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Biography & Personal Stories
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The President Who Closed Hospitals Because 'The Sick Can Travel' and Banned Beards, Dogs, and Books
Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmenistan's first President for Life, created a bizarre dictatorship. He closed all hospitals and libraries outside the capital, banned dogs and beards from the city, and forced citizens to read his own book, the Ruhnama, for everything from school to driving tests.
In the annals of modern dictators, few figures are as eccentric and absolute as Saparmurat Niyazov, the first president of Turkmenistan. Styling himself “Türkmenbaşy” (Leader of all Turkmens), he ruled the gas-rich Central Asian nation from its independence in 1991 until his death in 2006, leaving behind a legacy of bizarre decrees that reshaped every facet of Turkmen life.
The Cult of Türkmenbaşy
Upon taking power, Niyazov constructed an all-encompassing cult of personality. He renamed the month of January after himself and April after his mother. A golden statue of him, which rotated to always face the sun, was erected in the capital, Ashgabat. But his influence went far beyond statues and calendar changes; it reached into the very fabric of society, dictating public health, education, and even personal appearance.
A Prescription for Disaster: Closing Hospitals
In one of his most infamous moves, Niyazov decided that healthcare outside the capital was unnecessary. In 2005, he ordered the closure of all hospitals in areas outside Ashgabat, along with the dismissal of 15,000 medical workers. His reasoning was alarmingly simple:
Why do we need such hospitals? If people are ill, they can come to Ashgabat.
This single decree left millions in rural areas without access to basic medical care, forcing the sick to undertake arduous journeys to the capital for any significant treatment. The highly skilled medical staff he fired were reportedly replaced with undertrained military conscripts, devastating the country's healthcare system for years to come.
Closing the Book on Libraries
Niyazov's vision for an uneducated populace didn't stop with healthcare. He also targeted libraries, ordering the closure of all rural reading rooms. His justification was as dismissive as his healthcare policy. He declared that rural Turkmens did not read anyway. In his view, there were only two books a Turkmen citizen ever needed to read: the Quran and his own spiritual guide, the Ruhnama (The Book of the Soul).
The Ruhnama became the cornerstone of the state. It was mandatory reading in schools, government offices, and even as part of the test to receive a driver's license. The book, a collection of poetry, history, and moral guidance, effectively replaced all other forms of literature and critical thought, cementing Niyazov's ideology as the sole source of truth.
The Aesthetics of Authoritarianism
Niyazov's control extended to the most personal aspects of life in his capital city. He famously banned several things he deemed un-Turkmen or simply unappealing. Young men were forbidden from having beards or long hair. Gold teeth were discouraged, with Niyazov suggesting citizens chew on bones to strengthen their teeth instead. Newsreaders were barred from wearing makeup on television because he claimed he found it difficult to tell the male and female presenters apart.
Perhaps most strangely, dogs were banned from Ashgabat due to their “unappealing odor.” This collection of decrees painted a surreal picture of a capital city micromanaged according to the whims of one man, where personal expression was stifled and even pets were not safe from presidential edict.
While Niyazov is gone, his legacy of absolute rule and eccentric decrees cast a long shadow over Turkmenistan, a nation still counted among the world's most isolated and authoritarian states.