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Do you want to Ashgabat? Not yet? But in vain. I think that after reading this photo essay, many will want to go to Turkmenistan. Let's check?

As a rule, I prepare for a trip and read something about the country and places of interest. This trip was no exception - I went on a journey with the understanding that I was waiting for a meeting with the Fairy Sunny City. But reality still fired a control shot in the head. Turkmenistan is now one of the fastest developing countries in the world. Cities, autobahns, county roads, new villages, new resorts, high-speed railways, airports are being built... If you come to Turkmenistan in a year or two, you may not learn anything - everything will be different. The speed of construction is amazing: a few years ago they started building a mega-resort in the Caspian Sea, now 24 hotels from 3 to 5 stars have been built (there should be more than 60 hotels in total, dozens of shopping and entertainment centers), they are completing a 640-kilometer autobahn from Ashgabat, along which you can will fly to the sea in almost 4 hours. I drove two dozen kilometers along this route. In Moscow, this will never happen - dear to them. Eternal Russian Dream.

Ashgabat, according to the Turkmen leadership, should become a white marble capital. Now about 550 buildings are covered with white marble. Moreover, marble is mined not in the Turkmen mountains, but imported from Italy, Vietnam and Turkey. They say that if a construction company cannot immediately provide the required amount of marble, then they are not given permission to start construction. They are built mainly by the French, Iranians and Turks. Most of all complaints to the Turks. They say that they build the fastest, but obviously carelessly, stealing building materials. After all, it is necessary to build not just high-rise buildings, but earthquake-resistant buildings - Ashgabat shakes every day, four balls can be several times a year. Trust in the Turks is the least.

The city center is already completely snow-white and in places richly covered with gold. It is hard to believe that seven or eight years ago all this unearthly beauty did not exist.

Pay attention to the roadbed, which does not melt at +55. Lanterns are covered with gold. Almost all the other lights in the city, as well as garbage cans, railings - chrome.

On the right is the Ministry of Defense. Turkmenistan is an independent state emphasizing its neutrality. But there are a lot of soldiers in the city. In total, 26 thousand people serve in the army (population about 5 million). They even have their own navy in the Caspian. Why such an army - I do not know. As well as the number of police. And also incredibly bloated states of ministries and departments. Including exotic ones. For example, there is a ministry (department) of the Turkmen carpet or the Akhal-Teke breed of horses. Let's say the Ministry of Culture and Media employs 800 people! It is clear that working in a ministry is more prestigious than picking cotton or tending camels.

The country is actively fighting the cult of personality of Saparmurat Niyazov Turkmenbashi the Great: they removed tens of thousands of his portraits from the streets (now there are only portraits of the new president everywhere, but he is not called Turkmenbashi) and moved from the center to a new district the main 14-meter revolving behind the sun, costing 10 million dollars sculpture of the great leader of all Turkmens. All the other 14 thousand monuments, sculptures and busts, including numerous gilded statues of Turkmenbashi, stand in their places. Taking pictures of them is strictly prohibited. Filmed secretly, but still spotted and whistled in the back. It's good that at least they didn't demand to erase it. No one explains the reason for the ban on filming.

It is also strictly forbidden to take pictures of the presidential palace (pictured) and all government buildings (ministries and departments). There are an incredible number of police around, they are watching very strictly and even at night they are not allowed to shoot from the other side of the street - the whistle sounds constantly. Several times they tried to educate me, but thank God, everything worked out. Saved by the appearance of a decent person, a foreigner, and even from Russia, which they respect. But the ban applies always and to everyone. It is also strictly forbidden to go out to the square in front of the palace, to pass and drive along the presidential fence - you can only look and then not for long.

I took the previous shot very quickly when I was persuading these girls to pose for me. But even that was spotted, and one policeman already ran in my direction, but I waved to him, turned around and went back. The policeman was extremely dissatisfied, but since I left his area of ​​responsibility, he decided not to pursue me.

In general, the whole city is in flowers and fountains. All this needs constant care, not only to be beautiful and even, but also because in summer it often gets +55 - the plants need constant watering. And you won't believe it - the whole city is not just green, it's covered in drip irrigation pipes. Okay, capital. We saw dozens of kilometers of forests planted in the desert and every tree has a pipe with water! Imagine, a thousand square kilometers of a new forest with watering each tree!!! In 10-20 years Turkmenistan will be a country of forests.

How to live in such a climate, you ask? And like this: all public buildings and new residential buildings are built only with a central air conditioning system. Nowhere you will find an air conditioner on the wall of the house - everything is inside. The photo shows an ordinary residential building in the Turkmen capital. This house is not for the elite. A variety of people live here, even janitors. The building in the foreground is a common public transport stop. It also has air conditioning inside, a huge plasma panel, an electronic bus schedule board and flowers in pots. Pay attention to the chrome trash can on the right. By the way, all city transport in Turkmenistan is free! I got on the bus and ride all day long.

Quite a new stop, the kiosk is not working yet.

Behind the stop is one of the wonders of Turkmenistan - the world's largest indoor Ferris wheel - 95 meters. Why covered? - again, so that the inside is fresh and not hot.

Two facts to understand the scale of the wheel: 24 booths (they are visible) are designed for 6 people each, and the height of the small spire at the top is 17 meters.

Per last years museums of incredible beauty were built, and hundreds of sculptures of great people of the Turkmen people were installed throughout the city. Many sculptures are covered with gold at least partially. Only in this place there are 27 sculptural groups and one huge, completely gilded statue of the Great Turkmenbashi Niyazov. By the way, in the back of the photo is the Niyazov Museum, which contains everything about the life of the great first secretary of the Communist Party of the Turkmen SSR and the gifts he received. And behind me is the 118-meter monument of Independence of Turkmenistan. It is also partially covered with gold, and under the monument itself there is a museum that tells about the formation of the independence of great Turkmenistan. So far, all official delegations must visit the monument and lay flowers at its foot.

Officials and local clergy. By the way, only religious figures and old people wear beards. Turkmenbashi forbade officials and youth to wear mustaches and beards. Yes, even war was declared on gold teeth. Apparently the rule is still in effect. I did not even see small beards or mustaches on either officials or young people. I didn’t take care of my teeth, but gold crowns (so popular in the past) never got caught.

Now hundreds of people are building a new square in front of the new presidential palace around the clock. I understand that the Akhal-Teke horses will also be gilded.

That's how beautiful she is. Filmed from the hotel through the glass. So sorry for the quality.

There are a lot of buildings with interesting architecture, although they are placed without any logic. Here are three buildings along one avenue. Well, they don't match at all. There is clearly a lack of an integrated approach to construction and the development of a general master plan. In this regard, Astana is much smaller, but more interesting. If my memory serves me right, then in Astana some Japanese architectural bureau was developing general plan city ​​construction. You can find fault with Japanese design, but it is at least some. There is none in Ashgabat. At least that's the impression I got.

All roads are impeccably clean, they are washed several times a day. Please note that fountains work between oncoming lanes. There are a lot of such fountains in the center. I remind you that there is a huge Karakum desert near the city.

The most interesting thing for us is the Turkmen solution to the housing problem. A square meter of housing in Ashgabat costs 1.8 thousand dollars. This price includes all built-in appliances, plumbing, Internet and TV lines, central air conditioning system. Communal payments make in a year - 10-20 dollars!!! You are not mistaken. Exactly for a year. The housing standard is 60 meters per person. All new buildings have ceilings no lower than 4 (four) meters. Dear people, those with many children and the very poor, housing is provided free of charge. The rest can be bought or received in turn. If a person has worked at the enterprise for more than seven years, then the state can pay 50 percent of the cost of the apartment, and the remaining 50 percent of the person receives a mortgage for 30 years at 1 percent.

I apologize for the quality of the picture. This is an ordinary residential building. For ordinary people, not for officials or millionaires. How do you like the entrance to the entrance? In this case, it is more correct to say the front door.

There are still many Khrushchev houses in Ashgabat, but they are constantly being demolished and people are being moved to new beautiful houses. Perhaps in ten years there will be nothing left of the Soviet period. Admiring the beauties of the new Ashgabat, I asked the question: what about in the outback? We know that the well-being of the country should not be judged by the capital. Before you is a new Turkmen village. Construction has not yet been completed, it is also far from improvement, but it is already clear that the peasants will live very well. The house stretches for a kilometer and I have seen several such complexes. In other villages separate cottages are being built. I repeat that the poor, respected workers and families with many children receive housing for free, while the villagers are simply relocated, and their houses are demolished. Just do not ask what happens to those who do not want to move - I do not know.

What are the salaries in Turkmenistan? The average is 300 dollars, but no one limits getting at least tens of thousands. Teachers receive 600-700 dollars a month (although I was told that this is at two rates). Education (including higher education) is free. Moreover, students receive the same 200-300 dollars per month as a scholarship. If vegetables cost 0.49-0.74 dollars per kilo, and meat about 2.47 dollars, there is almost no rent, and public transport is free, then you can live very well. Yes, before 800 liters of gasoline were given to everyone for free. Now gasoline is paid - about 0.17 dollars per liter.

I received these five pieces of paper in exchange for a banknote of 5,000 rubles. The exchange rate is 13.5 rubles per manat. Rubles can only be exchanged at the bank, they are not accepted anywhere. You can pay with dollars almost everywhere, even in an ordinary grocery store. True, there the course will be quite predatory. Dollars are respected by the people and, as a rule, savings are saved in dollars or euros. The loan is also given in foreign currency. What caused this, I cannot understand. The fact is that their rate is fixed and has not changed for more than 5 years. Didn't change at all. Not a dime.

I spoke with a Turkmen of my age in line at the exchange office.
- Why are you buying dollars?
- My daughter is studying at the institute in Russia. Here I help her.
- And many send to study in Russia or abroad?
- Yes. Our quality of education is lower.
- But here you have your own home, your own culture. Again, a good scholarship is paid.
- In order to enter the institute, you have to give such a bribe, oh.
But how much it costs to enter a university, he never told me. He immediately fell silent and began to assure that he did not even know the order. Many say that corruption in the country is terrible.

Previously, there was a portrait of Turkmenbashi on banknotes, now the great people of Turkmenistan.

By the way, the people are very nice, friendly and open. Almost everyone in Ashgabat speaks Russian, many Turkmens speak pure Russian, even without signs of an accent. There are much fewer Russian speakers in the outback, and almost none in the villages. Almost all women wear national dresses. In European dresses, women are a minority.

There is a rule: schoolgirls wear green dresses, college students wear blue, and female students wear red. The rule is binding on everyone. With no exceptions. Short skirts and jeans are prohibited. Like men's shorts. Only at home. Boys in European - black trousers, white shirt. And obligatory skullcap for everyone.

The Internet has recently been completely banned. Now only American social networks are blocked. Video games are prohibited. But the casinos work. Smoking in public places is strictly prohibited, there are restrictions on the import of cigarettes, and there is a tough war on drug addiction. I think that in a few years there will not be a single drug addict there. Wine and vodka are made and sold freely.

Russian girls (pictured) also wear everything national.

College students and teacher.

Pupils.

Elderly Turkmen. He speaks Russian very well, he knows the names of many modern Russian publishing houses.

Gardening workers. If you, having read about Turkmen miracles, have already gathered for permanent residence in Turkmenistan, then keep in mind that for foreigners who want to marry Turkmen women, a state kalym of 50 thousand dollars is set. There is a second option for obtaining citizenship - the creation of a new enterprise with the obligatory recruitment of a certain number of Turkmens for work. After several years of successful operation of the enterprise, one can obtain a residence permit and further citizenship. Nothing good shines for a non-Turkmen in the country. As well as it is impossible to take at least some significant post in the leadership of the country, city, and so on.

Ballet, opera and circus are prohibited in Turkmenistan. Turkmenbashi the Great once said: "I don't understand ballet. Why do I need it? ... You can't instill love for ballet in Turkmens if they don't have it in their blood." "I once went with my wife to the opera "Prince Igor" in Leningrad and did not understand anything." After gaining independence, his hands were completely untied and opera and ballet were banned.

But writers are honored and respected. This alley in the center of the city is decorated with busts of the most respected Turkmen writers of the 20th century. There are very few bookstores, they are all small, half of the books now come from Russia. Foreign newspapers and magazines are still banned, but local magazines are published in huge circulation even by our standards. For example, one women's magazine (the name was not asked) has a circulation of more than 100,000 copies.

This is how it is, modern Ashgabat.

Ashgabat is very beautiful during the day, but it looks even more beautiful at night: all new buildings are being built with lighting, many are constantly changing their colors, all streets and highways are well lit. Near Ashgabat there is a so-called Health Path 36 kilometers long. This is an ordinary concrete path running through the local low mountains (the highest point of the route is at an altitude of 1000 meters). So, even this path is illuminated - everyone can walk along it at least during the day, at least at night. In the picture (on the hill) there are two very beautiful buildings. On the left (glows in purple) a 5-star hotel similar to the Dubai "Sail", on the right (red lights) - the wedding palace. Notice how few cars are on the street even though the time is around 7 or 8 pm.

It is a pity that there was a lot of dust and smog over the city. Ashgabat has a desert on one side, and Iranian mountains on the other (25 kilometers to the border with Iran). Moreover, the mountains stand in a semicircle and in the city itself some air clogging is formed, as a result of which sand, construction dust and smog seem to hang in the air. I’ll make a reservation right away that I was able to do much more in Moscow.

Black is a large forest plantation. The trees are still small. All three pictures were taken from the observation deck of the Monument of Neutrality - one of the most exotic buildings in the world. I'll tell you about it specifically.

This huge arch was built in honor of Turkmenbashi Niyazov. Its height is 95 meters, and at the top is a golden sculpture of the communist Niyazov with his hands raised to the sky. The height of the sculpture is 12 meters. The sculpture rotates after the sun and makes a complete revolution around its axis in a day. Now imagine that this terrible structure, which the people immediately called the tripod, stood in the center of the city. Almost a hundred meters. Like Tseretelievsky Peter. A two-level elevator leads upstairs. The first lifts the legs (it is visible in the photo), and the second takes it up to the observation decks.

A little closer.

Having risen to the first level, you find yourself in the interior of public places, which is typical for Ashgabat - everything is in gold. The employee, however, is not in a tailcoat.

And this photo is from the other side of the city and on another day. More dust.

The same Wedding Palace or the Palace of Happiness, as it is called. The palace immediately began to be named after the mother of Saparmurat Niyazov. The parents of the country's first communist were especially revered during his lifetime. Several streets were named in honor of the mother, 2003 was declared the year of the "Hero of Turkmenistan mother Turkmenbashi" and even the goddess of justice Themis was depicted in the country with her face. The father of the communist Niyazov had the same cult. Incidentally, the day of Niyazov's death is still a non-working day, a day of national mourning.

The palace is a little closer. I'm sorry, but I took it with my cell phone.

And here is the Ferris Wheel, already familiar to all my readers. They obviously go overboard with flowers, but the locals like it.

The Independence Monument also shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow. Numerous lamps will burn all night around. The park is beautiful, there are many shops, there are no people.

A person is barely visible at the bottom left, but one can imagine the scale of the sculptures.

Many street lamps are illuminated from below.

And this is what an ordinary grocery store in a new city looks like. Behind it is an ordinary residential building. Filmed in the evening, not at night. Where are the people, you ask? - I DO NOT KNOW! This is the biggest mystery of Ashgabat.

Beautiful parks are laid out, attractions are working, public buildings shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow - but there are no people. They are not during the day, not in the evening, not at night. According to local residents, about a million people live in the city, with suburbs and a half. So they say, on the Internet they call smaller numbers, but even if it is about a million, then the city should be full of people. In the old center in the morning and in the evening there are at least traffic jams, but there are about the same number of pedestrians as in this photo. It feels like you are in a dead city, a ghost town, from which the entire population has disappeared somewhere. Maybe Turkmen readers or those who visit Ashgabat more often can explain this mysterious phenomenon?

Photo of the author against the backdrop of the most beloved statue of Turkmenbashi the Great. The current government has condemned Niyazov's cult and now there are no portraits of him in the city. Now "everything has changed". Several Turkmen TV channels glorify the life and work of the country's new president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, all of Turkmenistan is hung only with his portraits, and at the very end of September, the government asked the president to allow him to erect his first monument. The President graciously agreed. The cult of personality is still very far away. The first secretary of the Communist Party and the leader of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, had as many as 14,000 monuments. Niyazov's widow lives in Moscow, her daughter lives in London. East is a delicate matter.

Turkmenistan is located within the Turan lowland, most of the territory is occupied by the Kara-Kum desert. In the south, there are the Kopetdag mountains (the highest point is Mount Airybaba, 3139 m), the Badkhyz and Karabil uplands. The coastline of the Caspian Sea is strongly indented, forming vast bays, practically separated from the sea - Kara-Bogaz-Gol and Krasnovodsky. The largest river is the Amu Darya, which irrigates the extreme east of the country, in the south - the shallow Murgab and Tejen. The waters of the Amu Darya are transferred 1000 km to the southern regions along the Karakum Canal. The climate is sharply continental, arid: the average January temperature is -4 °C, July 28 °C, precipitation falls from 80 mm per year in the northeast to 300 mm in the mountains.

The vegetation is mostly desert (saxaul, kandym and other shrubs), almost lifeless dunes are covered with rare greenery on a short time after the rains. Rocky and clayey sagebrush deserts are widespread on the piedmont plains. Takyrs and solonchaks are often found on the plain. The vegetation of the mountains is more attractive: in Kopetdag (whose flora has more than 2000 species) there are juniper forests (juniper forests), Karabil is a hilly steppe, in Badkhyz dry steppes are common (with abundant spring forbs, when poppies, irises, tulips and many other herbs bloom). ), thickets of almonds, wild roses and pistachio woodlands. Tugai forests (from turanga, silvery sucker and other trees) grow along the river valleys. Turkmenistan is inhabited by 91 species of mammals, among which there are rare ones - kulan, Snow Leopard, leopard, argali, saiga; 372 bird species (including pelicans and flamingos), 74 reptile species. The fauna is protected in the Badkhyz, Krasnodar and Repetek reserves. Of the natural attractions, the famous Bakharden cave with a huge underground lake Kou-Ata should be noted. In Badkhyz there is a unique natural object - the Er-Oylan-Duz basin, surrounded by 300-meter clay cliffs. The bottom of the basin is almost entirely occupied by a salt lake and salt marshes, among which low, but colorful cones of ancient volcanoes rise.

Since ancient times, Turkmenistan has been an area of ​​human settlement, although the Turkmen ethnos itself was formed only by the 14th-15th centuries. The remains of ancient civilizations and cities have been preserved: the ruins of Merv (VI century), the Talhatan-Baba mosque near Kushka, the ruins of the city of Amul, known since the time of the Parthian kingdom (near Chardzhou), Kunya-Urgench - a reserve of architectural monuments. Turkmen carpets, products made of silver and semi-precious stones, pottery, as well as the pride of Turkmenistan - Akhal-Teke horses are famous in the world.

Lifestyle

At the heart of the socio-political life of the country, including the way of life of citizens, lies the principle of authoritarian power. According to the leaders of the country, a national classless society of a fundamentally new type is being successfully formed in the country, which has no analogues in the historical retrospective and in the modern world. This, according to President Niyazov, is "a society built as a result of a conscious desire for self-determination, in which all its citizens, regardless of age, social status and religion, live with common aspirations." In the future, such a social organism will be transformed into a "just, legal welfare society, in which everything will be subordinated to the well-being and prosperity of man."

However, in reality, the rise of Turkmen nationalism and the strengthening of the cult of the president are noticeable in the country. New conceptual approaches are being created to study the development of the Turkmen state and its place in the world historical process, the ideology of "Turkmenbashism" is being actively implemented, which, according to the authorities, should underlie the lifestyle of every inhabitant of the country. These ideas are propagated by all the media.

In the humanitarian sphere, the idea of ​​the exclusivity of the Turkmen nation, its huge contribution to the development of world culture is being implanted. The works of Turkmen writers and poets, artists and composers, theatrical performances and films are devoted to this topic. At the same time, censorship is intensifying, designed to minimize the consumer's access to works that do not fit into the officially established framework, but encouraging works, albeit weak in artistic terms, but praising the era of present-day Independent Turkmenistan.

Formally, since the beginning of the current millennium, the way of life of Turkmens has been determined by the "holy book of Ruhnama", which is the quintessence of the ideas of "Turkmenbashism". This is a kind of spiritual code, generalizing life attitudes state, born, as the author of the book emphasizes, "to bring up the strength and greatness of the spirit in the Turkmens." The work of Turkmenbashi is a study of almost all aspects of the life of the Turkmen people and prescribes the "correct" norms of life up to behavior in everyday life. The nationalistic concept embedded in the Ruhnama also has a religious connotation: some of its postulates correlate with the provisions of the Koran and serve as the basis for asserting the inviolability of the president's power. The postulates underlying the Ruhnama are somewhat reminiscent of the moral code of the builder of communism, where moral and ideological ideas underlie all aspects of an individual's life.

sights

The cradle of many ancient civilizations and cultures, Turkmenistan is fraught with many mysteries and secrets. Here you can see a large number of unique natural and historical monuments. The main attraction of mysterious Turkmenistan is the amazing Karakum desert, on the territory of which more than 200 species of plants grow. In addition to the Karakum, the coast of the Caspian Sea is considered an important tourist destination, where a huge number of projects for the construction of entertainment complexes are being implemented today.

There are many historical and cultural monuments on the territory of Turkmenistan. The most famous of them are the remains of the ancient cities of Merv and Amul, as well as the Talkhatan-Baba Mosque, an underground house in Tahta Bazaar and numerous ancient fortresses and forts. Most tourists turn their attention to the amazing monuments of the history of Turkmenistan - Altyndepe, Nissa, Dehistan, the mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar, Najmettin Kovra and many other buildings.

The capital of Turkmenistan Ashgabat is famous all over the world for its famous Carpet Museum. A huge number of samples of these products, woven by hand, are collected here. Not far from the city are the ruins of the capital of the Parthian state - Nissa, which attracts archaeologists and historians from all over the world. The hunting residence of the Persian Kingdom was once located in Firyuza. Today this settlement is considered the most popular mountain resort in the country.

Ancient Merv in the Middle Ages was famous as the largest city in Central Asia. The surroundings of this amazing city contain the remains of buildings and structures of antiquity. The amazing mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar strikes the imagination with its grandeur and unique beauty. The uniqueness of this building is given by the legendary dome, which was built from two thin brick shells. When visiting Merv, it is necessary to look into the United Museum of History, which has collected the most significant finds found during the excavations of the ancient city.

In addition, on the territory of Turkmenistan you can see many architectural monuments, for example, Kunya-Urgench, which during the 13th century was the "heart" of Islam. The stunning town of Gaurdak, located in the foothills of the Pamirs, has become especially popular among adherents of eco-tourism. The area around the city preserves a whole complex of amazing beauty of gorges, caves and waterfalls. The Kugitang reserve is famous for its huge rocky plateau, which has preserved hundreds of dinosaur footprints.

The famous Akhal-Teke stallions are the symbol of Turkmenistan. These are graceful, fast and incredibly hardy horses. No wonder these amazing animals are depicted on the coat of arms of the state. You can get to know this breed of horses better at the Turkmen Horse Festival, which is dedicated to the Akhal-Teke stallion. In addition, almost two dozen equestrian tourist routes on numerous monuments of Turkmenistan.

Kitchen

Turkmen cuisine is rather unusual. It has much in common with the cuisines of its neighbors - Tajiks, Uzbeks and Karakalpaks. The national cuisine of Turkmenistan includes the traditions of nomadic pastoralists, farmers and fishermen of the Caspian Sea.

Of the huge variety of meats, Turkmens prefer lamb and chicken. The inhabitants of the country do not use horse meat, most likely due to the huge role of horses in their lives. Usually mutton is consumed by Turkmen-Tekins and Saryks, and Turkmen-Yomuds prefer the meat of mountain goats, young camels and game. Meat in Turkmenistan is boiled, stewed, fried and dried. The most popular dish among the local population is "govurma". This is canned finely chopped fried meat. It is consumed both hot and cold. It is worth noting that the Turkmens are very fond of cooking the soup “Gara Chorba”, based on “Govurma”.

Peculiarities of climatic conditions allow the Turkmen peoples to use special methods of cooking meat, which are not used anywhere else. Thus, yomuds string large pieces of lamb on a special point and leave them under the scorching sun for several days. Such dried meat is called “kakmach” by the locals.

The main dish of Turkmenistan, of course, is pilaf. Its main difference from the dishes of other countries of Central Asia is that it uses game meat. Pheasant meat has gained the greatest popularity. Turkmens add green rice, carrots or apricots and sesame oil to pilaf. It is customary to serve pilaf with pomegranate and sour plum sauce. Traditional lamb is added to dishes only by those peoples who live near the Caspian Sea.

Turkmens are very fond of various dairy products. Sheep and camel milk is especially popular.

The most popular drink in Turkmenistan is "chal". For its preparation, fresh camel milk is used, to which a special leaven is added. After a few days, a sour, slightly carbonated drink is obtained, which perfectly quenches thirst. Like true Asians, Turkmens simply adore tea. The peculiarity of this drink in this amazing country is that tea leaves are poured with fresh camel milk, and then the teapot is placed on hot coals. Not every foreigner dares to try such an exotic drink.

Fish dishes are widely used in Turkmen cuisine. Turkmens have adapted fish to foods that are considered completely incompatible with it, such as raisins, apricots, pomegranate juice, sesame, etc. In addition, the local population cooks fish in a cauldron and on a spit. For cooking, Turkmens use exclusively fresh fish, which can be combined with the sweet and sour range of Turkmen spices. Interestingly, the main fish dish in Turkmenistan is barbecue, which is prepared in the same way as the meat version. The famous Turkmen dish "kavurdaka" is small pieces of fish fried in sesame oil. They are transferred to an earthenware jug and poured with melted fat tail fat.

Turkmens especially love various flour products. Cakes are very popular among the local population.

For dinner in a middle-class restaurant, you can pay no more than $ 7 per person.

Residence

Turkmenistan has always been famous for its hospitality. Here you can find modern hotels and inns that combine all the splendor of oriental luxury and European quality of service. True, large hotels and hotels are present only in large cities and resorts. So, in the south of Ashgabat, a whole complex of several dozen high-class hotels has been built.

Interestingly, almost all hotels do not have a standard world classification. But the quality of the services they provide is in no way inferior to world-famous hotel brands. In the capital's four- and five-star hotels, you can use not only spacious and comfortable rooms, but also swimming pools, saunas, gyms, restaurants and bars. Some hotels are even equipped with modern conference rooms that can be used for business meetings.

Less comfortable hotels are located outside the capital. It is worth noting that when checking into such hotels, it is necessary to clarify in advance the availability of a separate bathroom and hot water in the hotel room.

The cost of living in hotels in Turkmenistan ranges from $30 for a single room in a small hotel to $220 for a luxurious suite in the most prestigious hotel in Ashgabat. In addition, food can be included in the price. True, most hotels offer their customers to pay only for breakfast.

Entertainment and recreation

Mysterious Turkmenistan offers its visitors a huge selection of entertainment.

The Avaza tourist complex, located along the coast of the Caspian Sea, is very popular among foreign guests of the country. This is a luxurious complex of modern hotels, entertainment centers, restaurants, disco clubs and other entertainment venues. Here you can use the services of gyms, fitness clubs, swimming pools. On the vast territory of Avaza there are several stadiums, tennis courts and even golf clubs. All elements of the Avaza resort area are located on a small land area adjacent to the sea, the Karakum desert and mountains.

Ancient Turkmenistan is full of natural and historical monuments. Numerous travel companies organize excursions around unique wilderness Karakum, Bakharden cave and dinosaur plateau. In addition, unique complex tours in Turkmenistan and neighboring countries have been developed. The most famous of them is the "Great Silk Road", which runs through the territory of Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China. It was along this path hundreds of years ago that caravans with silk and gems moved. You can see the ruins of ancient cities in the amazing tours "Pearl of the East - Sogdiana". On the territory of modern Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in ancient times there was a powerful state of Sogdiana, the history of which can be found during the tour.

Turkmens celebrate a large number of holidays, ranging from the birth of a child, the First Step Holiday and ending with the Turkmen carpet or Turkmen melon holiday. Quite unusual holidays such as the Tulip Festival, the Snowdrop Festival, the Turkmen Horse Festival, the Good Neighborliness Festival and many other colorful events are very popular. Religious holidays are widely celebrated by society.

Purchases

Turkmenistan is famous for its amazing bazaars. The most famous of them is located in the capital of the country - Ashgabat. Here you can buy everything your heart desires, from food to thoroughbred Akhal-Teke horses.

The main wealth of Turkmenistan is considered to be amazingly beautiful carpets, often hand-woven. You can buy such a product in any store in major cities. However, the largest assortment of unsurpassed carpets is found in the bazaars of Ashgabat and in the famous Museum of Carpets. Each person will find in Turkmenistan a carpet to his taste and budget. The most expensive goods are beautiful knotted carpets made of silk or wool. Felt mats, or, as the locals call them, “nightmare”, will cost a little less. It is most convenient to purchase a carpet in state-owned stores: in this case, to export the product abroad, it will be enough to present only a sales receipt.

Many tourists also prefer to take national clothes out of Turkmenistan. The well-known headdresses of Turkmenistan - skullcap and telpak (sheep wool hat) are especially popular among foreigners. The figurines of the famous Akhal-Teke horses, silver jewelry, Turkmen silks are also sold well.

In most stores, prices for goods are fixed, but it is recommended to bargain in bazaars and private stalls. Turkmens like the bidding process itself, so here you can easily bring down the price of the product you like by several times.

Payment for purchases is made only in the national currency - manat. By bank transfer using VISA and MasterCard cards, you can pay only in large shopping centers, and then only in Ashgabat.

Transport

The transport system of Turkmenistan is well developed. The railways were especially developed here. The length of the railway track is about 2500 kilometers. Every major city has a railway station. This transport is considered the most popular among local residents for moving around the country. The cost of a train ride from the capital of the state to other major cities is approximately $ 2.5 in a reserved seat car. If you want to ride in a CB car, you need to pay a little more - about $ 4.

The largest seaport of the country is located in the city of Turkmenbashi. From here, cargo and passenger ferries depart daily for ports in other countries. The cost of a ferry crossing to other countries is approximately $30-40.

The air transport of Turkmenistan is gaining more and more popularity among foreign tourists every year. About ten air carriers operate on the territory of the state. The main one in Turkmenistan is Türkmenistan Howaýollary. Turkmen airlines operate both flights within the country and international flights. Among foreign carriers on the territory of Turkmenistan there are such "masters" of transport companies as Lufthansa Airlines, British Airways and others.

Public transport is represented by buses, trolleybuses and taxis. The bus fleet is quite diverse both in terms of the model range and the age of the cars. In Turkmenistan, you can find a modern bus with air conditioning and TVs, and barely moving rolling stock with huge holes in the doors. Public transport fares are paid directly to the driver and at the end of the trip. Their cost does not exceed $ 0.1. If you, to put it mildly, do not like public transport, then it is best to use taxi services. You will need $1 to travel across the city.

Connection

Telephone communication in Turkmenistan is poorly developed. Relay equipment is still used in many cities. In large settlements on the streets you can still find a relic of the Soviet past - pay phones. From such devices, you can make a call to any part of the country. The cost of such a call does not exceed $0.5. To call to another country, you need to contact any post office. In addition, you can communicate with relatives from hotels and inns. The price of one minute of an international call is approximately $1.

Recently, cellular communication has become widespread in the country. Mobile operators provide communication of the GSM 900/1800 standard. Several cellular companies operate in Turkmenistan: Altyn Asyr MC, Barash Communication Technologies INC and MTS. They successfully support roaming of the majority of Russian and world mobile operators. The cost of a minute of conversation on a mobile phone is slightly more than $1.

In the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, and other large cities of the country, there are small Internet cafes where you can have a great rest, work on the Internet, and even have a delicious lunch. The price of one hour on the Internet is slightly more than $2. Most luxury hotels and inns offer wireless technology. This service is also available at major airports in the country.

Safety

Turkmenistan is recognized as the safest country in Central Asia. Here, even in large cities, the crime rate is incredibly low. Offenses against foreigners are very rare. However, for the greatest safety of your trip and for an exceptionally positive experience, you need to be extremely attentive to your belongings, especially if you are in crowded places. It is not worth visiting alone some remote areas. It should also be noted that in Turkmenistan there is a ban on visiting some areas by foreign citizens.

As in any Asian country, there is a high risk of contracting typhus, malaria, dysentery and hepatitis in Turkmenistan. Therefore, before the trip, it is worth doing the necessary preventive vaccinations.

Business climate

Recently, the authorities of the country, in order to attract foreign investors, have adopted a number of laws that soften the working conditions of enterprises. Thus, there are certain tax benefits for joint ventures.

The most important direction in the development of the economy of Turkmenistan is the creation of free economic zones. Investment activity and entrepreneurship in such zones has a number of additional benefits, which, of course, is a determining factor for making a decision in the field of cooperation between foreign businessmen and Turkmen enterprises.

Recently, a high growth of interest of foreign tourists in the cultural and historical heritage of Turkmenistan has been noticed. In addition, the unique natural beauty attracts numerous ecotourists to the country. This trend did not go unnoticed by many large investment companies that decided to invest their money in the development of the tourism industry of the Turkmen economy. The well-known resort area "Avaza" can serve as an example of successful cooperation in this area. Today, more than ever, the construction of entertainment complexes and centers, luxurious hotels and hotels, the organization of tours to the unique sights of Turkmenistan has become relevant. It should be noted that the state creates excellent conditions for the organization of tourism business. Several laws have been adopted to regulate the taxation and financing of such companies.

The property

The real estate market of Turkmenistan today is one of the most attractive in Central Asia. First of all, people from neighboring countries, as well as from Russia, show interest in local apartments and houses. A factor contributing to this is the absence of any restrictions on investing in property.

It has been noticed that most buyers of housing in Turkmenistan prefer to rent it out. Of course, the bulk of such proposals are concentrated in the capital region. Usually the price for renting a one-room apartment is about $400-500 per month. In other large cities of the country, the cost of such a service is much less - about $ 200.

Wanting to own a small apartment, the buyer should stock up on about $ 30,000. To buy a country cottage, you will have to prepare an amount significantly exceeding $ 50,000. It should be noted that the volume of low-rise construction is significantly inferior to the apartment market. This is due to some difficulties in obtaining loans for the construction of houses. Turkmen banks are afraid of falling land prices, which is why they do not take country houses as collateral.

To make your holiday in amazing Turkmenistan unforgettable and, most importantly, safe, you need to follow some basic rules adopted in the country.

When traveling around the country, it is worth remembering that visiting some areas is possible only accompanied by employees of a travel company. And some territories are generally closed to foreign citizens.

The legislation of Turkmenistan requires tourists coming to the country to stay in the hotels that they indicated in the program of stay. Photo and video filming of some objects requires special permission.

Turkmenistan recently adopted a ban on smoking and drinking alcohol in public places.

Drinking tap water is not safe. Be sure to boil it even for brushing your teeth. You can use bottled water. Food, such as fish and meat, must be thermally processed, and vegetables and fruits should be thoroughly washed.

When purchasing various souvenirs in Turkmenistan, it must be remembered that some products and products cannot be exported from the country. These products include fish and black caviar. Export from the country of jewelry, archaeological and artistic exhibits, carpets is possible only if there are relevant documents confirming the fact of purchase. In addition, it is worth remembering that you can take a carpet abroad if you receive a certificate from the Carpet Museum that it has no historical value. An obligatory condition for the export of carpet products is the payment of a tax depending on the size of the goods. When buying carpets in state-owned stores, the tax is already included in the price of the product.

Visa information

To visit Turkmenistan, all foreign tourists need to obtain a visa issued on the basis of an invitation provided by a travel company. After receiving an invitation letter for obtaining a visa, you must contact the consulate of Turkmenistan, located at: 121019, Russia, Moscow, per. Filippovsky, 22.

To apply for a visa, you must submit the following documents: the original invitation, a foreign passport with a validity period of more than six months, a photocopy of an internal passport, two visa applications, a certificate from the place of work indicating the position and salary, as well as two photographs. Visa processing is carried out only after a personal interview with the consul.

The cost of visas is $31 for up to 20 days, $41 for 20 days, $51 for a whole month. It is worth remembering that when obtaining a visa at the border on weekends and holidays the registration fee is increased by $10.

culture

Turkmenistan has a rich cultural heritage that has been created over thousands of years. This, in particular, is evidenced by the ongoing excavations of Nisa (18 km from Ashgabat), the capital of the ancient Parthian state, which existed at the turn of the 1st millennium BC. - I millennium AD The remains of city blocks, temples, palaces have been preserved here. During the excavations of Nisa, graceful rhytons (goblets in the form of a horn) made of ivory, sculptures made of clay and stone, coins, archival records on clay tablets were discovered. These finds are of world significance.

To the north of the city of Bairam-Ali lie the ruins of another ancient city - Merv, which is one of the most significant historical and architectural monuments of Turkmenistan. Its oldest part is the ancient settlement of Erk-Kala, which dates back to the 1st millennium BC. In the middle of the 1st millennium AD. Merv was the capital of the eastern part of the Sasanian Empire, and then the center of the Arab governors in Khorasan. The city reached its heyday in the 12th century. as part of the state of the Seljukids and Khorezmshahs, as evidenced by the remains of the settlement of Sultan-Kala with the mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar in the center. At that time, Merv was the largest center in the East for the production of artistic stamped ceramics. In the north of Turkmenistan, where ancient Urgench, the capital of Khorezm in the 12th–13th centuries, was located, such monuments as the Akkala fortress (“White Fortress”), a minaret, the mausoleum of Fakhreddin Razi (second half of the 12th century), which is a brick cuboid building with a dodecahedral hipped dome.

The ancient culture of Central Asia, including Turkmenistan, is based on the religious traditions of Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Christianity and some other cults and beliefs. Beginning at the turn of the 7th–8th centuries, when the region was conquered by the Arabs, Islam became the dominant religion. Believers Turkmens, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kazakhs and some other ethnic groups of modern Turkmenistan profess predominantly Sunni-Hanafi Islam. However, a small part of the local population, who come from Iran, professes Shiism.

Sufism, a mystical direction of Muslim doctrine, has played a major role in Turkmen society for centuries, which is characterized by a combination of metaphysics with ascetic practice, the doctrine of gradual approach through mystical love to the knowledge of God. Sufism (as well as Sunnism) had a significant impact on the cultural development of Turkmenistan, literature, folk art and even political life in the country.

Until the mid-1930s, the culture of Turkmenistan was also built on the cultural traditions of the Turkic Oghuz people, dating back to the pre-Islamic period and most prominently manifested in music, epic and literature. The culture of the country was also based on the Turkmen traditions proper, which, as noted above, developed at the end of the 9th century. after the adoption of Islam by the Seljuk state. The most famous work of the pre-Islamic period is the Oguz national epic Oguz-name (Book of Oghuz), owned by cultural heritage not only Turkmens, but also Azerbaijanis and Turks. It was passed down orally from generation to generation and was written down only in the middle of the 16th century. Also known is the epic poem Kitabi Dede Korkud, which reflects the pre-Islamic tribal culture of the Oghuz and the influence of Islam in the 11th-12th centuries.

After the adoption of Islam by the Turkic peoples, writing based on the Arabic alphabet became widespread in Central Asia. At the same time, the Persian language, adopted as the state language by the Seljuks and almost all subsequent dynasties, was considered the language of science and high culture. However, Turkmen poetry used the Chagatai language, which is also widely spoken in Central Asia. His phonetic system was flexible enough to convey the features of the Turkic languages. At the same time, Arabic script was used, somewhat modified to better convey Turkic phonetics; It was in the Chagatai language that Turkmen literature developed. The great Turkmen poet and thinker of the 18th century wrote on it. Makhtumkuli (1733–1780s) and his followers Seitnazar Seidi (1775–1836) and Kurbandurdy Zelili (1780–1836). Before Magtymguly, Turkmen poetry was represented mainly by Sufi philosophical treatises in verse form. He and his followers began to write poems about nature and politics, going beyond the narrow confines of the conventions inherent in Persian poetry; at the same time, the motifs of Turkmen folk poetry and epic traditions were widely used. Among the outstanding poets of that time, Nurmukhamed-Gharib Andalib, Magrupi (or Kurbanali), Shabende and Gaibi should also be mentioned.

Starting from the middle of the 19th century. the works of Turkmen poets take on political overtones; at the same time, the influence of Islamic mysticism, mainly Sufism, which previously dominated Turkmen literature, is significantly weakening. After the accession of Turkmenistan to Russian Empire in the 1870s–1890s, social and political satire occupied a leading place in poetry. Satirical poets, such as Durdygylych and Mollamurt, were very popular in the early 20th century.

The Soviet period was marked by radical changes in social and cultural life. In 1928, the Arabic alphabet was replaced by the Latin one, and the Turkmens found themselves cut off from their literary heritage. In 1940, the Latin alphabet as the basis of writing was replaced by Russian, and the continuity of cultural traditions in Turkmenistan was again violated. However, at the turn of the 20-21 centuries. the government of the country decided to switch back to the Latin alphabet.

Turkmen fiction and drama began to develop mainly in the Soviet era. The novels and plays written then praised the real and imaginary gains of socialism, incl. the emancipation of women, the collectivization of agriculture, the eradication of feudal and tribal remnants, and later the victory of the Soviet people in World War II. Among the Turkmen writers of the Soviet period, the most famous poet, novelist and playwright Berdy Kerbabaev (1894-1974).

Of particular note is the fact that over the course of millennia, many legends have been created about the world-famous Akhal-Teke horses, which, according to legend, descended from heavenly horses, and about which already in the 5th century. BC. The "father of history" Herodotus reported that the Turanians (ancestors of the Turkmens) chose them as a symbol of the sun. Even now it is forbidden to export Akhal-Teke horses from Turkmenistan without special permission.

In 2003, the "Society of Turkmen Culture" was registered in Russia, uniting representatives of the Turkmen diaspora living in Moscow. Its main task is to promote the development of Turkmen culture, deepening friendship and mutual understanding between the peoples of Russia and Turkmenistan.

In the sphere of culture, there were severe prohibitions and restrictions on the part of the authorities. After the ban on opera, ballet, the circus, and the closure of cinemas, public libraries were closed in early 2005, because, according to the leaders of the country, "no one goes there and reads books anyway." Subscriptions to foreign publications were banned back in 2002. Only the president's works, primarily the Ruhnama, are sold in abundance in bookstores.

Story

The first evidence of human settlement of the territory of Turkmenistan dates back to the Neolithic era. During archaeological excavations, many stone tools were found, as well as the remains of hunter and fishermen's settlements, among which the most famous is the Jebel Grotto in the eastern part of the Caspian Sea. It was also found that in the 2nd millennium BC. pottery and metalworking arose in these territories.

The southern part of Turkmenistan was the northeastern outskirts of the ancient agricultural cultures of the Middle East, and it was here that agriculture and cattle breeding most likely began to develop for the first time in Central Asia. The settlement of Jeytun, found near Ashgabat, dates back to the 6th century. BC, is one of the most ancient agricultural settlements on the territory of the former USSR.

The ancient farmers of the foothill plains of southern Turkmenistan lived settled in houses built of clay rollers - the predecessors of mud bricks, made reaping sickles with flint inserts, grain grinders, molded ceramic dishes decorated with red painting. During the Neolithic period, the first primitive irrigation canals began to appear in this zone. The development of agriculture continued into the Bronze Age. A number of archaeological monuments date back to that time - large settlements of Namazga-Tepe, Altyn-Tepe, Kara-Tepe, etc., some of which belong to the proto-urban type. During the excavations, objects of art were also found there - figurines, ceramic vessels with paintings, etc.

Agricultural areas of southern Turkmenistan in the 7th–6th centuries. BC e. were part of different states: Margiana (Myrgab basin) - was part of Bactria; the southwestern regions of Parthia and Hyrcania are part of Media. In the 4th-6th centuries. BC e. the territories that later formed Turkmenistan directly were part of the Achaemenid state, and then in the possession of Alexander the Great and his successors. At the end of the 1st millennium BC. The Khorezm kingdom was founded, the period of prosperity of which began in the middle of the 4th century. BC. The cities of Khorezm were centers for the development of agriculture, crafts and trade.

The Parthian kingdom, which appeared later during the reign of King Mithridates II (124–84 BC), quickly turned into one of the major eastern states. At that time, the city of Merv (the main city of Parthia, now Mary) became an important trade, handicraft, cultural and even intellectual center. It is no coincidence that Merv was called "Shahu-Jahan", which means "Queen of the World." Important trade routes (including the famous Great Silk Road) passed through this city, which connected Khorezm, Sogd, Balkh, India and China.

In 224 AD southern Turkmenistan was captured by the Sassanid dynasty of Iranian shahs. At the same time, part of the nomadic tribes of Turkmenistan began to assimilate with the Xiongnu tribes, the predecessors of the Huns. In the middle of the 5th c. the union of the Hunnic tribes, led by the Ephthalites, managed to subjugate most of this territory. The Ephthalites were defeated by the Turkic union of tribes, which had a great influence on the language and way of life of the peoples they conquered. By the beginning of the Arab conquest in the 6th c. almost all the tribes here became Turkic-speaking and later began to profess Islam introduced by the Arabs. Since that time, this confession has become fundamental in the Turkmen state up to the present.

Middle Ages. At the beginning of the 8th c. the territory between the Caspian Sea and the Amu Darya was under the rule of the Arab Caliphate. The local Turkic tribes who converted to Islam established close trade and cultural relations with the rest of the Muslim world. However, as the power of the Arabs weakened (although Islam still remained the dominant religion), the Oghuz Turks penetrated the territory of Turkmenistan, and in the middle of the 11th century. it was under the rule of the Seljuk state, named after the leader of the Oguzes - Seljuk ibn Tugak and his descendants - the Seljukids. The capital of this state was the city of Merv. The Oguzes mixed with the local tribes, and on this basis a people was formed, called "Turkmen", and the country began to be called Turkmenistan ("land of the Turkmens"). In the 12th-13th centuries. it was under the rule of the shahs of Khorezm, which, in turn, was subjugated by the troops of Genghis Khan in 1219-1221 and became part of the Mongol Empire. In subsequent centuries, there was a large-scale settlement of Turkmen tribes along the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, the Mangyshlak peninsula, Ustyurt, Balkhany, the northwestern part of the Khorezm area, the shores of Lake Sarykamysh and Uzboy, and even in the Karakum desert. They also occupied the lands of southern Turkmenistan, where the Iranian-speaking agricultural population still survived.

During the reign of the descendants of Genghis Khan, some Turkmen tribes achieved partial independence and founded vassal feudal states. They played a significant role in the history of the Turkmens even after Central Asia at the end of the 14th century. was conquered by Timur (Tamerlane). After the fall of the Timurid dynasty, nominal control over this territory passed to Persia and the Khanate of Khiva. At that time, a layer of merchants gradually emerged among the Turkmens, mainly among the tribes that lived on the coast of the Caspian Sea, who began to trade with Russia (especially actively during the reign of Peter I).

In the period of the late Middle Ages, the Turkmen tribes were finally divided between three feudal states - Persia, Khiva and Bukhara. The social structure of the Turkmens, starting from the 16th century, is defined by historians as patriarchal-feudal with elements of patriarchal slavery. Feudal relations were most developed among settled agricultural tribes (the Daryalyk Turkmens, the Yazyrs of the Kopetdag strip). one of the main reasons for their political fragmentation. In the 16th and 17th centuries their territory was the object of fierce wars between the Bukhara and Khiva khans, and the south of Turkmenistan was captured by Safavid Iran.

At that time, the Sarykamysh Lake began to dry up gradually, along the banks of which the Turkmen tribes lived, and the flow of water along the Daryalyk also decreased. This circumstance forced people to gradually move to the south, to the Atrek steppes and the Kopetdag regions, and from there to the southeast, to the valleys of the Murgab and the Amu Darya. From the beginning of the 17th century Kalmyks, who came from the east in search of free lands, began to raid the nomad camps of the northern Turkmens and the city of Khorezm. By that time, the beginning of strengthening the political and economic relations of Turkmens with Russia dates back. Moreover, at the end of the 17th century. some Turkmen tribes, tired of the raids of the Kalmyks and the armed detachments of the Khiva Khan, passed into Russian citizenship and partially moved to the North Caucasus.

New story. In the first half of the 18th century most of the territory of Turkmenistan was in the hands of the Iranian Shah Nadir. The unsubdued part of the Turkmens went to Mangyshlak, to the Caspian steppes and to Khorezm. However, after the assassination of Nadir Shah in 1747, his empire collapsed quite quickly, which allowed the Turkmen tribes, who had temporarily left to the north, to return to southern Turkmenistan.

At that time, the Turkmens inhabited almost the entire territory of modern Turkmenistan. Many of the Turkmen tribes - Ersari, Tekins (Teke), emuts (iomuts), Goklen, Saryks and Salyrs, Chovdurs, etc. - had significant military potential and established trade relations with other countries. Trade routes connecting Europe with Central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan ran through the Turkmen lands.

During the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813, Russian diplomats entered into a friendly alliance with a number of Turkmen tribes against Persia. The territory of Turkmenistan itself was assigned the role of a foothold in Russian plans to conquer Central Asia with its rich natural resources. Russia's penetration into Turkmenistan began with the foundation in 1869 of the city of Krasnovodsk on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea. In 1869-1873 the tribes of western Turkmenistan easily succumbed to the pressure of diplomats and military force Russia, while the tribes of eastern Turkmenistan offered fierce resistance to Russian troops until January 1881, when the Geok-Tepe fortress was taken. The fall of this fortress completed the conquest of the Turkmen lands by Russia.

After joining Russia, Turkmenistan became actively involved in the economic system of Russian market relations, which was much more progressive compared to the archaic socio-economic structure of the Turkmen tribes. In the 80s of the 19th century. The Trans-Caspian Railway was built on the territory of Turkmenistan, which stimulated the growth of the region's economy, the production and export of raw materials (primarily cotton) to Russia and further to European markets.

Cities arose in the Transcaspian region (Krasnovodsk, Ashkhabad, etc.) with a growing Russian and Armenian population, and industrial enterprises appeared. Before the October Revolution, in the social system of the Turkmens, which remained mainly patriarchal-feudal, elements of the market appeared, especially noticeable in the southern (Ashgabat, Merv) regions.

During the first Russian revolution of 1905–1907, strikes organized by the Social Democrats took place on the Transcaspian Railway. After the defeat of the revolution, strikes were banned, and any manifestations of discontent were severely suppressed by the authorities.

In 1916, a wave of mass protests of the indigenous population against mobilization for rear work swept through Turkmenistan. After the overthrow of the tsarist government in March 1917 in large cities - Ashgabat, Krasnovodsk, Chardzhou, Marakh - previously banned groups of Social Democrats, including the Bolsheviks, became more active. However, the rural population remained passive and did not get out of the control of their religious and tribal leaders.

Recent history. After the October Revolution of 1917, the Red Army, the White Guard, the British Expeditionary Forces, and the Socialist-Revolutionaries fought on the territory of Turkmenistan. The eastern regions of Turkmenistan remained under the rule of the Khiva and Bukhara khanates, which were vassals of the Russian Empire. Although the Bolsheviks were able to win over the Russian workers in the cities, attempts to win the trust of the Turkmen peasants - dekhans - were unsuccessful. In December 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power in Ashgabat, but did not last long there. The White Guards and Socialist-Revolutionaries, with the support of British troops, in July 1918 raised an uprising and expelled the Bolsheviks. To prevent the loss of Turkmenistan and the entire Trans-Caspian region, units of the Red Army were sent there. In August 1918, the territory of Turkmenistan was occupied by British troops, who retained control until September 1919, when most of them were withdrawn by the British government. Separate anti-Bolshevik formations continued to resist until February 1920, when units of the Red Army occupied Krasnovodsk. This event meant the final defeat of the White Guards and Socialist-Revolutionaries; at the same time, the withdrawal of British military units was completed. Revolutionary upheavals took place in Khiva and Bukhara in 1920, and the Khorezm and Bukhara People's Soviet Republics were formed there.

In the period from April 1918 to October 1924, the country was officially called the Turkmen Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and was part of the RSFSR. On October 27, 1924, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic was formed already as part of the USSR. The first step taken by the government of the Turkmen SSR was the continuation of the land and water reforms begun after the victory of the Red Army in 1920. At the same time, the redistribution of land that previously belonged to large landowners - bays was carried out; the organization of peasant cooperatives and the restoration of the oil industry began.

In 1926, the collectivization of agriculture and the creation of large cotton plantations began in the republic. By 1929, almost 15% of the dekhans became members of collective farms (collective farms), and by 1940, almost all the land was in the use of collective farms, and the peasants who cultivated it became collective farmers. Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Turkmenistan came second (after Uzbekistan) in the USSR in terms of cotton production. Other branches of agriculture also developed intensively, which was facilitated by the expansion and improvement of irrigation systems, primarily the construction of reservoirs and irrigation canals.

The 1930s were marked by the intensive development of the oil industry. Production resumed at the fields of the Cheleken Peninsula, which suffered during the civil war, new fields near Nebitdag were explored and put into operation. Almost all raw materials mined or grown in Turkmenistan were sent for processing to other Soviet republics.

One of the important results of the development of industrial production was the formation of new social groups– engineering and technical workers and skilled workers. The level of literacy of the population was significantly increased in the republic, and thanks to the support of the federal government of the USSR, significant progress was made in the development of education and healthcare.

However, along with this, during collectivization, the Turkmen middle class (the so-called "fists") in agriculture was practically destroyed, and during collectivization, almost all Muslim clergy and a significant part of the newly formed national intelligentsia became victims of repressions that took place from the mid-1930s -x until 1953.

The Second World War gave a powerful impetus to the economic development of Turkmenistan, since at the beginning of the war many industrial enterprises from the western regions of the USSR were evacuated to Turkmenistan; Accordingly, there was a need for a rapid development of transport. At that time, the Ashgabat (now Central Asian) railway was extended to the Caspian port of Krasnovodsk.

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the 87th separate Turkmen brigade was created, which later formed the basis of the 76th rifle division. During the war, 19 thousand soldiers and officers of Turkmenistan were awarded orders and medals, 51 Turkmen soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

The tragedy that befell the Turkmen people in 1948, the devastating Ashgabat earthquake, added to the economic and social difficulties of the post-war years. Nevertheless, during the post-war period, it was possible (largely thanks to the Russians and Ukrainians who came to Turkmenistan from the regions of the USSR devastated during the war) to restore and modernize the national economy of the republic: create an oil and gas complex, develop the oil refining industry, build the Karakum Canal, diversify agricultural production, including increasing cotton harvests.

period of independence. On August 22, 1990, Turkmenistan proclaimed its sovereignty within the USSR. In October 1990, Saparmurat Niyazov, first secretary of the Communist Party of Turkmenistan since 1985 and chairman of the republic's supreme council (since January 1990), was elected president of the republic in an uncontested election. On October 26, 1991, the government held a referendum on the independence of Turkmenistan; 94% of the population voted for independence. The next day, on October 27, 1991, the Supreme Council declared Turkmenistan an independent state, and at the end of December 1991 the country joined the CIS. The following year, 1992, the constitution of Turkmenistan was adopted (May 18), and three years later, on December 12, 1995, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on the “Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan”, which determined the domestic and foreign policy of the country.

The advent of 2001 in the country is declared the beginning of the "golden age" of the Turkmen people, an era of prosperity in the field of economy and social sphere.

At the same time, according to international human rights organizations, in recent years, Turkmenistan has been among the ten countries in the world with the most cruel dictatorial regimes (along with such countries as the DPRK, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, etc.). In December 1991, at a joint meeting of the Parliament, the Council of Elders and the national movement "Galkynysh", President S. Niyazov received the authority for an indefinite presidency. In his public speeches, he emphasizes that during the transition period in the country it is necessary to maintain strict state regulation of the socio-economic sphere. In his opinion, rapid socio-economic reforms (especially market ones) and democratic transformations will lead to the absolute impoverishment of the population, to chaos in all spheres of public life. According to the president, “no one is allowed to play democracy. First, the laws must work, and democracy will come by itself. Any attempts to push Turkmenistan to untimely radical measures of a socio-economic nature run counter to the national interests of the country, which has chosen its own path of development.”

The opposition has been completely suppressed in the country. Turkmenistan is one of the few countries where the prosecutor's office officially receives 50% of the confiscated property of persons accused of various crimes.

At the same time, there are positive moments in the socio-economic policy of the authorities, stability in society is maintained. There is a desire to prevent the activation of Islamic extremists in the country, and measures are being taken to prevent the penetration of orthodox Islam into Turkmenistan from outside (from Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, etc.). A significant achievement of the president is the low crime rate in the country. According to official data in Turkmenistan, with a population of more than 5 million (2000), only 10.885 crimes were registered, incl. 267 murders, 159 grievous bodily harm, 61 rapes, 3234 thefts, 320 robberies.

In addition, the country has low utility bills. The use of gas and water is free, electricity consumption is almost not paid, significant benefits are provided to the population when buying salt, flour; public transport fares are low (bus, trolleybus) - 2 cents per trip, the cost of an air ticket from Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi (former Krasnovodsk in the Caspian Sea) - about $ 2. A liter of AI-95 gasoline costs about 2 cents, prices for basic foodstuffs are low - lavash, milk, syuzma (national cottage cheese), many vegetables and fruits.

Nevertheless, foreign observers note the consistent and targeted oppression of ethnic minorities, including Russians, the suppression of the rights and freedoms of citizens of the country, detention without trial or investigation in prisons, and the flourishing of corruption in public life and the economy. Drug use is widespread in the country, especially among young people, and unemployment is high. In 2004, Turkmenistan was ranked as one of the worst countries to live in, ranking 150th in the Economic Freedom Index out of 155 countries. North Korea occupies the last place in it.

Economy

About 30% of the economically active population is employed in agriculture, about 40% in industry, and about 30% in the service sector.

The main natural wealth of Turkmenistan is natural gas.

According to official data, the economic growth rate of GDP was: 1999 - 16%, 2000 - 18%, 2001, 2002 - 20%, 2003 - 17%, 2004 - 21%.

Extraction of oil and gas and their subsequent export. For the supply of energy resources, various types of transport are used, the main of which is the gas pipeline "Central Asia - Center", built in the Soviet era. Projects for the construction of gas pipelines to Afghanistan, China, India and other Asian countries are at various stages of development. To transport gas to Europe bypassing the territory of Russia, a main gas pipeline Nabucco.

The leading sector of the economy is the light industry, primarily the textile industry, and the agricultural sector.

Republic of Turkmenistan.

The name of the country comes from the ethnonym of the people - the Turkmen.

Capital of Turkmenistan. Ashgabad.

Turkmenistan Square. 448100 km2.

Population of Turkmenistan. 4603 thousand people

Location of Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan is a state in the Middle. In the north it borders with and, in the east - with Uzbekistan and, in the south - with Afghanistan and. Washed in the west.

Administrative divisions of Turkmenistan. It is divided into 5 velayats (regions), 37 etraps (districts).

Form of government of Turkmenistan. Republic.

Head of State Turkmenistan. President elected for a term of 5 years.

Supreme legislative body of Turkmenistan. Majlis (unicameral parliament), whose term of office is 5 years.

The supreme executive body of Turkmenistan. Government.

Major cities of Turkmenistan. Turkmenbashi, Turkmenabad, Dashkhovuz, Ne-bitdag.

State language of Turkmenistan. Turkmen.

Religion of Turkmenistan. 87% are Muslims, 11% are Orthodox.

Currency of Turkmenistan. Manat = 100 tenesi.

Turkmenistan. Most of the country's territory is occupied by the Karakum desert. The climate is sharply continental, with hot and dry summers and cold winters. The average temperature in January is -4°С, in July - +28°С. ranges from 80 mm per year in the northeast to 300 mm per year in the mountains.

Flora of Turkmenistan. In the mountains, the flora has more than 2000 species, there are also juniper forests. amaze with abundant spring herbs, when poppies, irises, tulips bloom. There are thickets of almonds, wild roses, pistachio woodlands. Tugai forests grow. The vegetation is mostly desert (saxaul, kan-dym and other shrubs).

Fauna of Turkmenistan. The animal world is represented by species characteristic of the area: monitor lizard, cobra, several species of lizards (including geckos), caracal. Turkmenistan is inhabited by 91 species of mammals, among which are rare ones - kulan, snow leopard, leopard, argali, saiga; 372 species of birds. Rivers and lakes. The main river is the Amu Darya. The largest lake is Sarykamysh.

Sights of Turkmenistan. The ruins of the caravanserais of Kyz-Kala and Da-yakhatyn, the mausoleum of Astana-baba, the mausoleum of Abu-Said, the mausoleum of Tekesh, the Talkhatan-baba mosque, the Art Museum. Of the natural attractions, the Bakharden cave with a huge underground lake Kou-Ata is known.

Useful information for tourists

Being the cradle of many cultures and civilizations, the territory of Turkmenistan harbors many unsolved mysteries, and its extremely diverse, desert and semi-desert living communities of the country are of particular interest.

The excellent riders themselves, for centuries, highly valued good horses and considered them their friends. This "passion" has survived to this day, and now horses are one of the main attractions of the country.

Turkmens have many national holidays - in honor of the construction of a house or the birth of a child, in honor of cutting the first hair of a boy, in honor of the first tooth or circumcision holiday, the celebration of the 63rd birthday of a man (“akgoyun”), wedding, hudai-yoly, hunting festival , a holiday when they give a name, and many others. All these ceremonies are very colorful and take place according to centuries-old folk rules, so visiting such an event for a tourist is a great success.

To export carpets from Turkmenistan, it is necessary to obtain a certificate from the Carpet Museum in Ashgabat that the carpet has no historical value. In addition, you will have to pay a tax depending on the size of the carpet.

Sponsor of the post: Blood transfusion to animals - Blood transfusion is carried out in a hospital under the supervision of experienced resuscitators-hemotransfusiologists. Our donors are healthy, vaccinated and comprehensively examined.

Naturally, being a big fan of traveling around the post-Soviet territory, I could not miss such a chance, I took a couple of days of vacation and decided to see what kind of country it was and how ordinary working people live there. Looking ahead, I’ll say right away that this trip just completely blew the thread in my head - I didn’t even expect such a number of surreal impressions. But first things first.

I warn you right away - I am not going to give any assessments and will not talk about politics. As in the case of Georgia, I will only try to show photos and tell what I saw there, and the reader will decide for himself what is really happening there. Of course, I did not look into the "wrong side" of the country, there was no possibility, and what is here is nothing more than a "facade" through the eyes of an outsider. And I immediately apologize for the quality of many photos - I didn’t walk much on foot, and photographed mainly on the go from the car at the highest possible ISO.

The portrait of current President Gurbanguly Melyakkulimovich Berdimuhamedov hangs at the entrance of the Turkmenhavayolar plane. Immediately upon takeoff, they announce that we are flying not just with an airline, but with the Turkmen Airlines named after the Great President Saparmurat Turkmenbashi. Along the way, they are excellently fed with pilaf or kebab, and at this time you are stunned by the view of the endless desert under the wings.

Upon arrival, locals go one way, foreigners go the other. Moreover, all foreigners entering Turkmenistan must pay a fee of 12 dollars. By the way, a "tourist" visa costs $140. Customs is unhurried, but rather calm, unlike in Uzbekistan and Russia.

They also say that from August 1, all visiting foreigners are under surveillance. To be honest, I never noticed him, especially when we went to the desert 250 kilometers from the capital to watch the hellish burning well of Darvaza. In general, everything was extremely friendly and calm.

The first trip around Ashgabat turned out to be at night. And I'll tell you, it's mind blowing. This city and this country are a completely crazy mix of Dubai, desert, scoop, petrodollars, capitalism and Central Asian flavor. After cold Moscow, offices and flights, what is happening around seems like a complete fantasy.

2. The first impression is a city of luminous buildings, fountains and monuments of Turkmenbashi.

4. Same street during the day

5. Turkmenbashi ("father of the Turkmen") is the official title of the country's previous president, Saparmurat Niyazov. Until recently, the main attraction of the city was his golden statue on a huge tripod, which rotated after the sun (or did the sun rotate after it?).

6. All together it was called the "Arch of Neutrality". Turkmenistan is the second country in the world after Switzerland, which declared neutrality the main principle of its foreign policy, and even the central national newspaper is called Neutral Turkmenistan. Turkmenbashi always said that he never liked so many portraits and statues of him, and now the new president began to gently turn this desire into reality. Today, the Arch no longer "fits into the concept of the city's development," and the whole thing is being sorted out. I'm sorry I didn't get to see it. The former tripod is on the right, and on the left is a monument to the terrible earthquake of 1948, which completely destroyed the city.

7. The bull symbolizes the strength of the earth, the people on the ball on the left are the victims of the earthquake, and the small child is Turkmenbashi, who fell under this earthquake as a child and lost his mother and two brothers in it. He remained a complete orphan, since his father had died earlier during the war in the Caucasus in 1943.

8. In addition to the "three-legged", there is also the "octopus" - no less monumental monument of Independence, which is depicted on all the money.

9. And here is the monument to "Rukhname" - the holy book written by Turkmenbashi.

10. Every Turkmen learns Rukhnama from school and must know it by heart. It describes the history of the Turkmens, the biography of the Great President, as well as the main commandments and moral principles. Now this entire square is under reconstruction and behind a fence, but earlier, at a certain hour, the book was opened, and the pages of the great history of Turkmenistan came to life with the help of modern multimedia technologies. As a digression, here is one of the expositions of the National Museum, which is worthy of a separate story. The map shows the countries into whose languages ​​the Ruhnama was translated.

11. In continuation of the “night” photos, this is a fountain dedicated to Oguz Khan, the “father” of all Turkmens, according to the same Ruhnama.

12. It is alleged that in terms of area this fountain complex is the largest in the world.

13. Around Oguz - six of his sons, who became the ancestors of the main clans, which later dispersed throughout the territory of modern Eurasia (including north to the Urals and Volga).

14. An interesting detail on the hand of one of the sons.

15. In fact, the eagle on the Turkmen coat of arms is not two-headed, but five-headed, that is, even wiser than its Russian counterpart.

16. To be even more precise, this is not a coat of arms, but a presidential symbol, and the heads are five vilayats (regions) into which Turkmenistan is divided. The coat of arms also depicts the Akhal-Teke stallion, which is now being replaced by portraits of Turkmenbashi on the facades of state institutions.

17. But still, there are a lot of monuments, portraits and bas-reliefs of Turkmenbashi - people remember his good deeds and sacredly honor his memory.

18. Police Academy...

19. Olympic Complex...

20. Ministry of Health...

21. Drama theater...

22. Just a monument...

23. Even the city of Krasnovodsk is now called Turkmenbashi.

24. Bas-reliefs and monuments are mostly standing, but the portraits of the old president are gradually being replaced by a new one.

25. New Medical Institute (the current president is a doctor by education and former profession).

27. The previous Turkmenbashi at one time decided that having hospitals throughout the country was an unaffordable luxury, and closed hospitals everywhere except the capital - if people need treatment, they will come to Ashgabat, at the same time and look at all the splendor. Well, transport development is also an incentive. At the same time, it cannot be said that Turkmenbashi did not care about the health of the nation - he built the so-called “health path” - a 20-kilometer trekking route along the ridges of the Kopetdag, which every Turkmen must regularly pass in order to stay healthy. The road is illuminated even at night. I will tell you about how we walked along it separately. In general, there were many innovations under him - for example, all months of the year were renamed: January became "Turkmenbashi", some months were named after his mother, father, etc. It was also forbidden to have gold teeth, as it is not worthwhile to flaunt one's wealth, and, in general, one must live modestly. A unique shot - the old president looks at the new one.

28. Screens in the central squares tell about the achievements of the Turkmen neutral state.

29. They are echoed by patriotic posters

31. Traffic lights and lanterns are also ornamented. Moreover, the traffic lights are LED and with a countdown timer.

32. GAI officers stand at EVERY intersection of the city and drive brand new Mercedes.

33. A lot of people in uniform. Serving in the army or law enforcement agencies is prestigious. After 10 o'clock there are almost no cars. This is what the suburban highway looks like at this time.

34. So - city center

35. And so - the city center during the day.

36. The fences on the sides are a reconstruction or construction site, in which almost the entire city is located one way or another.

37. Surprised that there are not so many people on the streets. For example, in the same Tashkent is much more crowded. Either everyone works, or they prefer to sit at home in the heat, or they move by car. Basically, schoolchildren, students, military men and middle-aged women walk the streets.

38. One of the three "gates" of the city (it seems to be the western one).

39. In the middle is another golden statue.

40. But the "northern" gate. Same with the profile.

41. In general, the volume of construction is simply amazing. The whole city is in new buildings, lined with marble, all of them are beautifully lit.

42. Moreover, all the marble is imported, there is no one of our own.

43. Ordinary street. All houses are residential.

45. National Library

46. ​​The Ministry of Oil and Gas Industry, popularly referred to as the "lighter".

47. It is the third from the right.

48. And employees of this ministry live in this complex of buildings.

49. Also a complex of residential buildings. Ceilings 4 meters.

50. Local "Leaning Tower of Pisa" (also some kind of ministry).

51. Puppet theater.

53. For the leap that the country has made over the past 15 years thanks to oil, gas and the wise leadership of Turkmenbashi, the 21st century is called the “Golden Age of Turkmenistan”. This "Altyn Yasyr" is now everywhere - on posters, signs, banknotes. The largest flagpole in the world, which hangs the largest flag in the world (confirmed in the Guinness Book of Records).

54. There is also the largest carpet in the world and the largest dome of the mosque in the world, which will also be discussed in the following stories. "Soviet" area. Painfully familiar panels.

55. Old quarters with the private sector are being demolished and new ones are being built - in a single urban planning concept.

56. It is interesting that all students wear school uniforms - schoolgirls are green, students are blue. There must be a skullcap and pigtails. If there are no braids, then skullcaps with fake ones are sold.

57. A lot of people are busy in restoring order and cleanliness - at almost every traffic light someone is cutting, watering or sweeping something. Everything is in business.

58. Because of the all-penetrating dust, women are wrapped in scarves, for which they are popularly called "ninjas".

59. I was very pleased that, according to the law, smoking is completely prohibited on the streets of Ashgabat. If Sobyanin does the same in Moscow, I agree to the installation of a golden monument to him by Zurab Tsereteli with fountains. Something like this.

60. Turkmens seemed to me to be generally friendly and hospitable people. For the whole trip for two, we only spent $35 for admission to the National Museum and filming there - and that only because we fought off the escorts for a while and went there on our own. In all other cases, you are almost beaten on the hands when you try to pay in a restaurant or in a market - you are a guest, and in the East this is one of the most respected varieties of Homo Sapiens. There is no discrimination or hostility towards Russian-speaking tourists - everyone willingly speaks Russian, everyone is fluent in it. As for the Russian-speaking people living there, I honestly don’t know, there was no opportunity to communicate. Everyone is talking, including about the abolition of dual citizenship, but airport employees with Russian names and surnames on their badges came across. The city is completely safe, crime is zero, cars are not closed, even the executive class. At night, unlike the same Tashkent, you can walk quite calmly. Where cars pose a greater danger - they don’t slow down before crossings, they can calmly crush them. And the people don’t even bother - everyone moves where they want.

61. In general, the people are friendly and hospitable. No extremism, fanaticism or aggression. The state is secular, there are only about 5 mosques in Ashgabat, the people are not particularly religious, and even more so there is no question of any fundamentalism. Everything is under control, everything is calm.

62. Still amazing - there are absolutely no beggars, vagrants and other asocial elements in the city. In the same Uzbek cities of the “Silk Road” (Khiva, Bukhara,) or Cambodia, you are attacked by crowds of children and beggars. Immediately, all people are provided with food, gas, gasoline and a roof over their heads. Lenin monument. Naturally, also with fountains.

63. Interestingly, it was built at the dawn of Soviet power, during the struggle of Comrade Sukhov with the Basmachi.

64. Pushkin is also held in high esteem - there is a street named after him, a theater, a Russian school, as well as a monument from the tsarist era.67. Soldiers on the edges - one to one as in the Treptow Park in Berlin.

70. Oriental flavor

71. Nothing is forbidden, the Internet is also completely accessible. All people can safely go abroad, they regularly fly to Dubai for vacation and for cars and goods. There would be money. There is no tension with food either. Weddings are arranged for 400-600 people, tables are breaking. Although we tried to fight off a huge number of all kinds of Central Asian satiety, we still ate to satiety every day, giving ourselves a vow that in the morning we become strict vegetarians. When you cut tomatoes, the smell is distributed throughout the room, and peaches just melt in your mouth. In short, nonsense. I especially liked the chebureks...

74. A real oasis in the middle of a bare desert.

Turkmenistan is a country that in the 90s of the XX century, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, went through a rather difficult path. At first there were destructions, then there was a period of gradual formation. Turkmenistan, whose standard of living still wished for the best, began to develop steadily. The people played an important role in this process. One of the first republics adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty. In 1995 given state became neutral.

Complicated development process

The first decade of the independent existence of Turkmenistan passed in complex processes of destruction of the way of life that existed before this period.

All these negative phenomena were accompanied by a lack of economic development accompanied by the plundering of industrial enterprises, defense facilities and the energy complex. Life in Turkmenistan during this period was further complicated by the redistribution of power and property, accompanied by bloody and fratricidal events.

Factors contributing to economic development

Turkmenistan, whose standard of living has risen significantly thanks to the perseverance and hard work of the people, was able to stop the destructive processes in the economy.

Turkmenistan is a luxuriously gifted place. Its main features are sunny and warm climate, gas and oil fields. The country is characterized by a closed type of economy, expressed in the fact that they are involved only in complex deposits. It should be noted that Turkmenistan is a geographically closed space, has no access to the sea, and is surrounded by states in which the political situation often makes it difficult to expand gas pipelines. And, of course, talented people, politically conservative in the oriental way, but

These factors contributed to the economic recovery of the country, namely:

• the modern agricultural sector can bring annually about two million tons of wheat and the same amount of cotton;
• equipping the processing industry with new plants for processing raw cotton or sugar beets;
• new factories for jeans and cotton fabrics appeared in the light industry;
• lubricating oils and high-octane gasoline are produced from Turkmen oil at modern facilities;
• Thanks to the annual supply of natural gas and oil by the extractive industry, Turkmenistan's need for energy materials is fully covered.

Turkmenistan through the eyes of a foreigner

A person who has been absent from the country for some time is struck by almost everything in Turkmenistan. Thus, the landscape, architecture and infrastructure of both the country as a whole and its individual cities are changing with great speed. There is a fabulous speed in the construction of new high-rise buildings, swimming pools, hospitals, highways, concert halls, tennis courts, business centers, hotels, stadiums, as well as the most beautiful Ashgabat airport made of marble and glass.

Economy of Turkmenistan

Modern Turkmenistan, whose standard of living has improved significantly, is characterized by political calm and stability.

The high rate of economic development contributes to the creation of a warm investment climate. As a result, investments in the development of Turkmenistan by world construction companies.

The economy of Turkmenistan is successfully developing thanks to the significant investments of foreign investors in the energy and mining industries.

In a fairly short period, this country has turned from raw material base in a rapidly developing country. The modern economy of Turkmenistan confirms its independence. impresses with its calmness on the streets and beneficial external changes.

Today, Turkmenistan (the standard of living of the people) ranks first among the CIS. The population has the opportunity to use natural resources free of charge: salt, gas, water and light. Air communication between the cities of Turkmenistan is well developed.

Main macroeconomic indicators

The International Monetary Fund predicts a decline in GDP growth to 9% in 2015 (this information is posted on the official website of the IMF).

As stated in this press release, 2014 for Turkmenistan was marked by GDP growth of 10.3%. At the same time, the state economy remained quite resistant to various shocks in the regional market. Such a life in Turkmenistan has become possible thanks to the active export of hydrocarbon resources and public investment.

The expected decline in GDP this year, according to the IMF, will be due to a decrease in the level of revenues from the export of natural gas, as well as a decrease in public investment in relation to GDP.

Despite the recent depreciation of the national currency, the expected inflation at the end of the year will be about 6.5% (Turkmenistan's average is 7.5%). This situation will become possible due to the subsequent fall in food prices in the world and the appreciation of the dollar.

Life in Turkmenistan for other nationalities

The 2003 census showed that Turkmens make up only 85% of the total population of the state, the remaining 15% are representatives of other nationalities.

Let's take a closer look at the life of Russians in Turkmenistan. So, all in the same 2003, an agreement was signed between Moscow and Ashgabat, according to which Gazprom began to purchase natural gas from Turkmenneftegaz until 2028. However, the same year is significant for Turkmenistan by the termination of the 1993 Agreement, according to which this state unilaterally terminated the possibility of having dual citizenship. Despite this fact, Russian embassy still issued Russian passports even later in 2003, explaining this by the lack of ratification of this protocol by the Russian parliament.

In 2013, the situation worsened somewhat, as under the pretext of changing old-style international passports to a new one, the authorities of Turkmenistan offered the "twins" to renounce citizenship other than Turkmen. This problem has not been solved to this day.

Standard of living in Turkmenistan today

The standard of modern life in the state under consideration has increased significantly in recent years, and this is confirmed by the analysis of this indicator on the example of the capital - Ashgabat.

Thus, the answer to the question “Is it easy to live in Turkmenistan?” serves as an increase in the number of foreign cars on the roads, as well as expensive mobile phones among residents.

For ordinary people, such arguments may seem a little naive. However, economists can confidently say that an improvement in the well-being of the population of any state can only take place with an increase in GDP, an increase in per capita income. At the same time, an ordinary person only focuses on the prices of products that are on store shelves. Based on these components, we can say that the average standard of living of the population in Turkmenistan has become higher.

Priorities in development

To further improve the standard of living in Turkmenistan, strong social guarantees for the population should be provided, which are the basis for the development of economic activity, as well as forms of ownership. The reform of the banking, credit and financial system of the state must continue, the most favorable conditions have been created for the protection of the population as well.

The first decade of the 21st century, in order to ensure the socio-economic development of the country, is due to the need to refine legislation, as well as to develop completely new approaches to regulating economic relations in the legal field. Therefore, legislative activity should be carried out in the following directions.

Improving the regulatory framework

This is the first direction that should strengthen and develop the market economy. One of the main areas of improvement of the economic block was the development of new legislation, which defines the legal basis for the implementation of commercial (entrepreneurial) activities. This circumstance is the need for subsequent legal regulation of the processes of creation and operation of business entities. Enterprises occupy an important place among them.

Legislation of tax, monetary and budgetary spheres

This is the second direction of improving the regulatory framework. The modern legal framework is distinguished by a certain solidity, and also regulates relations in the financial system of the entire state. The main attention in this process should be given to increasing the efficiency of the state budget as a macroeconomic mechanism for managing the entire economy of the country.

The success of the budget policy directly depends on the tax system of the state. Main principle legislative work - codification of the entire tax regulatory framework that Turkmenistan has today. Scientific life in this can significantly improve the general state of legislation. So, based on a systematic study of various taxes and fees, as well as methods and forms of ensuring their payment to the budget, a unified system for the formation, collection and approval of all mandatory payments should be developed and legally fixed.

Regulation of the activities of certain sectors of the economy

This direction is the third most important and should contribute to the legal regulation of activities carried out in some industries that occupy one of the key places in the entire economic structure of Turkmenistan.

Thanks to the socio-economic reforms and transformations carried out, intensive development will be achieved in such agro-industrial, fuel and energy and construction complexes. In this case, we must not forget about the textile industry, the construction industry, transport and communications.

Summing up the above material, it should be noted that Turkmenistan was able to overcome the difficulties that arose after the collapse of the Union, and not only overcome the crisis, but also take the path of economic development.