged in him patience, endurance and will, without losing with self-control and dignity. These difficult life trials strengthened his character, strengthened his spirit and faith in higher powers and the mind of man.
The lines about the earthquake written in the sacred Ruhnama excite and disturb the soul of everyone: “Looking for the last time at the ruins of the house, which hid the people dearest to me, I quietly swore: “My beloved, until the last day your souls and your dead father’s souls will live in my heart, they will give me the strength to make your unfulfilled dreams come true. Allah will help me, and I will definitely achieve my goal!" The great Serdar fulfilled his oath. He not only achieved a high goal himself, but also helped the entire Turkmen people achieve it in a short time, to achieve such colossal achievements that the nation has never known in its entire history .
In the sacred Ruhnama, which literally breathes love and tenderness for Gurbansoltan eje, the grateful son wrote about her short, but bright and glorious earthly journey. Having returned through the memory of generations, she shone as a wonderful symbol of fidelity to the home and native land, and became a truly national shrine that absorbed the best features of the Turkmen woman - endless kindness, generosity and purity of soul, hard work, selfless maternal love. Gurbansoltan Eje gave life, nurtured and raised, at the cost of her own life she protected and saved for the people the greatest man of our time. During the hard times of war and terrible disasters, she gave her son kind and humane lessons, instilled in his soul faith, unbending will and perseverance in the face of any adversity, and loyalty to her principles. The remarkable character traits of the Great Serdar are the fruit of his mother’s tireless work. With the milk of Gurbansoltan Eje, he absorbed wisdom, high morality and patriotism. It was thanks to her maternal feat that the Golden Age of the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi was established in our independent neutral country.
For particularly outstanding services of Gurbansoltan Eje in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. and the post-war period, the dedication she showed in her work and other excellent human qualities, taking into account the numerous requests and wishes of citizens, by the Resolution of the Mejlis of the country dated the 5th day of the month of Gorkut (July) 2002, Gurbansoltan Eje was awarded the high title of Hero of Turkmenistan. And on the 30th day of the month of Bitaraplyk (December) of the same year, the parliament adopted a Resolution, which, in order to perpetuate the holy image and blessed memory of the mother of the first and perpetual President of Turkmenistan, the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, noting the significant role of her short but meaningful life path, imbued with courage Gurbansoltan Eje declared 2003 the Year of the Hero of Turkmenistan in educating a new generation of girls, women and mothers with spiritual purity, high morality and devoted to the Motherland in the Golden Age of the Turkmen people. Our people accepted these decisions with a feeling of universal approval and great joy.
The orphaned Saparmurat had to live with relatives in the village of Kipchak, where he continued his studies at the local seven-year school No. 5. But here, too, he began to feel more and more lonely and useless to anyone, since he was constantly burdened with heavy, backbreaking labor, in extreme cold and sultry heat, he was mercilessly forced to work in the fields and herd cattle. And then he irrevocably decided to leave his relatives and go to an orphanage. It was under the influence of these hardships that he wrote his first children's poems:
This is how Saparmurat ends up in Ashgabat orphanage No. 1, a group of children left without parents as a result of the earthquake. And a new, interesting and eventful life of the future founder, the first and permanent President of the Turkmen state began. The boy quickly became part of the family of his peers. Sociable, multi-talented, able to attract the attention of the guys and captivate them with an interesting idea, after a while he became their leader. Saparmurat actively participated in the social life of the orphanage, played the oboe in an amateur orchestra, loved the dutar, and wrote poems about the world around him and school life for the wall newspaper. Several of his poems were published in the republican children's newspaper "Mydam Tayyar" ("Always Ready") (The great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi gravitated towards patriotic and lyrical poetry from his school days throughout his adult life. In the sacred Rukhnama, he writes: “I have long been addicted to poetic creativity, from my youth I have been writing poems in my diary.” However, the entire extraordinary poetic gift is in the soul of the leader The nation was revealed with the independence of Turkmenistan in an era of daring plans and grandiose successes. This is clearly evidenced by the collections of poems that appeared after the sacred Ruhnama "May my Turkmen people prosper" and "Five eras of the spirituality of the Turkmen people" (in total, S.A. Niyazov is the author of 5 poetry collections - note by the site authors). They are a logical continuation of this immortal book, an artistic and creative development of the ideas presented in it. These literary masterpieces of our time convey to the mind and heart of every reader the humane thoughts of the father and spiritual mentor of the Turkmen nation), and some unpublished wonderful poems, a school essay glorifying the work of the great Magtymguly, were found by archivists (For example, the above poem “Ece”, in which the future Great Serdar expressed all his love and pain for his deceased mother, is written so heartfelt that it takes your breath away, and it is simply impossible to read it without emotion and tears)
Saparmurat enjoyed authority and respect among his peers. But the kids treated him with special love. They called him big brother, ran after him in a crowd, and he treated them kindly, protected them from the attacks of older children, tried to help them do their homework, and read them children's books. His teachers loved him. Knowing his organizational skills, they entrusted him with responsible tasks related to the household needs of the orphanage and the organization of leisure activities.
At school, Saparmurat mastered all academic subjects equally well; both humanities and natural sciences were easy for him. He loved his native literature and history, was fluent in Russian, had a penchant for mathematical thinking and exact sciences, and successfully mastered mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and drawing. After graduating from the 7th grade, he was among the excellent students sent to the prestigious Ashgabat Secondary School No. 20 at that time, where he studied from 1954 to 1957. (Schools like Ashgabat No. 20 were special educational institutions. They were located in the cities of Ashgabat, Chardzhou (now Turkmenabat in Lebap velayat), Kerki, Tashauz, Krasnovodsk (now Turkmenbashi in Balkan velayat), and had boarding schools where the most gifted teenagers from the rural localities, graduates of rural 7-year schools studied and lived on full state support for three years (grades 8-10).Their main goal was to prepare graduates for admission to higher educational institutions of the republic, but to a greater extent - to universities in Moscow, Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Voronezh, Baku, Kiev, Kharkov, Riga and other central cities of the USSR, where highly qualified personnel were trained for various sectors of the national economy, science and culture. Moreover, preference was given to scarce specialties for which the republic itself could not train national frames.
These schools were on the special account of the Ministry of Public Education, strengthened by the most experienced teaching staff, and had a good material and technical base. Ashgabat Secondary School No. 20 was a kind of educational and methodological center for other schools of a similar type. The teaching staff was highly qualified. The teachers were Ch.Annayarov, I.I.Bologov, R.Byashimov, B.Dzhaparov, Candidate of Historical Sciences K.Karajaev, D.Mamedov, G.Omadov and others. Among them were university teachers, scientists, and extracurricular and extracurricular educational work with students was carried out by student interns of the Turkmen State University. Naturally, the graduates of this school had solid and deep knowledge and were best prepared to successfully pass competitive tests and enter the country’s universities. Many of them subsequently became known throughout the republic).
Saparmurat stood out among his fellow students for his greater seriousness and thoroughness of judgment, high efficiency and diligence in his studies. Possessing good abilities and a sharp memory, he read a lot in addition to the curriculum (This is confirmed, in particular, by an essay found by archivists on the topic “Makhtumkuli - the great poet of Turkmen literature of the 18th century,” written by 9th grade student Saparmurat Niyazov in the 1955/56 academic year. When preparing the essay, he used the works of prominent scientists A. Vamberi , E.E. Bertels, B.A. Karryev, M. Kosaev, A.N. Samoilovich, etc., beyond the scope of the school curriculum, and also successfully applied methods of scientific analysis and generalization), actively participated in all school events. At the final state exams, he showed brilliant knowledge, receiving the highest scores in all disciplines. In the month of Oguz (June) 1957 he was awarded a certificate with honors (gold and silver medals had been canceled by that time), which gave the right to non-competitive admission to any higher educational institution. Wide paths in life opened up for the Turkmen youth.
After graduating from school No. 20, Saparmurat decided to work and got a job as an instructor of the Turkmen territorial committee of the trade union of geological exploration workers. He quickly got up to speed, thoroughly studied trade union instructions and documents, mastered the specifics, methods and scope of his responsibilities. This was largely facilitated by his passing short-term courses for trade union activists in Tashkent. Due to the nature of his service, he often had to go on business trips, be directly on expeditions, field parties, on drilling rigs, fields, and take an interest in the working conditions, life and everyday life, and leisure of oil workers, gas workers, and geophysicists. The certificates and memos he prepared became the subject of serious discussion at production meetings and meetings, and at meetings of trade union committees. Based on them, specific decisions were made, organizational conclusions were drawn, and measures were developed to eliminate the identified deficiencies.
The Central State Archives of Turkmenistan preserved reports compiled by the territorial committee instructor S.A. Niyazov based on the results of official business trips and scheduled inspections. They were written more than 40 years ago, but have not lost their value to this day. These archival documents are interesting and valuable primarily because they provide an opportunity to get acquainted with the nature and content of the activities of the future first and permanent President of Turkmenistan during the period of embarking on the path of independent work, with his deeply responsible attitude to the assigned work and his official duties. Being the result of direct contact of a young man who had just begun his working career with the everyday life and affairs of production teams, these documents reveal the social observation, seriousness, honesty, integrity and high humanity of their author. They feel deep sincerity, truth and authenticity. In addition, they allow us to trace the dynamics of moral maturity and spiritual enrichment of the individual, the formation of business qualities and organizational abilities of the future national leader.
Reading the lines of handwritten documents, you are involuntarily amazed at how detailed they are in content and deep in thought, although their author was only 19 years old at that time. These are not soulless formal replies from a trade union worker, but fact-filled analytical material, sharp, objective, calling for action.
It is noteworthy that S.A. Niyazov deeply professionally delves into the essence of the issues raised, carefully selects, analyzes and records their most significant aspects. Important details and details of the work, life and everyday life of a simple worker do not escape his keen gaze. He notices shortcomings in labor protection and safety regulations, violations of labor legislation: the use of teenagers in heavy physical work, the lack of basic living conditions, the neglect of the leaders of expeditions, field parties and other units to provide workers with special clothing and footwear, and to organize their reasonable cultural recreation , to promote a healthy lifestyle. In this one cannot help but see the high moral quality of S.A. Niyazov - sincere concern for ordinary people, ordinary workers, their social security, a quality that will be especially clearly and convincingly manifested in the activities of the future national leader and head of an independent state.
Tireless concern for the welfare of ordinary people, the nation, its revival, a happy, full-blooded life is the essence of the policy of the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, a wonderful trait of his character, inherited from his parents, coming from the spiritual wealth, the mentality of the nation, which clearly made itself felt already in the first year independent work.
S.A. worked for almost two years until the month of Rukhnama (September) 1960. Niyazov as an instructor of the Turkmen territorial committee of the trade union of geological exploration workers. But it was a very useful and memorable time for the young man. Here for the first time he had the opportunity, not just speculatively, but to actually experience the vast expanses of his native land, its natural resources and beauty. In a short period of time, he managed to visit the foothills of Kugitang and Ustyurt, Barsagelmes, Gaz-Achak, Nebitdag (now the city of Balkanabat, Balkan velayat), Cheleken (now the city of Khazar, Balkan velayat) and many other places, sometimes difficult to reach, where he could get there only by helicopters, on powerful all-terrain vehicles, where only people of a special type can work - strong, hardened, accustomed to lack of water, impassability, and the scorching heat of the Karakum Desert.
Especially memorable were the meetings with people of different ages, different human destinies and characters. He had to meet with experienced labor and war veterans, with romantically inclined teenagers and boys, with former prisoners and losers who decided to hide away from human eyes, with those who were attracted by high wages and the desire to make quick money in order to improve the family budget. There were also obvious crooks and grabbers here who wanted to make money at other people’s expense and use the complex and difficult working and living conditions for personal gain.
Subsequently, the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, talking about his meetings with veterans and their role in improving the moral climate in society, wrote: “When I first started working as an instructor in the trade union of geologists as a nineteen-year-old boy, I often had to visit the most remote corners of our country, the vast steppes of the Karakum desert. , where parties of geological prospectors, gas workers, drillers, seismologists worked. And there I had to meet and talk with old people, war and labor veterans, true masters, professionals in their field. These were people of different nationalities: Turkmens, Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Kazakhs, Tatars, Dagestanis, but they were all distinguished by their dedication to their profession, responsible attitude to work, were in love with the Turkmen land that had become their native land, and were an example for young people both in work and in everyday life. They helped me a lot in establishing a cultural - educational work, everyday life, leisure, safety and labor protection in geological and geophysical parties and expeditions. Their advice, recommendations, criticism became the basis of my memos and speeches at trade union meetings (Only in the month of Sanjar (November) 1959, S.A. Niyazov spoke at meetings in three organizations: Bakhardok Geophysical Expedition No. 2, Geophysical Repair and Acquisition Office and the Central Integrated Thematic Expedition. Minutes of these speeches have been preserved) and conferences."
Working as an instructor of the Turkmen Territorial Committee of the Trade Union of Geological Exploration Workers gave a lot to S.A. Niyazov to understand the important role of the oil and gas complex in the overall structure of the national economy of the republic. Even then, he began to realize what colossal wealth his native land had and how this wealth floated to the Center for next to nothing, for a meager payment under the cover of the illusory all-Union national economic complex. Therefore, having become the head of the Turkmen SSR, S.A. Niyazov began to persistently seek from the leadership of the USSR an increase in prices for hydrocarbon and mineral raw materials supplied to the Center in order to replenish the budget of the republic and use these funds for the social needs of the population
The thought of continuing his studies at the university constantly bothered S.A. Niyazov. And so he sent the documents to the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute (now the State Polytechnic University of St. Petersburg). Having successfully passed the competitive exams, Saparmurat in the month of Rukhnama (September) 1960 became a student at this prestigious university in the rare and scarce specialty of “Automatic Control Systems” at that time. Busy student everyday life began. New friends have appeared. Accustomed to independent decisions, way of thinking, behavior and actions, S.A. Niyazov quickly adapted to the conditions of his new life, communal life, educational regime and routine.
He took an active part in the social life of not only his course, the Faculty of Physics and Mechanics, but also the university as a whole. Cheerful, sociable, able to attract attention with lively figurative words and calm oriental prudence, S.A. Niyazov quickly became the soul, the leader of the study group, and then the entire course. He was elected trade union leader of the student course. Almost two years of experience as an instructor of the Turkmen territorial committee of the trade union of geological exploration workers was not in vain; it allowed him to clearly define the range of his rights and responsibilities to consistently implement them. The task of the trade union organization was to increase discipline and student attendance at lectures, seminars and laboratory classes. He monitored the sanitary and hygienic condition of classrooms, laboratories and workshops, the strict implementation of labor safety rules for students during practical training, delved into the essence of disputes, misunderstandings, conflicts between teachers and students, tried to prevent them, took care of normal living conditions conditions of fellow students, sought to provide material assistance to those in dire need, low-income...
Objectively assessing the situation, attractive, principled and fair, Saparmurat won the authority and respect of not only fellow students, but also teachers. The range of his public responsibilities and interests is expanding from year to year. He is elected a member of the university Komsomol committee and a member of the student dormitory council. The trade union committee of the institute entrusts him with the work of the socio-cultural sector of the committee. Now, in the field of view of one of the leaders of the trade union organization there are issues of social, cultural, mass, educational work of the entire institute. He paid great attention to improving the conditions in student dormitories, establishing cleanliness and order in them, organizing raids to check the quality of food in student canteens and buffets, participating in organizing the work of students harvesting potatoes, beets, etc., and contributed to the creation of amateur art clubs , holding evenings of relaxation.
Saparmurat Niyazov's active social activities are appreciated and encouraged. He was awarded a Certificate of Honor from the Leningrad City Komsomol Committee. He is offered to become a member of the party. At that time, this was considered a matter of honor, a special trust from the rector’s office, the party committee, the trade union committee of the institute, recognition of great merits in the socio-political life of students, given that admission to the party of the intelligentsia was strictly limited and many teachers were even denied the socio-political cycle in that.
In the month of Baydak (February) 1962, the bureau of the Vyborg district party committee of Leningrad accepted Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov as a member of the CPSU. After some time, he was elected secretary of the primary party organization of the Faculty of Physics and Mechanics. In the conditions of the university, this was a big and responsible public assignment, in the life of S.A. Niyazov is the first step in the future work of a party and statesman. This public work during the reign of party dictatorship gave broad powers. As secretary of the primary party organization, S.A. Niyazov was aware of all affairs and events at the faculty, and was a member of the Academic Council of the faculty with the right to a decisive vote.
Together with the dean's office and departments, the party organization was essentially the mobilizing, directing, guiding force of the faculty staff, educational, research and socio-political work, and led the Komsomol, trade union and student organizations. At meetings of the party bureau and open party meetings, the dean, his deputies, heads of departments often reported on their work, the characteristics of students and teachers were approved, and much more. To this we must add that serious social work required S.A. Niyazov is particularly focused and organized, with full dedication to his studies. He had to attend lectures, seminars and laboratory classes, colloquiums, take exams, tests, and course projects. Therefore, he had to structure his daily routine and routine in such a way that he had enough time not only for study and social work, but also for visiting libraries, museums, and theaters.
S.A. Niyazov studied well, with deep knowledge and impeccably fulfilled all student duties and public assignments. The fact that he was able to fruitfully engage in scientific creativity is eloquently evidenced by his reports and communications at the institute’s annual student scientific and technical conferences on the topical problem of “Energy Systems and Ecology.” These speeches attracted the attention of teachers and students due to the young researcher’s acute concern about people’s wasteful attitude towards natural resources during the construction of nuclear, thermal and hydropower plants, and power lines. They testified to the analytical mindset and brilliant thinking abilities of the student, which would later be widely, brightly and convincingly revealed in the articles and books of the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi.
Despite his young age, S.A. Niyazov was already at that time a mature person with his own established views and judgments. He was well aware that the main wealth inherited by the Turkmen people from their great ancestors was the spiritual heritage, traditions and customs of their original national culture. And already at that time his attention was attracted by the ancient past of his people. “Since my student years, I have been interested in the history of the Turkmens,” wrote the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi. “My diaries and notebooks contain a lot of historical information about the path traveled by my people since the time of Adam and Eve.” The future President of Turkmenistan studied in the best libraries of the city on the Neva, where he deeply and creatively studied the scientific works of brilliant historians and world-famous orientalists.
And it is not for nothing that in the sacred Ruhnama the Great Serdar called the library “his home”, “his shelter”, in the reading room of which he was fascinated by the filled, rustling silence of the pages. Covering himself with history books, he eagerly searched them for everything that related to Turkmenistan. And on unforgettable evenings, when famous scientists and artists came to the hostel and talked about their lives, their worldview, student S.A. Niyazov remembered and absorbed wise thoughts from everything he heard. He always looked forward to such meetings with interesting people. His attention was especially attracted by the conversations of teachers who, having returned from some scientific symposium, generously shared with students their impressions of his work and enthusiastically talked about new discoveries and trends in science. So the sacred Ruhnama, which tens of years later the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi will give to his people and the whole world, is the result of his in-depth research into national history, which passed through his heart from a young age. This immortal book has absorbed the highest universal and national spiritual values, traditions and customs of the original culture of the Turkmen people.
Student life was not limited only to academic activities: lectures, seminars, laboratory and practical work. Youth took its toll. In his free time from studying, Saparmurat got acquainted with the city and its sights. He liked Leningrad. The city of European culture, which was felt in the architecture, in the layout of avenues, streets, in the construction of famous bridges, it attracted Turkmen youth with its museums and historical monuments. Saparmurat loved to wander along Nevsky Prospect, the Summer Garden, Palace Square, visit the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Hermitage, go to the theaters: Mariinsky, Bolshoi Drama... How different all this was from his native Ashgabat. Perhaps it was then that a daring dream arose in him, if opportunities arise, to help ensure that the Turkmen capital becomes just as beautiful a city: covered with straight and wide avenues, green boulevards and squares, beautiful buildings, sparkling fountains in the sun. Only many years later, having become the first secretary of the Ashgabat city party committee, and then the President of Turkmenistan, he began to realize his dream, to energetically take care of the reconstruction of the capital, to improve its appearance. Now everyone who comes to white marble Ashgabat never ceases to be amazed at how quickly it is becoming more beautiful and landscaped.
Intense study and diverse social work seemed to completely absorb Saparmurat Niyazov, but he never stopped thinking about his Motherland for a minute. He remembered the words of the great Magtymguly: “He who is separated from his beloved cries for seven years, separated from his homeland for his whole life.” On the cloudy days of autumn, when heavy lead clouds hung low over Leningrad, and fine cold rain drizzled day and night, he dreamed of a clear blue sky, of a gentle, warm sun. He missed his native speech, the sounds of dutar and gidzhak, the smell of tamdyr churek, the taste of rich shurpa, the aroma of Turkmen melon, juicy grapes, camel chal, and everything that was familiar and dear to him from childhood.
The only joy, a breath of fresh air for Saparmurat were meetings with fellow countrymen who, like him, studied at Leningrad universities and technical schools. Thanks to the initiative and organizational skills of S.A. Niyazov, a Turkmen student community was created. Young guys, as a rule, gathered on the birthday of the republic, on the New Year and on other holidays. They shared news from their homeland, sang Turkmen songs, and prepared national dishes. When Sapar-jan, as S.A. was lovingly called. Niyazov's fellow countrymen, read to them the sad and sublime poems of Magtymguly, painfully reminiscent of the Motherland, and the quiet melodic sounds of the dutar accompanied this inspired reading, the friends froze with admiration. The soul and leader of these gatherings was Saparmurat. He notified everyone, planned each meeting, and came up with a scenario for its conduct. Fellow countrymen supported each other morally and financially, sincerely rejoiced at successes, worried, and sympathized with failures. Everyone had one desire: to finish their studies faster, find a profession, return to Turkmenistan, and start a new independent life. During the Leningrad period, a very important, significant event occurred in the personal life of S.A. Niyazov. He met and became friends with classmate Muza Alekseevna Orlova. The young people fell in love with each other, decided to get married, and got married in 1965. Family life required new expenses. Saparmurat took an academic leave and got a job as a second-class molder at one of the large heavy industry plants, and then as a foreman in the turbine shop of the Lenenergoremont enterprise. Shortly before graduating from university, the first-born Murad appeared in the Niyazov family. Soon the state exams and the defense of diploma projects began. The young people successfully passed the test. Finally, long years of study are behind me. After receiving the diploma, the leadership of the prestigious institute officially invited S.A. Niyazov should stay in Leningrad, become a teacher, and enroll in graduate school. But with a spiritual impulse, he resolutely refused such a tempting offer. The separation from the Motherland was too long, the patriotic feeling was too strong, the indomitable desire to return home at any cost, to use all one’s strength and knowledge for the benefit of the people. Muza Alekseevna, perfectly understanding the nobility of her husband’s spiritual impulse, agreed with his irrevocable decision.
Thus, it turned out that the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi became one of the most famous graduates of this authoritative, world-famous technical university, and subsequently its Honorary Doctor. For him, the institute became his home, where, in an atmosphere of purity and sincerity, he was formed as a person, citizen and professional. After all, here he was brought up on the examples and advice of the best teachers - simple and kind people, deeply decent, who conveyed to him the warmth of their souls and partly helped to make up for the lack of parental love and care. According to him, frank communication with them brought him a lot of benefit and genuine happiness, helping him take the first and confident steps in achieving his goals. “My development as a person is connected with Leningrad, my independent life began here,” says the Great Serdar. After all, I came here as a very young boy... And I immediately plunged into a special atmosphere in which goodwill and exactingness were equally combined... no matter how difficult it was to study at this university,...the consciousness that you were involved in the special Leningrad spirit, which was born here, within these walls, by Mendeleev, Kurchatov, and other outstanding figures of world science, this consciousness inspired, helped to live, dream and strive for perfection... Everything that I was taught, I perceived not only with my mind, but with my soul and heart, comprehending and experiencing life.”
In the city on the Neva S.A. Niyazov not only studied, but also worked, received real professional and spiritual training, and a ticket to a great life. His memories associated with Leningrad and forever remaining in his soul are vividly captured on the piercing and exciting pages of the sacred Ruhnama. From this main book of the Turkmen people it became known that it was in the city of his student youth that the future Great Serdar first learned about the military and human feat of his father, Hero of Turkmenistan Atamurat aga, who died a brave death on the battlefield of the Great Patriotic War.
Having visited his Alma mater St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University on the 31st day of the month of Magtymguly (May) 2003, the Great Saparmurat Turkmenbashi met with the leadership and teaching staff of this oldest and famous higher educational institution. He expressed his deepest gratitude to his teachers and mentors, who, in addition to knowledge, gave him an understanding of the meaning of life and his place in it, which largely predetermined the further high fate of the future President of Turkmenistan. And a check for 100 thousand US dollars, donated to the university by the Great Serdar from his personal savings, is not just a generous and selfless gift from a famous person as a sign of sincere gratitude, but also his highest understanding of his civic duty. This is exactly how this noble gesture was regarded, causing enormous reciprocal gratitude.
Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov 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. However, 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.
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov holds the title Arkadag, which means “patron” in Turkmen. He also holds the post of Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the country. As an academician of the Republican Academy of Sciences, the President of Turkmenistan holds the title of Doctor of Economic Sciences. His military rank is Army General.
Biographical information
The biography of President of Turkmenistan Berdimuhamedov begins on June 29, 1957, when he was born in the small village of Babarap, located in the Geok-Tepinsky district of the Ashgabat region. Turkmenistan.
His father, Berdimuhamedov Myalikguly Berdimuhamedovich, had a pedagogical education. Before his retirement, he worked as the head of a unit in the field of correctional labor structures. The name of the mother of the future statesman is Ogulabat-edje.
Grandfather Berdymukhamed Annayev had to fight in the Great Patriotic War, although he had a peaceful profession as a teacher. Working as a principal in an elementary school, he was quite widely known 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, Berdymukhamedov became a professor of social hygiene and health care organization, receiving a Doctor of Medical Sciences degree.
About work activity
The future President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov began his career as a dentist. 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 the chief freelance dentist in the Ashgabat region.
In 1985-1987, he headed the dentistry of the Central District Hospital in the village council of Keshi, while simultaneously serving as the chief freelance dentist of 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 director of the 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 cabinet of ministers at that time was headed by the first president of Turkmenistan, S. A. Niyazov.
In 2006, Berdymukhamedov 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 Berdimuhamedov was the illegitimate son of Turkmenbashi. This was indirectly confirmed by the presence of their external similarity.
After the death of President Niyazov, Berdymukhamedov headed the funeral commission, then the State Security Council decided to appoint Berdymukhamedov and. O. President of the Republic.
In this case, the Constitution of Turkmenistan provided for the nomination of the Chairman of the Mejlis, Ovezgeldy Ataev, to this position, but a criminal case was suddenly opened against him.
The highest state authority - the People's Council (Halk Maslakhaty) on December 26, 2006 unanimously supported Berdimuhamedov's candidacy for nomination to the post of head of state. 2,507 delegates voted for him.
Election of the new head of Turkmenistan
As a result of the elections on February 11, 2007, the second president of Turkmenistan was elected, whose photo circulated not only in the republican press. Many foreign publications noted this fact. In the elections, Berdymukhamedov received 89.23 percent of the electoral votes of his compatriots.
On the morning of February 14, 2007, it was announced that the new president of Turkmenistan, Berdimuhamedov, had been elected, after which the process of his inauguration began, consisting of the presentation of a presidential certificate and a distinctive sign (a gold chain on which an octagonal emblem is suspended). After the traditional walking along the surface of a white carpet, which is a symbol of the bright path, the President of Turkmenistan received a number of symbolic objects, such as sachak - bread, which is wrapped in a special tablecloth, arrows in a quiver, the Koran, and the Rukhnama.
In the presidency
The newly elected President of Turkmenistan visited Saudi Arabia on his first official visit. He visited Islamic shrines. He also performed the holy 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, Berdymukhamedov was elected to the post of chairman of the Galkynysh National Movement, as well as the Republican Democratic Party.
At the next presidential election on February 12, 2012, Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov won, receiving 97.14 percent of the votes.
Since 2013, Berdymukhamedov suspended membership in the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan for the period of his presidency.
On the President's election promises
Among other promises during the election campaign, Berdymukhamedov spoke about the need for Internet access for every resident 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 rural areas, already by February 2007 had achieved the functioning of two Internet cafes in the republican capital, later their number increased to fifteen, and similar establishments began to appear in the regions.
For students, employees of universities, research institutes, and readers visiting the Republican Central Scientific Library, access to the Internet was made free.
Among Berdymukhamedov's promises was also a promise to reform the educational system, in particular, the return of previously abolished provincial music schools and an increase in secondary school education to ten years.
Education reforms
In his first decree, Berdymukhamedov returned to school a ten-year period of study, previously students studied on a nine-year program.
Changes were made to the school uniform; traditional national dresses for girls were replaced by dark green dresses, sewn according to the European style, to which an apron was added. However, among students, wearing national attire remains 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 Foundation, and the Higher Attestation Committee.
In 2012, however, instructions were given to paste into the personal files of employees of kindergartens, schools, universities and libraries a photograph in which Turkmen national clothing is required.
Ceremonial changes
The mass celebration of the president's birthday, which became widespread under Niyazov, was cancelled. Mandatory concerts dedicated to the president’s visit to different 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 occurred on Turkmen television - the image of the logo of television channels, on which one could see a bust of Turkmenbashi made of gold, was removed from the programs.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov made certain changes to 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 that every Turkmen employee, student and schoolchild takes. In the text of the anthem, instead of Niyazov's name, it began to sound simply - 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 current President Berdimuhamedov were brought there.
In the curriculum of secondary schools, the Ruhnama remained as a separate subject of study, but the scope of its teaching was sharply reduced. Within a week, the Rukhnama was studied for no more than one hour. Schools abandoned the final exam on the Rukhnama.
On the elements of Berdymukhamedov’s personality cult
The President of Turkmenistan today 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 occasion 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 Ashgadab Museum of Art in 2012, and in 2015, the sculptor Babayev sculpted a 21-meter statue of the president, it was covered with gold.
Before becoming president of Turkmenistan, almost nothing was known about Berdimuhamedov, but now his biography has been supplemented with many facts.
In the presidential elections held on February 12, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov won 97.69% of the votes, the country's Central Election Commission reported the day before. And 97.27% of voters took part in the elections.
Berdimuhamedov was first elected head of state ten years ago - on February 11, 2007, a month and a half after the death of the former permanent leader, Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenbashi).
Over the past ten years, the biography of the president has been replenished with many new facts. Here are nine of the most interesting ones.
1. There is a family - the spouse is not visible
59-year-old Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has never appeared in public with his wife. Almost nothing is known about her. At the elections on Sunday, he appeared at the polling station with his closest relatives, but his wife was again absent.
The government website turkmenistan.gov.tm reports that the president was accompanied by his father Myalikguly Berdimuhamedov, mother Ogulabat Berdimuhamedova, son, two daughters and grandchildren. No photo of the president's family was published.
2. Became a successor in a short time
Berdymukhamedov began governing the country as deputy prime minister on December 21, 2006, the morning after the death of the country's first president, Saparmurat Niyazov.
Although, according to the Constitution, the chairman of the parliament, Ovezgeldy Atayev, was supposed to temporarily act as president for two months - without the right to participate in presidential elections.
But he was suddenly arrested, charged with abuse of office and later sent to prison for five years.
On December 26, an emergency congress of the People's Council was held, during which presidential elections were called and amendments were made to the Constitution, allowing the deputy prime minister to serve as president and participate in elections.
In his first presidential election in 2007, Berdymukhamedov received 89.23% of the popular vote. In 2012, he improved the result to 97.14% - it would seem that there is nowhere better.
But in 2017 it turned out even more. Now, according to amendments to the Constitution of Turkmenistan introduced in September 2016, the next elections will take place in seven years.
4. Worst of the worst
In 2010, the President of Turkmenistan was included in the top five worst dictators in the world according to Foreign Policy magazine.
Human rights activists from Human Rights Watch and other international organizations regularly report on the persecution of civil activists and oppositionists, whose traces have been lost in the prisons of Turkmenistan.
Today Turkmenistan is one of the most closed and totalitarian countries in the world. In the Freedom House ranking at the end of 2016, the country was in the ten worst along with North Korea, Syria, Somalia and Sudan.
5. Took control of 80% of the country’s oil and gas revenues
“The Personal Pocket of the President (Berdimuhamedov): Oil, Gas and the Law” was the title of a report by the American research organization Crude Accountability on the situation in Turkmenistan, published in October 2011.
The document stated that Berdymukhamedov personally controlled the country's rich energy reserves.
The authors of the report came to the conclusion that over four years, the new leader of the country gradually vested exclusive powers in the State Agency for the Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources under the President of Turkmenistan, which concentrated all activities related to the sale of oil and gas.
The precedent for “manual control” of the most profitable sector of the country’s economy was created by Niyazov, who, according to Eurasianet.org, in 1997 personally approved all tenders and licenses in the energy sector.
What surprised researchers from Crude Accountability most was the fact that, according to Turkmen laws, only 20% of revenues from oil and gas exports went to the state budget. The other 80% was managed by the same agency, which was not even obliged to report on them.
6. Created the cult of Arkadag instead of the cult of Turkmenbashi
In July 2008, Berdymukhamedov returned the country to normal names for months and days of the week.
His predecessor tried to write himself into history by renaming the names of the months: January - to Turkmenbashi, April - to Gurbansoltan (Niyazov’s mother - Ed.), September - to Rukhnama (his philosophical work).
The new names were used only in documents and office work; with the return to the usual Gregorian calendar, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
However, they rejoiced early: the debunking of one cult turned into the creation of another - the cult of Arkadag (patron of the nation). This is how Berdymukhamedov began to be called in 2010, and since then the unofficial title has firmly been assigned to him.
7. Helped cut out a tumor, wrote a book
The second president of Turkmenistan is a dentist by profession, graduated from graduate school in Moscow, and in the 20 years after graduation he made an enviable career in this field.
By the time he was appointed Minister of Health in 1997, he was the director of the dental center of the Ministry of Health of Turkmenistan.
Later he became Deputy Prime Minister, responsible for education, science, culture and media. Already as president in 2007, he received the degree of Doctor of Medical Sciences and the title of professor.
In 2009, the leader of the nation assisted in an operation to remove a benign tumor behind the ear. This happened during the grand opening of the cancer center in Ashgabat.
And the book he wrote about medicinal plants of Turkmenistan was recommended as a manual for all healthcare workers.
8. Chief horse breeder
Among other titles of the current president is “People's Horse Breeder of Turkmenistan.” One of his books, entitled “The Akhal-Teke Horse – Our Pride and Glory,” is dedicated to his passion for horses.
In April 2013, the leader of the nation, a skilled horseman, fell from his horse during a race. Later, the security forces made a lot of efforts to prevent the dissemination of information about the emergency, but this video is still available on YouTube.
It was reported that the presidential horse stumbled immediately after crossing the finish line, so despite the fall, Berdymukhamedov still won that race.
The President of Turkmenistan generally loves to win competitions. For example, one day I came to the opening of a car race, suddenly decided to take part - and finished first.
9. Writes songs and sings
During a meeting with voters in the Ahal region on January 30, the president, answering a question about what he was doing, replied that he was working on songs for women that he wanted to present to them on March 8, International Women’s Day.
Then the head of Turkmenistan was captured with a guitar, cheerfully and with feeling he sang the song to his own accompaniment, thus responding to the musical greeting of young voters.
