Funeral team for the dictator

Why did the Internet believe in the death of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov

On the afternoon of July 21, information about the death of the second president of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Myalikolievich Berdymuhamedov began to spread in Russian-speaking media and telegram channels. The link in all the media was a single political scientist who had not been engaged in Turkmenistan at all before, but many believed immediately and immediately began to build versions: Berdimuhamedov could not die from “renal failure”, there was poisoning. The previous president Saparmurat Niyazov also died suddenly - which means that we see the format of the transfer of power in a super -covered country.

Then the Turkmenistan Embassy in Russia gave an official refutation (although it is possible to believe them, given the regime, what they represent, with the same skepticism as this political scientist), and the main source of information made an official apology. Berdimuhamedov, according to the information of the journalists who more or less knowing the situation, is in Germany, since there is a mother in a difficult condition in his clinic.

The health of Arkadag himself (this is his official status of the president, the “patron” is translated, so as not to confuse the Turkmenbashi with the “father of all Turkmen”) is also naughty: they say they recently transplanted the kidney. But still, such a simple, trivial death in the age of 61 is not at all what is being knitted with the image that Berdimuhamedov draws official Turkmen propaganda.

And this image is large. Berdimuhamedov - writer, singer, rider, gunner from the gun in the position sitting on a bicycle, racer, bar, the author of the anthem of Asian games, the patron saint of kittens and generally Turkmens.

In a country where before that for many years a person who replaced the name of months with the names of relatives ruled, it is difficult to surpass the level of a personality cult, but the personal dentist Niyazov Berdimuhamedov tried very much. All this looks comical - but it is from Moscow or even from Minsk, and in Turkmenistan, where people do not see anything and anyone else in the media, many people seriously think that everything is just like that. Sur APPRIAMENT President: in the breaks between writing books about the healing strength of tea and horses, he saves his native country from enemies from the outside. Turkmenistan, by the way, has officially neutrality - like Switzerland.

But Ashgabat is, of course, not Bern, but our Pyongyang: there is even a joke that a terrible punishment awaits the most terrible criminals in North Korea - a link to Turkmenistan. This is possibly an exaggeration, but not very strong: with North Korea they are at least trying to conduct a dialogue, and Turkmenistan seems to exist on a separate planet. From flamethrowers, officials are not burned there (but this is inaccurately), but from this constant behind the watch, where his own book donated by the president is accepted to kiss, because it is higher than the Qur'an or bread, there is simply no way out.

The country of chic and necessarily white buildings (the black color of Berdimuhamedov does not like very much) and at the same time the acute deficiency of products, drugs and even forms for these drugs.

The showcase, which is in every sense crooked mirror: both the personal show of Gurbanguly Vaganovich Petrosyan, and the lens for the distorted perception of the reality of all five million people inside. Day after day, a simple resident of some Köneurgench is drowning in this total lies as in the unsteady sands of Karakum, about which the Soviet hlying Berdymuhamedov so fervently quoted.

But life in this microcosm at Berdimuhamedov only proceeds in appearance on a “relaxation”. The palace intrigues in the country where everyone is lying to everyone is heated to the limit, but you yourself never understand who to be afraid of and whom to bring closer to yourself. Berdimuhamedov himself came to power: when Saparmurat Niyazov died, Arkadag took advantage of the general confusion and with the participation of the special services declared himself the heir to Turkmenistan, and then the same special services first of all. Now the situation is even worse: protecting power is always more difficult than conquering it. When health begins to fail, you also need to transfer your powers to someone. Transit of power, be it wrong.

Berdymukhamedov has a son of Serdar, who is clearly considered for the role of a successor: on television he is called the “son of the people”, and this year a 37-year-old colonel, an employee of the Foreign Ministry, a technologist, doctor of technical sciences and chief specialist of the Pyvobesalcol and wine industry of the Association of Food Industry of Turkmenistan also became a hackmark (governor) of the most important Akhal Vlayat, that is, the Ashgabat region.

The son will probably be on his side in the event of an attempt by the palace coup, but this cannot be sure of this: at one time, Berdimuhamedov Sr. was called the illegitimate son of Niyazov (they are really very similar) and, they say, could contribute to accelerating the replacement of Turkmenbashi with a loved one. History has the property of repeating, and in a country such as Turkmenistan, you can never know exactly at what point the spiral will go to a new round.

This is the greatest pain of the Dictator President: no one can believe.

You and your relatives cannot even get sick in your country, because, even at a discount on the lack of drugs, the road to the hospital can always be the way to the finish line

(and for some reason their own recipes for tea do not help). People clap your shooting from a rifle on targets falling to a shot, but behind your backs they secretly hope that you will die faster. Berdimuhamedov could already feel this to himself in full when in 2013 during the races fell from the horse at full speed, now he has to live these feelings again.

One can be consoled by one: although the next ruler of Turkmenistan will surely have a hand in ensuring that Arkadag will quickly leave his post to eternity, he will be archracling to find such a region of human being, in which Berdimuhamedov would no longer become a pioneer.