Turkmenistan leader idolizes dog with gold statue
The longstanding authoritarian leader of Turkmenistan, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, is facing controversy after revealing a gold-gilded statue of a dog in the center of the capital, Ashgabat. The gold-gilded statue depicts an Alabai, a Turk-bred variety of the shepherd dog originating from Central Asia, which serves as a symbol of national pride.
The reclusive, authoritarian leader hosted a ceremony for the unveiling of the statue with traditional dancers, a balloon release, and a small boy holding a live version of the Alabai puppy. President Berdymukhamedov has a personal history for the dog that serves as a cultural symbol including gifting an Alabai puppy to Putin in 2017 for the Russian leader’s birthday and wrote a poem for in his personal book.
Turkmenistan ruler unveils massive statue of his favourite dog pic.twitter.com/WlcunHp8dq
— The Independent (@Independent) November 12, 2020
This statue is one of many projects by President Berdymukhamedov since rising to power after the death of his predecessor Saparmurat Niyazov in 2006. President Berdymukhamedov is on a building spree to renew the capital including white marble buildings, golden domes on buildings, and giant statues. Berdymukhamedov has also ventured into more ambitious projects including creating an airport shaped like a bird costing $2.3 billion.
Despite these multi-billion dollar projects to renovate the capital of this isolated nation, the population of Turkmenistan is facing food shortages and hyperinflation. The population of Turkmenistan is calling out to the government for essential resources with little to no response on the issue.
The government has failed to respond to the economic fallout from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and has strained even more food resources for the nation. The food shortage of this nation is widely due to poor harvests that result in the subsidizing and shortage of food.
Turkmenistan erects giant gilded dog monument. Dogs and horses are sources of national pride in the isolated desert nation, where they are widely used by the many traditional herders among the population of six million https://t.co/rnsOQgg9ti pic.twitter.com/eJgphVJhMe
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 12, 2020
Locals report that they have to wait hours in line for subsidized food that costs 70% to 80% of an average income and the pandemic has put a majority of the population out of work. Nearly 60% to 70% of the Turkmenistan eligible workforce is either underemployed or unemployed.
With countless cries of the people, it seems the Turkmenistan government is more concerned with maintaining an image of economic success through building rather than helping the starving population.
