Golden dog unveiled by Turkmenistan's puppy-loving leader

Golden retriever: The beloved dog is now a landmark in the captial city of Ashgabat. Photo / Screenshot, twitter

Turkmenistan's capital has been gifted a giant golden dog by its autocratic leader.
The 6-metre statue appeared pride of place, on a busy roundabout in Ashgabat. The Trukmen shepherd dog is a symbol of the country, and a favourite of president Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov.

Alabai are traditionally sheep dogs from the central Asian steppes.

The bulky breed which has accompanied the Turkmen herders for centuries is affectionately known as the "wolf crusher" for its prowess as a guard dog. But the local tyrant, Berdymukhammedov, sees a more cuddly side to the animal. The idiosyncratic leader wrote a book of poetry dedicated to the dogs and in 2017 he gifted a puppy to neighbouring president Vladimir Putin of Russia.

Turkmenistan's dog loving President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow gifted Russia's Vladimir Putin a puppy on a state visit. Photo / Mikhail Metzel, Getty Images

It might be an odd step, but this giant altar to the dog is not out of place in hermit country which is little explored by foreigners.

The Lonely planet describes the hermit country as "by far the most mysterious and unexplored of Central Asia's 'stans."

Meanwhile, Turkmenistan’s president Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has just unveiled a gisnt statue of his favorite dog pic.twitter.com/NSlIlXbAoH

— Piotr Zalewski (@p_zalewski) November 12, 2020

The republic has a tradition of grandiose golden statues. However up until now most have been dedicated to past dictator Saparmyrat Niyazov – who was in charge of the country from 1940 until his death in 2006.

The BBC notes that the country is one of the most constrictive on press freedom according to RSF, one step above North Korea. So these odd golden dog photos provide a rare glimpse into the country.

The Alabai dog was a mascot for the 2017 Asian games in Turkmenistan. Photo / Flickr.com

Mfat does not have specific travel advisory for the country.

The UK's Foreign Office notes that the hermit nation attempted to monetise a fledgling tourism industry in 2017 with the introduction of a 'tourism tax' of $2 per day. Visitors came to see the natural flames known as the 'Gates of Hell' and the capital's collection of campy gold statues. However, since Covid-19 the borders were closed to all but Turkmen nationals.

Gates of Hell: The natural fires is a novel draw for a fledgeling tourism industry. Photo / Flickr.com

A publicity video released last year attempted to woo tourists with pictures of traditional horsemanship and beach resorts on the Caspian sea. However human rights activists and researchers say the isolated country is dangerously unstable and on the brink of collapse.

"There is not enough food in the state-run shops so every morning people have to line up for hours to buy such staples as flour, bread or sugar," said Ruslan Myatiev editor in exile of Turkmen.news, which operates out of the Netherlands.