Customs and traditions of Turkmenistan. Religion in Turkmenistan What is the faith of the Turkmens

The development of Islam in the country, the construction of mosques and their demolition, training, as well as the appointment of clergy, are under the control of the state. Society in Turkmenistan is historically passive, and that narrow layer that could influence political life was trampled underfoot during the time of Saparmurat Niyazov. Even in the most religious areas of Turkmenistan there are no Islamic political structures.

As a result, the country turned into a dead sea politically. Political Islam did not spread either. Unlike its neighbors, Turkmenistan avoided the appearance of “Wahhabi” groups and their agents of influence on its territory. However, there is a spread of a specific form of the Naqshbandi order on the border with Uzbekistan.

Turkmens have never gravitated towards radical Islamic teachings, but poverty and an ideological vacuum can give rise to such a urge.

Turkmenistan belongs to the Hanafi madhhab of Sunni Islam. Turkmens, as a nomadic people, are not characterized by active ritual religiosity, as, for example, by Tajiks and Uzbeks. To perform religious rituals, they only need privacy.

Islam is it

In the early 1990s, when Niyazov was just beginning to transform from a party leader into a leader of the nation, Islam was useful to him in building a new national idea. He used Islam as a means at hand, but only in forms defined and regulated by the state. Back in 1993, he stated that Turkmenistan was returning to Islam not so much as a religion with dogmatic postulates, but as part of the national culture.

In order to control religious activities, the Gengeshi (Council) for Religious Affairs was created in 1994, completely subordinate to the president of the country.

As he consolidated his power, Niyazov tried to usurp Islamic symbolism and convey to the people the idea that Islam was him, demanding that his work, the Rukhnama, be listed along with the Koran. Mosques received official orders to keep at least 2 copies of the Ruhnama, and quotes from it were carved on the walls of many mosques. For some time, those close to Niyazov thought about declaring him a prophet, but they changed their minds in time.

In 1997, more than half of the mosques operating in the country did not undergo re-registration. However, they continued to act with the tacit consent of local authorities. At the same time, many imams silently ignored the official instruction to take an oath of allegiance to the homeland and the president after each prayer. This state of affairs did not suit the authorities, which led to purges in the ranks of disloyal imams.

In 2000, under the banner of the fight against extremism, the authorities began a campaign against dissidents. As a result, 40 thousand copies of the Koran, translated into Turkmen by the disgraced Hadjaakhmet Orazklychev, were burned.

In 2003, a high-profile trial was held against the Mufti of Turkmenistan, Nasrullah ibn Abadullah, who reacted sharply negatively to the order to paint mosques along with texts from the Koran with quotes from the Ruhnama. In addition, he refused to recognize Niyazov as God's vicegerent. The former mufti was sentenced to 22 years. Subsequently, religious figures of the level of Nasrullah ibn Abadullah did not lead the muftiate. Preference was given to candidates who were less educated in religious terms, but more loyal in political terms. Moreover, all imams are actually civil servants receiving salaries from the state, and therefore are very vulnerable.

In the spring of 2006, Niyazov said that anyone who reads his book “Rukhnama” three times will become smart, understand nature, laws and human values. And then he will go straight to heaven. He claimed that he himself asked Allah for this method of identifying the righteous.

Rukhnamization of the entire country has become the most important component of secular religion, as well as the main line determining state policy in relation to religious associations.
In the 1990s. On the territory of Turkmenistan, in some villages, two mosques began to function simultaneously: one was state-owned, the other was a prayer house, where local residents gathered to not only perform religious rituals, but also discuss pressing problems. State religious oppression caused discontent among ordinary Muslims.

During the Niyazov era, luxurious mosques were built. But the majority of the population reacted coolly to these masterpieces, so they were not popular.

Training of religious personnel

Religious education has been under strict government control since the reign of Niyazov. Since the 1990s Almost no religious literature entered the country. For some time, it was possible to maintain the purity of teaching in Turkish schools, but in 2000 Niyazov declared that all madrassas and religious schools should be closed. According to him, it was enough to have one madrasah operating under the control of the muftiate. Thus, he expressed distrust of Islamic structures after the discovery of underground structures of Islamic radicals in the north of Turkmenistan, which were used by the Uzbek opposition as transit bases.

In addition, 300 foreign (mostly Iranian) preachers were deported.

In 2005, the only Faculty of Theology in the entire country was closed in Turkmenistan (now it is the theology department of the Faculty of History), and contracts with Turkish theologians, who mainly taught there, were terminated, and the number of students decreased sharply.

Atageldy Nuryev, Ashgabat

David Stanley/flickr.com

about country

Turkmenistan is the most interesting country in Central Asia. This country is the ancestor of many cultures and traditions. The Great Silk Road passed through it. The culture of Turkmenistan is simply saturated with ancient monuments. The country's population is original and carefully preserves its centuries-old culture. The colorful nature has given this corner unique landscapes and various natural complexes. Lifeless deserts alternate with beautiful mountain landscapes. Green oases flow into the endless landscape of the sea coast.

Geography of Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is a state in Central Asia. Turkmenistan's neighbors in the south: Afghanistan and Iran. In the north: Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The west of the country is washed by the Caspian Sea. The Karakum Desert occupies most of the country. The Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay is located off the coast of the Caspian Sea. Its unique feature is that it is 35 meters below sea level. Turkmenistan is a mountainous country. In the south and southwest of the country there are the Kopetdag and Paropamisa mountains. So there is one of the largest salt lakes - Sarykamysh. The main river of Turkmenistan is the Amu Darya. Among the natural resources that the country possesses are non-ferrous metals, rare earth metals, oil, gas, rock salts. Vegetation in deserts consists mainly of saxaul, kandym and various other shrubs. The hot dunes of the desert are sometimes covered with greenery after the autumn rains. The most interesting thing for a traveler is the vegetation of the mountains. Tugai forests grow along the rivers. Trees: turagni, silver sucker. The fauna of Turkmenistan is also diverse. More than 90 mammals live in the mountains and deserts of the country - these are rare animals - kulan, leopard, snow leopard, saiga, argali. Pelicans and flamingos can be found among the 300 species of birds. A unique natural area is the Er-0ylan-Duz basin, the bottom of which is filled with a salt lake and salt marshes. The entire landscape is complemented by long-extinct ancient volcanoes.

The country's area is 491,200 km²

Population

About 4,884,887 people live on the territory of Turkmenistan.

The official currency is Manat (TMT).

Official language - Turkmen

Needed. Obtained at the consulate

Climate

Turkmenistan has a very arid climate. In January, temperatures reach + 4 degrees in the south of the country and – 5 in the northeast. There were cases of frosts down to -22. In the desert, the temperature dropped to 20 - 32 degrees Celsius. In the summer months, temperatures remain around + 28 C in the northeast and near the Caspian Sea. In the south the heat reaches +34C. If you want to visit the mountains, then the temperature there rarely reaches +17 C. In the center of the country, in desert areas, the temperature rises to +50 in the sun. But when the sun sets, the heat drops to + 15 – 17C. Frosts are common in desert areas in spring and autumn. The precipitation season in Turkmenistan is in winter, when up to 77 mm of rain falls. In summer, precipitation is rare, and in the Karakum Desert there is none at all in summer. In winter, air humidity is no more than 60%. The sharply continental climate of Turkmenistan is characterized by strong climates - cold from Kazakhstan (in winter), and hot from the mountain slopes (in summer). The most favorable time for travel is spring and autumn. April June. September – November.

Sights of Turkmenistan

For a tourist traveling around Turkmenistan, it is best to begin his acquaintance with this country from the “city of love”. This is how the capital of the country, Ashgabat, is translated. The city is located in the southwest of the country, in a large oasis near the Kopetdag mountains. The city itself is young. Formed around a Russian fortress in 1881. In 1885, a branch of the Caspian Railway began to run through the city. This gave a strong impetus to the development of Ashgabat. In 1948, on October 6, Ashgabat was razed to the ground by a powerful earthquake. More than 110 thousand people died on that terrible day. But the city was built from scratch in less than 20 years. In Ashgabat, I recommend visiting the Tolkuchka bazaar, where you can buy traditional Turkmen carpets, which are brought here from all over the country. Instead of the market, you can go to the capital's Carpet Museum. This is the only building of its kind in the world. The museum contains carpets dating back to the 17th century. Not far from Ashgabat you can visit the site of Anau-Depe (IV-III thousand years BC). Archaeological excavations are currently underway there. Scientists claim that these foothill oases were home to many civilizations in ancient times. It is worth visiting the Anau fortress (III century BC - III century AD) and the ruins of the city of Anau with a mosque to see this. Not far from Ashgabat, an ancient architectural monument remains silent - the ruins of the capital of the Parthian state - Nisa. A huge number of clay tablets, remains of neighborhoods, houses, document archives and works of art were discovered on the territory of Nisa. Be sure to take a walk along the hiking trail in the Serdaor-Ely mountains. Her path lies through the most beautiful places in Kopetgad. Traces of ancient civilizations lead to the most ancient region of Central Asia - to the oasis of Merv. It was here that the first traces of irrigation in these parts were discovered. The find dates back to the Bronze Age. The very origin of the city of Mevre is shrouded in mystery. It was here that Omar Khayyam, al-Samani and Imamad din-Isfahani lived and created their works. The city of Mary is the third largest in Turkmenistan. Located in the middle of the Karakum in a large oasis. Founded in 1884 by Russians as an administrative center near ancient Merv. In the city you can visit the History Museum. There you will see a huge collection of Turkmen carpets from different times, national clothes, sets of silver and gold. Be sure to visit the local history and ethnographic exhibition. Turkmenbashi (formerly Krasnovodsk) is the only port city in the country. All communication with Europe and Russia goes through it. From the east the city is surrounded by low mountains. In the west it is washed by the waves of the Caspian Sea. You can have a good rest on the coast of the Caspian Sea. Clean beaches, warm clear water, rich flora and fauna. All available sports will be open to you.

Kitchen

Turkmen cuisine is close to many Asian cuisines - especially Uzbek and Tajik. Milk and meat became the main products for Turkmens in desert conditions. In this country you need to try lamb meat. He is always praised. Mountain goat meat is also often consumed. True Turkmen cuisine is characterized by purely meat dishes, without the admixture of other products. Heat-treated meat is served without side dishes.

Transport

Roads in Turkmenistan are poorly developed, the whole point is due to the peculiarities of the geographical location of the state. It is impossible to lay highways through the desert. So far the government cannot solve this problem. Turkmenistan has a railway, but not an electrified one. The trains are mostly old Soviet or old Chinese. All this infrastructure needs investment and is poorly developed. Air transport is best developed in Turkmenistan. The international airport allows you to fly in and out of the country to almost anywhere in the world. In Ashgabat there is an airport in a modern building. On the board you will always see information about current flights. The quality of air transportation in the country is at a good level. Only one state-owned company is engaged in air transportation. As for the capital of Turkmenistan, in order for a tourist to quickly explore the city, it is best to take a taxi. The whole city is swarming with taxi drivers. Any person who has a car is already starting to taxi. This is now the only inexpensive and good opportunity to get around the city. Public transport is poorly developed, and therefore all residents of Ashgabat use the services of taxi drivers. The fare is not expensive. Finding a free car is quite easy - you just need to go to the side of the road and vote. The required car will arrive immediately.

Currency exchange

The local currency is Manat. It is equal to 100 tenge. The exchange rate for June 2011 is 1 RUB = 0.1 TMT. There are banknotes in denominations of 5, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000, 10000 manats in the country. And also 1 manat. Change (tenge) in coins - 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 tenge. Despite the fact that the manat is the only legal means of purchase and sale, it is often possible to purchase rare or precious goods for another currency. Bank opening hours. Monday Friday. From 10-30 to 17-30. If you want to change currency, I recommend changing only at banks and exchange offices. I do not recommend using the services of private money changers, due to their frequent fraud. You can pay with a credit card only in very large stores in Ashgabat.

Electricity

220V/50Hz (C/E standard sockets)

Religion

The main religion of Turkmenistan is Islam. This is the first state in Asia that began to officially profess this religion. But the faith in this region is slightly different and has distinct differences. Many centuries before Islam, tribal relations developed in the country, and these relations sometimes strongly contradict religious scriptures. In cities and in remote areas, all Turkmen are clearly divided into different tribal groups. Each group has its own dialect, embroidery style, and decoration. All groups are easily distinguished by clothing, but also have a huge number of other characteristics that are less noticeable to the eye.

Safety

Among the Asian countries, Turkmenistan is the safest country for tourists. Even Ashgabat, Turkmenistan's largest city, has a low crime rate. And crimes against citizens of other states are generally rare. There are frequent cases of theft among crowds of people. Pickpockets don't sleep. Do not leave your belongings, documents, or money unattended. This country is quite poor, and therefore crime is mainly theft. It is better not to visit remote areas at night. Some of them are generally closed to foreigners. There is practically no theft in the provinces. You can only stumble upon beggars or beggars. If you do not know the area, it is better to travel around it with the help of a guide. The Turkmen police are most often friendly. She does her job well. But to communicate with her, it is best to provide a passport.

Health

(now there are three isolated communities in Turkmenistan: in the settlements of Iolotan, Turkmenbashi and Serakhs), and the Poles are Catholic. In ancient times, Zoroastrianism and Nestorian Christianity were widely represented on the territory of Turkmenistan, the center of which was the city of Merv. During the Sassanid era, there was also a Buddhist community in Merv

In modern Turkmenistan there are small communities of Pentecostals, Baptists, Adventists, Baha'is and Hare Krishnas - all of them received official registration only in 2004. Jehovah's Witnesses are in an illegal situation.

Legislation

According to Article 28 of the Constitution of Turkmenistan, citizens of Turkmenistan have the right to freedom of opinion and their free expression, as well as to receive information if it is not a state or other secret protected by law. The state guarantees freedom of religions and beliefs, their equality before the law. Religious organizations are separated from the state and cannot interfere in government affairs or perform government functions. The state education system is separate from religious organizations and is secular in nature. Each person independently determines his attitude towards religion, has the right, individually or jointly with others, to profess any religion or not to profess any, to express and disseminate beliefs related to his attitude to religion, to participate in the performance of religious cults, rituals, and ceremonies in accordance with Article 28 of the Constitution of Turkmenistan.

The situation of religious organizations and believers is regulated by the Law of Turkmenistan “On Freedom of Religion and Religious Organizations” that came into force in 2016.

Registration of religious organizations

Article 7 of the 2016 Law requires all religious organizations to register and imposes a ban on organizations “secretly carrying out religious activities.” To register a religious organization, it is necessary to have an initiative group of at least 50 adult believers who are Turkmen citizens and to pay a registration fee (Articles 13, 16 of the 2016 Law). At the same time, a registered religious organization must have a charter (Article 14 of the 2016 Law).

Property of religious organizations

The 2016 law establishes the right of religious organizations to own property, including that received from abroad, but requires mandatory registration of all foreign gratuitous and grant programs (including reports on their implementation). The law also established the transfer to religious organizations free of charge of religious buildings and other state-owned property for religious purposes (Article 23).

Rituals in closed government institutions

In medical institutions, in places of deprivation of liberty and in social institutions, the 2016 law obliges the administration to facilitate the requests of citizens held there at the invitation of clergy (Article 25).

Religious education

A 2016 law imposed tight controls on religious education:

• Religious teaching is prohibited in state educational institutions (Article 8).
• Private teaching of “spiritual doctrine” is prohibited (Article 9)
• Teaching religion to minors is permitted only with the consent of not only the parents and with the permission of the special Commission for work with religious organizations and examination of resources containing religious information, publishing and printing products in Turkmenistan. In this case, the duration of training cannot exceed 4 hours per week (Article 8).
• The creation of religious educational institutions is allowed. However, there are very high requirements for them - teachers of religious disciplines must have a religious education and carry out their activities with the consent of the above-mentioned Commission (Article 9), religious institutions themselves are required to obtain a license.

State structures for control of religious organizations

The 2016 law created a special Commission for working with religious organizations and examining resources containing religious information, publishing and printing products in Turkmenistan. Her powers are very broad (Articles 10 - 12):

• control over the activities of religious organizations regarding their implementation of legislation on freedom of religion, including receiving complaints from citizens against religious organizations;
• confirmation in the position of the head of a religious organization, the center of which is located outside of Turkmenistan;
• presentation of expert opinions on religious studies, including for the court;
• examination of religious literature imported into the country;
• making a proposal for registration of a religious organization;
• making a proposal to open a religious educational institution.
• making decisions (together with local authorities) on the construction of a religious building.

Local authorities also have some powers (Article 11 of the 2016 Law) - in particular, they approve the conduct of religious ceremonies outside religious buildings.

The 2016 Law does not mention the existing Gengesh for Religious Affairs under the President of Turkmenistan. This body was created in 1994 to oversee religious organizations. The Gengesh included a mufti, a deputy mufti, an Orthodox dean and a civil official. Members of the Gengesh, despite the secular nature of the state, began to receive salaries from the budget, as well as members of the velayat councils for religious affairs (they are headed by local chief imams). In accordance with the “Regulations on the Gengesh for Religious Affairs under the President of Turkmenistan,” the Gengesh was a state expert and advisory body on religious issues. Representatives of the Gengesh participated in services, holidays and other events held by religious organizations, as well as in meetings with believers. For example, in May 2007, with the participation of Gengesh, an exhibition “Healthy Lifestyle” was held by the religious group “Seventh-day Adventists”, where, with the help of visual aids, ways to lead a healthy lifestyle and break the habit of bad habits were demonstrated. With the assistance of the Gengesh, in April 2008, a German citizen, Pastor Andrea Schwartz, was in Turkmenistan, leading sermons and services in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the city of Ashgabat, visiting sights, historical monuments and mosques. At his request, on April 25, 2008, together with part of the believers of the specified Church, they participated in Friday prayers together with Muslims in one of the largest mosques in Ashgabat. As part of international activities for the exchange of experience, spiritual mentoring and care of relevant religious communities, in April 2009, German citizens Wolfgang Nadolny and Thomas Herm (“New Apostolic Church of Turkmenistan”), as well as Chinese citizens - spouses Shidvash and John Farid ( "Religious organization of Baha'is of Turkmenistan").

Religion and politics

The 2016 law strictly prohibited the creation of political parties on a religious basis, as well as the creation and activities of religious organizations, “the goals and actions of which are aimed at establishing the supremacy of one religion in the state” (Article 7). However, before the adoption of this law, there were no registered political parties created on a religious basis in Turkmenistan.

Orthodoxy

Orthodox Church of the Intercession in Mary

In 2011, the number of Orthodox Christians in Turkmenistan was about 445 thousand people, approximately 8% of the country's population.

Of the Orthodox churches in the country, only the Russian Orthodox Church is represented. Orthodox parishes in Turkmenistan are administratively united into the deanery of the Patriarchal Parishes.

Protestants

Several thousand residents of Turkmenistan are parishioners of various Protestant churches. The first Protestants (Baptists, Mennonites, Lutherans) appeared in this region at the end of the 19th century. During the years of Soviet power, an Adventist community arose in the republic. Currently, there are several operating in Turkmenistan

Turkmen belong to the Turkic-speaking people of ancient Oguz origin. They are the main population of Turkmenistan. Turkmens living in Iraq, Syria, Turkey are the descendants of the people who moved to the territory of Anatolia and the Middle East since the 11th century. For a long time, Turkmens were divided into clans and tribes. The ancient ancestor of the people was Oguz Khan, whose grandchildren became the ancestors of 24 ancient Turkmen tribes, within which separate clans later began to stand out and new tribes began to form. The largest of them:

1. gauquelins
2. salyrs
3. Tekinians (Teke)
4. tongues
5. chowdurs
6. yomuds
7. alili
8. ersars

Today, all Turkmen are formed into a single nation, where tribal affiliation is not particularly important. There are about 8 million representatives of this nationality in the world.

Where live

The bulk of the people live in Turkmenistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. Turkmens live in Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Pakistan. In the Russian Federation they live in the Stavropol Territory, Moscow, Moscow, Astrakhan, Samara regions, St. Petersburg, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Krasnodar Territory, Tajikistan. A small part lives in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Latvia.

Language

Turkmen belongs to the Oguz-Turkmen group of languages ​​and is part of the Turkic family. Since 1940, in the Turkmen SSR, Russian began to be actively used in many spheres of public life, which became not only the official language, but also the language of science and higher education. From birth, most learned this language as a second mother tongue. It got to the point that by 1991 in Turkmenistan, a large number of indigenous people simply did not know their native language - Turkmen.

Previously, Arabic script was used for writing, but some letters could not correctly reflect the phonetics of Turkmen. In 1922-1924, after reforms, to distinguish most sounds, diacritics were added, which were placed before and after vowels.

In the 1920s, after the romanization project, the transition to Yanalif, a new Turkic alphabet, began. Officially, in 1929, the Turkmens switched to the Latin alphabet. Yanalif continued to be used in literature, schools, and government documents until 1940.

The Cyrillization project began in the late 1930s. In 1940, the first Turkmen alphabet in Cyrillic was published, and it was used in Turkmenistan until 1993. Outside the state it is still used today.

After the collapse of the USSR, a new alphabet was created, which was approved in April 1993. Later it underwent changes again and since 2000 it has been the only one acceptable in all official spheres of Turkmenistan.

Religion

Turkmen profess Sunni Islam, but are not strongly religious people.

Food

The main dish of Turkmen cuisine is “ash” pilaf, for which there are several dozen recipes, but the main ingredients are rice and meat (poultry, lamb). Be sure to add vegetables, spices, and dried fruits to the pilaf.

A variety of dishes are prepared from lamb:

• various types of shish kebab;
• fried lamb “govurma”;
• dried meat “kokmach”;
• omelette with Heygenek meat;
• manti "Börek";
• fried lamb with tomatoes and potatoes “chekdirme”;
• lamb with tomatoes “govurlan-et”;
• “Garyn” sausages;
• round-shaped pies with meat and onions “ishlekli”.

A variety of soups are prepared as first courses:

• soup with tomatoes “gara-chorba”;
• rice soup with vegetables “Mastava”;
• milk soup with noodles “Suitli-unash”;
• pea soup “Dograma”;
• pea soup with lamb “nokhudly-chorba”;
• flour soup “umpach zashi”;
• soup with dumplings “etli-borek-chorbasy”.

The main difference between Turkmen cuisine and other Central Asian cuisines is national fish dishes. The fish is cooked on a spit, in special cauldrons, with rice, pomegranate juice, raisins, sesame seeds, and apricots. Very tasty kebab is made from sturgeon “balyk-shara”. The fish is fried, then stewed in pots, and sometimes added to various dishes instead of meat. There are very complex fish dishes that consist of a large number of ingredients: “cheme”, “balyk-berek”, “gaplama”.

Dairy products and milk are widely used in the kitchen. Camel milk, which is considered very healthy and has a sweet taste, is used to make butter, ghee, yogurt, and ayran. Cheeses, curd mass, and feta cheese are prepared from sheep; cottage cheese, curdled milk, “gurt” cheese, and butter are made from cow’s milk. The Turkmens have a huge amount of dairy products.

For sweets, they prepare halva from the root of the lily plant, sweet cakes, crumpets with powdered sugar, and donuts. Very tasty and aromatic local Turkmen watermelons, melons, and fruits. Tea is their favorite drink. In the East they prefer green, in the North and West - black. In winter, tea is often brewed with milk, adding lamb fat and butter. Berzengi mineral water and various fruit juices are very popular. Turkmenistan also has its own wine; among strong drinks they drink vodka and cognac.

Appearance

Cloth

Despite the fact that many peoples switched to urban clothing, the Turkmens remained faithful to their traditional costume. Men and women wear a shirt, pants, and a long robe made of canvas. The wealthy sew it from imported half-silk, half-woolen materials with thin stripes. In summer, women wear only a shirt and long pants, narrow at the ankles. They wear dresses made of silk, the head is covered with a scarf or handkerchief, a round hood that goes down behind a veil, and a high Asian headdress (shekele). Common types of jewelry include ankle and arm bracelets, necklaces, and corals. Many women don't take them off at all, even at night. Silver cases for talismans are especially valuable. Men wear a fur hat (telpek) entwined with a turban.

Housing

The traditional home of the Turkmens is the yurt gara-oy. In the oases there were adobe dwellings of a permanent type; they consisted of 1-3 rooms. There were houses (there) made of mud brick, with a flat roof. The Caspian Turkmens built houses made of wood on stilts. Today, the usual rural dwelling of a Turkmen is a 3-4 chamber house with large windows, made of baked or adobe brick, a gable or hipped roof, made of slate or iron. The house has an ivan - a covered veranda where people sleep and relax in the summer. At the back of the yard there are utility rooms. Yurts are used as a summer home on the estate; they are built by shepherds on distant seasonal pastures.

Life

The traditional occupation of the people is nomadic cattle breeding and irrigated agriculture. Previously, the Turkmens led a semi-nomadic lifestyle, so in the village the population was divided into settled farmers and cattle breeders. In the west, cattle breeding was developed; camels, sheep, and horses were bred. Those living in the oasis grew wheat, cotton, melons, sorghum, and raised cattle. In the mid-19th century, the Turkmens began to actively engage in sericulture and carpet weaving. The woman had many responsibilities around the house and household: caring for children, processing wool, felt, weaving, cooking, collecting firewood for heating, caring for livestock.

Today, a small family is common, which usually consists of a wife, husband and children. Sometimes the spouse's parents live with them. Large undivided families are still often found. It is noteworthy that the head of the family is often a woman.

Culture

Turkmen music began to develop in the 6th and 7th centuries and is distinguished by its originality and richness. The people have about 72 musical instruments, the most popular of which are:

• dutar
• Oscar
• gopuz
• gijak
• tuyduk
• barbat (ud)
• ikidilli
• eve
• dilly tuyduk
• bozuk

The development of music was influenced by the folklore of the countries of the Near, Middle East, and Central Asia. Genres of folk songs:

• household
• lullabies
• wedding
• girlish
• labor

The national epic “destan” is popular - tales of a musical and poetic nature:

• legends
• legends
• fairy tales

Singing is carried out in an original manner. The singers sing, strongly straining their vocal cords, in a very high voice, which abruptly gives way to the quiet sound of the dutar. Due to the nomadic living conditions in the desert and steppe landscape, the Turkmens are accustomed to speaking loudly, which is where this style of singing originated.

Traditions

Before the wedding, the groom gives money to the bride's relatives in exchange for the bride; he must bring gifts: robes, livestock, treats. After the ransom is provided, the bride goes to the groom's house, where a special prayer is held and the marriage is formalized. The wedding is celebrated with a feast, horse races and wrestling are held, and professional “bakhshiev” singers are invited.

For the Turkmen people, adultery against a woman is punishable by death right at the scene of the crime. A daughter may be sold into slavery to a man to whom her father owes a debt. If a girl from a poor family did not even have a dowry, anyone could marry her. At the same time, she could not count on the support of her family and relatives.

Polygamy was common. The position of women, especially in large families, still remains difficult. It's not easy for a girl after marriage. She has many responsibilities, but absolutely no rights. Immediately after the wedding, she is told about the rules in the house, prohibitions in relation to her husband’s older relatives. Previously, she was required to cover her mouth with the end of a head scarf. Young married women hid their faces and figures with a large shawl. Among the Yomuds, it was customary for the daughter-in-law to lock herself at home in the presence of her husband’s older relatives, especially her fathers-in-law. It was possible to talk in their presence only in a very quiet whisper. It was strictly forbidden to contact men who were relatives of the husband directly. If she wanted to tell them something, she had to convey it through the boy. Gradually, with age, the position of a young woman improves when she becomes the eldest “keyvan” in the family. She is considered mistress over her daughters-in-law and her husband's younger wives. The Keivans take their opinions into account and listen to her advice, not only children, but also all relatives. After the death of her husband, she becomes the head of the family.

Sons, despite their independence, always come to their mother for advice and listen to her instructions. This is considered extremely important.

In a small family, only the husband is in charge over the wife. If he wishes, he can divorce her without her consent. The wife has the right to demand a divorce only in rare cases. Previously, if a husband disappeared, was captured, went on the run, went into hiding because of blood feud, his wife did not have the right to marry again, she had to wait for him at home. It was impossible to go far from home. If she needed to go to the market, only accompanied by her husband; if she went far away to visit her relatives, she was accompanied by her husband’s elderly relative.

After the death of a spouse, relatives often give their wife in marriage to another man, while the children remain in the husband's house. Levirate is allowed - marriage with the husband's brother. Often the widow agreed to it in order to stay close to her children. She could pay her way out of remarriage, but then she would be assigned the status of a widow for life.

(translation Chronicle of Turkmenistan)

International charitable human rights Christian organization “Open Doors” published the worldwide Persecution Index 2015. The index evaluates 50 countries in which, one way or another, Christians are persecuted for their faith. We are publishing a translation of the section dedicated to Turkmenistan. The original publication can be found (German. PDF 4.6 MB).

In the 2015 World Persecution Index, Turkmenistan ranked 20th, the same as last year. In the early years, the situation with the Christian minority in Turkmenistan was quite stable. However, later the pressure of the state and society on Christians increased, which affected its position in this ranking.

Reasons for Persecution

The main reasons for the persecution of Christians in Turkmenistan include “ Dictator's paranoia" And " Islamic extremism" Also, to some extent, “Systematic corruption” can be attributed to the reasons.

Dictator's paranoia: Turkmenistan has an autocratic regime of government, which is based on strict government control. The authorities prevent the formation of any independent groups, be they economic, social or cultural (which includes the church). The ruling elite under President Berdymukhamedov is ready to take whatever measures they consider necessary to maintain their power and are doing everything to suppress groups that they consider dangerous to themselves. As in other Central Asian countries, the government of Turkmenistan uses a variety of methods from the communist arsenal to control certain groups, including Christians. Another similarity with neighboring countries is that nothing can be achieved in the country without a bribe.

Islamic extremism: Despite the fact that at the moment no extremist groups have been noticed in Turkmenistan, it should be noted that Islam is an important part of Turkmen culture. The previous ruler stated that along with the Koran, it is also necessary to read the Ruhnama. Islam also plays an important role in everyday life, especially in rural areas. Society and relatives react very painfully when one of the relatives decides to abandon Islam and accept another faith. Many consider this unacceptable and the Christian minority and, in particular, those who previously belonged to the Muslim faith, must be prepared for strong pressure from society and family.

Policy influences

The dramatic development of Turkmenistan began after the discovery of huge gas and oil reserves in the country. Natural resources brought a lot of money to the country, thanks to which Ashgabat became a city of marble, at the same time Turkmenistan became absolutely dependent on the export of fossil fuels. In this case, only a small group of people close to power gets rich.

Turkmens live in a variety of countries: Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iran, northern Pakistan, Syria, the North Caucasus (Stavropol Territory). Separate groups of Turkmens maintain contact with each other. Turkmens have been seen fighting as part of Islamic jihadists in the Middle East (ISIS) and the Indian Subcontinent (Al Qaeda). The ruling regime in Ashgabat, fearing the influence of jihadists returning to the country, very closely monitors all religious movements.

Turkmenistan is considered one of the most repressive states in the world, in which there is no freedom of speech and information, all public associations are strictly controlled by government authorities, in addition, residents of the country have very limited access to foreign sources of information.

Affected Christian groups

There are 3 groups of Christians in Turkmenistan:

Traditional Russian Orthodox Church, which accepted all government restrictions. All church services are allowed to be held, although at times under the supervision of special services. At the same time, the printing and import of Christian literature is prohibited, as is the entry of foreign church workers.

Converts to Christianity Turkmen people feel the full force of persecution. In addition to the state, they are attacked by family, friends and society at large. The latter is especially painful, because... affects their daily life.

Neo-Protestantism- various movements of Christianity. Not registered in Turkmenistan. Their followers are fully persecuted by the country's authorities. They are subject to fines, attacks, threats and imprisonment.

Areas of life affected by persecution

The pressure on Christians in Turkmenistan is generally high, especially in the church sphere and private life, which are particularly affected by the consequences of religious persecution.

Church sphere

Any religious gathering is viewed with suspicion. Unregistered churches are raided and all literature is confiscated. The authorities are watching pastors and church leaders especially closely. It is still allowed to welcome young people into churches, but it is not allowed to train pastors.

According to data received by our organization, the authorities keep not only unregistered churches under close surveillance, but also authorized churches. They live under constant pressure and the threat of forced closure. According to the law, a church can be closed after three allegations of violations.

All Christian associations are required to register their activities. Every unregistered church is outlawed. Authorities use the religious affairs council to monitor religious gatherings. Every unregistered and authorized church is infiltrated by informers and churchgoers must constantly watch what they say.

Police and intelligence services constantly monitor churches in all regions of Turkmenistan and regularly conduct raids during masses. This applies even to legal churches. Religious education, upon completion of which young priests could receive official diplomas, is prohibited, with the exception of a few mosques and Russian Orthodox churches.

Private life

Christians also experience great pressure in their private lives. Telling anyone about your faith is extremely dangerous, especially for former Muslim converts to Christianity. They are constantly trying to force them to abandon their new faith; their relatives and friends turn away from them. Christian children are bullied in schools by their peers and teachers and given low grades.

Manifestations of cruelty

In general, religious violence is surprisingly rare in Turkmenistan. Only a few such cases have been reported in the media. Last year, not a single Christian was killed, not a single church was damaged. Since May 2013, no attacks on congregations have been reported and no believers have been detained. As far as we know, at the moment there is only one imprisoned Christian believer in Turkmenistan - Umid Gadzhaev. He was arrested in April 2012 in Dashoguz and a month later sentenced to 4 years in prison for hooliganism. Local Christians claim that Gadzhaev was convicted unfairly and was in fact arrested for his faith.

Conclusion

Turkmenistan is the most repressive state in Central Asia after Uzbekistan, and in the face of growing nationalism and a new spiritual leader in the person of the new president, the situation here is unlikely to change.