Turkmenia surprises: Arkadag will be instead of Turkmenbashi!

Not for long Turkmenia lived without the head noted by a special title. After the death of Turkmenbashi as the first president of republic Saparmurat Niyazov was called, his successor Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has worked simply as the president, but as it became known, he will receive a new title in the near future. Such title as it wasn’t up to now… Berdymukhamedov will be called as “Arkadag” that means “patron”.

The Sanhedrim of Turkmenia which gathers once a year and makes decisions on the most different questions which, truth, have consultative character, has acted with such offer. It is necessary to say that would be no sensation - after all the title “Arkadag” is already used in the country widely enough. For example, the girls in jumpsuits represented an inscription of “Arkadag” during the parade of last year, then the participants of solemn action have sung a song “We thank you, O Patron!” And it was still informed that the new grade of the melon is breed in Turkmenia which has got the name “Arkadag” …

In general, it is necessary to get used to all. But it won't make a lot effort, after all the republic has already passed it at Saparmurat Niyazov. Only the names are changing. So there was “Golden Age” earlier and now “The epoch of great revival” has come up to its place. But the essence remains the former … In order to be convinced in it, it is enough to be curious, whom became and what has been awarded Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov for not so long the period of the presidency.

Let's begin with degrees of scientists. The president of Turkmenia is the doctor, he has graduated from dental faculty. He worked according to his specialty and then in health-care system of republic. So it is not surprising that the expert commission of medical sciences of the High council of science and technology has appropriated a scientific degree of the doctor of medical sciences and a rank of the professor on a specialty “Social hygiene and the public health organization" to the president. The president has made special mention of “long-term scientific and practical activities in the field of public health care”. Then Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has been awarded by one more scientific degree. He became the Doctor of Economics “on set of fundamental scientific works” and “for practical activities on a post of the head of state, the increase of well-being of the Turkmen people”.
And soon the president became also the academician. Here there was such story: Saparmurat Niyazov has simply cancelled the Academy of Sciences because of lack of need … The new president of Turkmenia has revived the Academy at once; and institution of doctoral candidacy and graduate course at the same time. That is why he has been solemnly elected as the academician of Academy of Sciences of Turkmenia.

Soon the award has appeared in time, so to say, in the embodied kind. Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has received an award “For outstanding merits in informatiology” from the International Academy of Information. As it has been officially declared: for “considerable progress in reforming of science and education and introduction of information technology”. The is the logic in it: the citizens of Turkmenia could only dream of the Internet at Niyazov and now the Internet cafés began to appear in the capital…


Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has received also a new military rank. He became the general of army. It is necessary to notice that only three persons had such rank in republic: certainly Turkmenbashi and also two Ministers of Defence of republic – the former and present.

It is clear with a rank, but how the president of Turkmenia has received the sixth dan of the black belt on karate is a big riddle. The head of the World Karate Federation Antonio Espinosa has sent the letter to Berdymukhamedov in which has informed that the World Federation awards him for the contribution of the development of this sport in republic …

The president has much made for four years of the governing. Therefore it is not surprising that the numerous appeals have appeared both of simple citizens and labor collectives with the offer to appropriate to the president a rank of the Hero of Turkmenistan. As Saparmurat Niyazov has surpassed even Leonid Brezhnev and became the sixfold Hero of Turkmenistan. Besides, a rank of the Hero was posthumously appropriated also to his parents...

But to surprise of many people, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has declared at a meeting with elders in one of the regions, “I am still young and ready to work a little more that you could give me so an appreciation then”.

But the second president of Turkmenia has an award which his predecessor didn’t have. And he couldn't have, as it was instituted exactly by 50-year-old anniversary of Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. The award “Native land” will be given only to the president of Turkmenia for especially outstanding merits. And it is impossible to receive this award more than once during a term of appointment. And together with this award the president of republic receives 20 000 dollars; and plus, the monthly surcharge to a salary at a rate of 30 percent is made which is released from income tax.

How the dream of collectors looks? The award represents a chain of 22 links in the form of octagonal stars of yellow and white gold which are covered with diamonds along the edges. The pendant, combinable to a chain, is with diamonds too. The gross weight of the award “Native land” makes 925 grams and 55 carat of diamonds in it.
Also the president of Turkmenia has own museum. It has been opened, as usual, to the birthday of Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. The members of the government, representatives of parliament and public organizations became the first visitors.

What is possible to look in this museum? Now there are ten sections in an exposition; among them: “State for the person”, "Age of Renaissance and great changes”, “Celebration of national democracy”, “Bases of political system”, “National tourism and sports”. The white felt mat, a special cloth for storage of bread and a quiver are transferred to a museum, which were used during ceremony of the introduction of the president in a post. The numerous gifts from visitors of Turkmenia are stored here, the books, both written about Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and his own compositions.

And last year the ode has been created in honor of the president of Turkmenia. The national writer of republic Gozel Shagulyeva has written it. This work of a rare genre, printed in the main newspaper of the country “Neutral Turkmenistan” is called as: “Song of pleasure in honor of assignment of a high rank “Person of the year-2010” to dear President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov”. By the way, the rank has been appropriated to Berdymukhamedov by the Institute of the international relations and economic cooperation of … Romania.
As actually to ode, so the representation about it can be received from this fragment:

“...All the care is about the person,
These days are blessed forever.
Conducting him to unprecedented heights,
O Sky, you save him always!
He goes the life, selected be the road,
And present the warm to heart of the world.
Give the new forces to him, I ask God
And strengthen the golden oar”.

What's next? For certain, there will be many interesting things in the life of Arkadag. And, seemingly, that we can even foresee something! It is necessary to follow attentively only what “the oldest academician”, the member of that Sanhedrim and the former chairman of Turkmen electoral committee Murad Karryev speaks. Namely he suggested to elect the president as the academician and to appropriate a rank of the Hero to him. And he was the first too who has started talking about Arkadag …