The most closed city of the world in pictures. Ashgabat, we have not seen

In Turkmenistan, it is very difficult to get there - it is quite a closed country that guests do not like. However, getting there still is possible, which proves that this gorgeous photo essay. < The site publishes a post LiveJournal blogger Paul Nemchinov.


What do you know about Ashgabat? I think that just about anything. And if they know something, sure! The city is changing so fast that if you were in Ashgabat, say, five years ago, we can say that you were not in Ashgabat.

According to legend, once Turkmenbashi Saparmurat Niyazov called for the elders and told them: "We have gas, I will not hide - enough money. I can give you money ... or we can build a great city! Choose ". And the elders voted unanimously for the construction of the new Ashgabat!





Ashgabat began to change when Saparmurat Niyazov and continues until now under the leadership of the incumbent President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.





Looking at this picture, some of the readers probably say: "Such Turkmenistan I remember!" Think of it only in the memories remained. If in houses must pass a new street, the people seated, demolish homes, and in their place will rise a snow-white palace.





I heard from a local that the current president from time to time flies by helicopter over Ashgabat and decides where to build a new mall or in lieu of the old residential area to reach a new street. The Ministry of Adalat (Justice).





Ashgabat as snow-marble that in 2013 in this regard was in the Guinness Book of Records! At that time, there were 543 new buildings with a total area covered with marble walls 4, 5 million square meters! Since then, their number has been steadily increasing.



When you look at the green area of ​​Ashgabat, it is difficult to believe that this is one of the hottest cities in the world. I remember an elderly taxi driver drove me to the airport, and reasoned that do not understand how people lived here before without air conditioning in cars, because summer temperatures above 60 degrees! Surely he exaggerated, but in summer the temperature rises above 45 degrees - that's for sure. During my recent visit, the temperature during the day did not fall below 35.



The whole city is imbued with eastern emotion.



Ashgabat - like a fairy princess on artificial respiration. In keeping it in perfect form to spend huge resources. Because if you do not clean the streets of at least one day, the whole city will be covered with dust from construction sites and sand of the desert surrounding the city. If the grass is not water - by the evening it will burn in the hot sun.





There in the city and another feature ...



People on the streets almost there. The machines, yes, but pedestrians can not be found.





If you count the people I met in the city center, most of all get the police and soldiers (worth through every 50 m), followed by street cleaners, then the drivers in the cars, the people waiting for public transport, and in rare cases pedestrians. Probably this is due to the heat. But only partly. I think, to a greater extent this is due to the political regime.



In addition to the homes of white marble in the city a lot of monuments and sculptures. For the most part, of course, monuments Life President Turkmenbashi (Turkmenistan total about 14 000), but there are others. Usually, monuments black or gold. It looks impressive, but most of them are taking pictures is prohibited. Soldiers and police soon show signs of the ban, with the cross at the hands of the person.





On the camera in his hands in the center of all react badly. I helped "guardian" as a badge of A5 (or at least I convinced myself that helps) and a suit and tie. At the military police and the feeling that I'm doing some important work.





And this monument gave the Turks. I was told that the first option was conceived as ten horses, cobbled together into a coherent whole, but Turkmenbashi insisted that there should be 10 individual horses, but it is not clear. I had to redo.





City Garden!







True, I was not feeling that everything is not created for people. As I said one local resident - the president playing Sim City. This self-realization, work of art, if you will. In the creation of which is impossible to do without people, unfortunately.





People can not do without, but can be disabled to come close to the government buildings and palaces, it is possible to forbid to go on some of the streets in the center. That's how I felt: a person here - an unfortunate necessity. The insignificance of man is expressed even the behavior of the driver on the road. The priority is always the car, regardless of the presence of pedestrian crossings and even traffic lights.



People need to sweep away the dust, wash with shampoo parks, mow lawns.





Janitors almost live on the streets. That kind of office. All the amenities, a place to relax in the shade there.





Electricity and tea also has.





The center is maintained in perfect order.





A distinctive feature of the janitors in Ashgabat - closed face. They do not hide, is a necessary measure: too much sand and dust, light need to somehow protect.





Not really like to be photographed. The man with the camera generally looks wildly.





This is how the "Garden City" is maintained in perfect condition. All lawns are irrigated with water several times a day.





Towards evening the air cools a little, but people on the street will no longer be that as it indirectly confirms that the cause of the lack of people on the street is not related to heat.









But Ashgabat - this is not a paradise on earth.



There is the "city of white marble" and the reverse side.





via nemchinov.livejournal.com/179743.html