“Holy “Ruhnama” or history of one book

The sensation struck up in Turkmenia: graduation examination in book “Ruhnama” was abolished in general education schools of country. If anybody doesn’t know, so this book was written by Turkmenbashi, that is the first president of state and earlier first secretary of republican Central Committee of communist party Saparmurat Niyazov.

Information science will be exam instead of test of book “Ruhnama” knowledge as was announced in ministry of education. It is quite understandable that this new cause varied reaction because people got accustomed to book which was called “holy”.
Many pupils prepared themselves to pass exam in “Ruhnama” quite thoroughly because they were going to continue education in higher institutions. Here there are typical advertisements about enrolment in higher institutions and secondary education special institutions published in newspaper “Neutral Turkmenistan” (2009 year).
“TURKMEN STATE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT. Entrance examination on all directions of preparation are carried out in mathematics, history of Turkme-nistan, Holy Ruhnama”.
“TURKMENABAD MEDICAL COLLEGE. Entrance examination on all specialties are carried out in chemistry, biology, Holy Ruhnama”.
And here are the news of past year. Young people who wanted to enter in Russian education institutions were asked to pass exam in “Holy Ruhnama” in obligatory order together with texts on profile subjects. Let’s assume that you are interesting in specialty “Chemical technology of heat-resistant nonmetallic and silicate materials” – pass exams in chemistry, mathematics and Holy Ruhnama. Specialty “Technical maintenance and repair of automobile transport” makes university entrant to pass exams in physics, mathematics and Holy Ruhnama.
But one could foresee decision of authorities: authorities carried out action on withdrawal of Turkmenbashi books in all institutions and enterprises of state in autumn 2009, volume of book teaching reduced slow but sure. Step by step volume of “Ruhnama” teaching reduced to one hour a week and now gone to null. Corners of “Ruhnama” closed in spite of it “existed in every office, in every school, in every hospital, in every kindergarten. In one word everywhere people worked, studied, rested, received treatment”…
It is hard to get accustomed at once to disappearance from life of things seemed inviolable: “Ruhnama” is withdrawn from life. But how is it possible to withdraw it from souls, especially young? How to say to young people who were educated on this book that it is no more holy? How to force child memory to throw away from itself known by heart large parts, pages, whole chapters of this book being useless now?”
This is one sample: competition is carrying out for status “best medical nurse”. It was necessary to demonstrate professional skills, but also creative abilities – to sing, to dance, to declaim… One participant of competition – recent graduate of medical college – declaimed passage from “Ruhnama” devoted to Turkmenbashi’s mother. As it is reported, girl read text with quite great talent. She took first place finally. But the most interesting took part later – competition organizers received punishment by full program because they admitted reading from stage Turkmenbashi’s book and gave first place to participant of competition who read book on stage…
But such event couldn’t happen simply not long ago. It is said in Russia that Pushkin is everything emphasizing the importance of great poet creative work for our culture, but as for Turkmenia “Ruhnama” was everything generally! Let us remember…
In times of Niyazov died in 2006 all citizens of state were obliged to read “Ruhnama” containing code of mores. Clerks were obliged to pass exams in knowledge of “Ruhnama”. Month September was renamed in honour of “Ruhnama”, but day 12 September was declared as national holiday.
“Ruhnama” means “Book of the soul” in translation. It’s first part was published in 2001. It is collection of lessons, debates and historical digressions. The work which every Turkmen might know began with words:
“My lovely people!
My native Turkmen nation!
Hour of Ruhnama had belled!
In my heart was born book by will of Almighty and the Most Merciful Allah who created all this world, which was dictated by spirit of nation, it’s moral understanding and historical immorta¬lity”.

Five chapters are going further: “Turkmen”, “Way of Turkmen”, “Origins of Turkmen nation”, “Statehood of Turkmens” and “Spiritual world of Turkmens”. It became clear that Turkmen nation was created by Allah five thousand years ago, and the first Turkmen was Oguz-han. Turkmens, provided to be created whole 70 states… And Golden century waits them forward!

As a matter of fact, here one can read about “Ruhnama”:

““Ruhnama” is formed in unified row system of world-viewing conceptions coming in national self-consciousness of Turkmens by own essence”
Ruhnama is main book of Turkmen nation, guide-book.

Do you know that Turkmens made first cart on the Earth?

Turkmens began to melt ore first of all

Turkmen’s wheel not only changed life of army and state, but turned march of history, gave acceleration for world science development.

Turkmens made great deposit in formation of life on Earth, world science and production development which scales are subject to study in next years”.

It is understandable that one must know such global things. That is why “Ruhnama” was studied in schools and higher institutions of Turkmenia as separate subject. Moreover knowledge of book written by Turkmenbashi was recognizeв necessary for professional attestation in organiza¬tions and institutions. It is known that minister of communications Akmuradov generally demanded to carry out exams for every workers of branch without exception in “Ruhnama” knowledge every decade of month. And he ordered to shoot by video camera exams process for certain…

Turkmenbashi published second volume of “Ruhnama” in 2004. The speech in it was “about ethics of behavior in family, love, traditions of good-neighborliness and brotherhood”. But Parliament declared in state Year of “Ruhnama” on 12 September 2005. Among other things, day of Ruhnama is state holiday. September was renamed in “Ruhnama” plus to above-mentioned, and Saturday was renamed in special “spiritual day” when it is necessary to study this creation.

It was made monument to this book: it is accurate copy of book. It’s cover opens when it becomes dark in square where monument is installed, and first page becomes display for documentary film… In general, this creation has interesting destiny. For example, in 2005 rocket-carrier RS-20 “Dnieper” was launched from cosmodrome Baikonur which brought to space flag of Turkmenia and “literary work of president of this state Saparmurat Niyazov “Ruhnama”. Author of book which is to be known for every Turkmen decided that it is necessary also to create university named after “Ruhnama” where students must study humanitarian and natural sciences paying special attention to literature.

Turkmenbashi considered himself also writer. He created “Ruhnama” and had written collection of lyrics named “My dear” (number of printed copies – 100000 copies). He is author of five books including – “Five ages of Turkmen nation spirituality” and “Be blessed Turkmen nation”.

“Ruhnama” went to international level too. Everything is simple: need profitable contract – work, so to say, for cultural exchange. Quite informed German magazine “Das Spiegel” said in one of publications supposition that it is insistently recommended for foreign firms working in Turkmenia to translate “Ruhnama” into their language. So, chief of company DaimlerChrysler negotiate seven year contract for supply of cargo automobile to Turkmenia published German edition of Turkmenbashi’s creation which was translated for account of company. Presentation of “Ruhnama” in Chinese took place in National University of Chine in frames of Saparmurat Niyazov visit to China when China and Turkmenia signed general agreement about construction of gas pipeline and suppliers of turkmen gas to China… In result book was published in 30 world languages including Turkish, Japanese, Persian and Zulu. It appeared the variant of audio book and edition with special print for blind.

Turkmenbashi didn’t write books only – he was famous by many things: for example, he banned opera, ballet, variety and circus, banned for television anchormen to use make-up and even to paint hairs, banned lip-synching of songs and false golden teeth. He also banned to use Inter¬net… But creator of “Ruhnama” didn’t ban only – he created also. There are two samples of his works only: Turkmenbashi made arrangements to create in desert Zoo for… penguins and ordered to make the biggest shoe in the world to illustrate seven-mile steps of Turkmenia way to progress.

The second president of Turkmenia Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov continued tradition of his predecessor. “Scientific basics of health care system of Turkmenia development” and “Turkme¬nia is state of healthy and high-spiritual people” appeared from the beginning. Presentation of his new book “Horses of Akhaltekin breed are our pride and glory” devoted to famous breed of fast horses took part in Autumn of 2008. This book was followed by two volumes of selected works under name “To new heights of progress”. First volume of new creation by president of Turkme¬nia “Medicinal plants of Turkmenistan” was published in three languages – Turkmenian, Russian and English in 2009.

That is, Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov writes about quite concrete things. Pragmatic approach is quite obvious, and knowledge of information science is more useful than reading of two-volume “Ruhnama”. Moreover second president doesn’t promise in difference of first president of Turk¬menia that reading of his books will lead directly to…paradise! It is not joke at all: according to his words Turkmenbashi asked Allah about this. This is corresponding citation: “When I finished writing the first and second books of “Ruhnama”, I asked Allah that those who could read this book three times at home, aloud, hour in sunrise, hour in evening – he could enter paradise immedia¬tely”.

Thus inhabitants of Turkmenia have choice now: either paradise promised by dead president or meeting with whole world.