I arrive in Ashgabat. I go after other foreigners to receive a visa. This will be my third trip here..

Turkmenistan is one of the most closed countries in the world. If you do not believe, try to get a visa. Sami. Telling, for example, that you are a tourist and just want to "see". In 99 percent of cases you will get a refusal.

I have an invitation, it, along with the passport, it is necessary to give in a window. They carefully verify all the data, print a beautiful green visa, carefully paste it in your passport. Write a receipt for $ 19, which must be paid immediately, at the Bank of Turkmenistan. Having defended a small queue.

All slowly, thoroughly, carefully. Two o'clock in the morning. New, modern, sparkling with lights, marble, chrome and gold, the airport is spread over 1200 hectares, resembles a hovering falcon and costs 2.3 billion dollars. Yes, you did not misinterpret. The airport was included in the Guinness Book of Records for the world's largest architectural image of a carpet ornament on the roof of the building - 705 square meters.

In all the powerful and huge airport there are only us, the passengers of the only flight at this time.

Around a lot of people in uniform. They help to orient themselves. For example, after obtaining a passport with a visa, you need to go to the terminal, enter your data there - who, where, how long, for what period, twice to look at the lens, see your photo on the screen, scan your fingers and page of the passport ... Then you need to go to A border guard window, he again checks everything, takes fingerprints, asks to look at the camera located behind him.

It takes a long time to watch, my eyes are watering and blinking. The Chamber does not like this. As a result, we repeat the procedure three times.

I get my luggage, I get to the exit from the airport. I'm hailed by employees and taken out of the very end of the line ahead. Because ahead of the citizens of Turkmenistan with a lot of baggage - bales, suitcases, boxes. They need to fill in declarations and open luggage.

I also need to open luggage. I'm given a knife to cut the plastic film.

But before that they again check the passport, carefully compare me, slept, tired with the one on the photo. Believe for a long time. I have already unpacked my suitcase. Give the passport, ask to open the suitcase completely and in this form is passed through the camera.

"Do you have any food?" - asked.

I have no food. Do not believe. Ask to open the zipper inside the suitcase. There - chocolate. I forgot about him. But chocolate can be.

"Is there no tramadol?".

- No. I do not have any medicine at all.

"Well, that's right," says a stern young guy in uniform. And adds: - For tramadol immediately to jail.

I'm laughing. I think this is a joke.

By the way, if you plan to stay in the country for more than three days, you need to apply for registration. With the photo and the exact address of your stay.

In the hotel I ask to give change by manats. Give. Twice as much as the rate on the black market. Yes, there is a black currency market. And there is a black gold market. When I go to Gulistan the next day or, as it is called here, the Russian market, they call me, silently repeating: gold, gold, gold ... They are offered to buy from them items made of Turkmen or Turkish gold - a choice.

It is difficult for me to cross the road on pedestrian crossings. They are, but none of the drivers "do not see". I got accustomed to join a flock of women in long national dresses and along with them to run wide streets through a pedestrian crossing, which absolutely does not guarantee the stopping of cars.

Coffee from the coffee maker on the first day I never manage to drink. Soluble only.

But they serve me amazing lamb and a very tasty vegetable salad. Instead of bread I ask for a cake.

The waitress leaves for her bar counter and speaks into the phone, trying not to be heard:.

"No, it's not bread, she does not want bread, she wants a cake or something like a burrito. No, not bread. Cake. Well, what you will cook, this will be. Yes, she's waiting. Well, think of something. Yes, it's a guest.. I do not know where, but the guest. And you did not understand that this is a guest? !! Come on, wait.

I bring a fragrant cake, it flows hot butter. I am a guest, I have the finest cake, melting in my mouth.

On the streets there are many young girls in identical dresses of beautiful red color. The driver explains to me - they are students, they go in uniform. In the same, but green, go schoolgirls.

And in a textile shop I find white school aprons, identical to those I wore from 1975 and up to grade 8. They are here. Even the former style.

Hotel Yildiz - is beautiful. Google, and you'll understand why it's hard for me to talk about anything about him. Luxurious five-star hotel - the tallest building in Ashgabat. 24 floors, more than 50 thousand square meters, 155 rooms, equipped with the latest word design and technology. The French were built. In the form of a faceted diamond. The cost of construction is not disclosed.

From the last floor of the hotel is opened crazy - a beautiful view of the city. It's getting dark, the lights come on.. There are generally a lot of marble, glass, gilding, highlights. Ashgabat is included in the Guinness Book of Records, as a city in which the largest area of ??walls covered with white marble is 4.5 million square meters. I find a street telephone booth, covered with marble. White. Beautiful, of course. But why? !!.

In my opinion, in no city so infinitely and mercilessly do not build. Scales frighten. The buildings are crushing. Surprising lack of people. Yes, yes, in all these luxurious streets there are very few people. But there are policemen in uniform. Everywhere.

I'm going to the Mausoleum of Saparmurat Niyazov, the first president of Turkmenistan, Turkmenbashi. It is 15 kilometers from Ashgabat. Near the world's largest one-domed mosque and the largest in Central Asia. The same French company built the hotel as Yildiz. So take my word for it: luxury is the very first thing that comes to mind. Construction cost $ 100 million to Turkmen taxpayers.

Turkmens remind me every time that their country, like Switzerland, is neutral. And that all this beauty became possible due to the wisdom of the only person - Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the current president of Turkmenistan.

Berdymukhamedov is everywhere. The image of the second president of Turkmenistan can be seen in all the institutions of the country, on posters, in car cabins and inside taxis, on the front pages of newspapers, on all holidays, here even the school ruler does not begin without projecting a portrait of the president on the screen.

He wears the title Arkadag, which means the patron. He is the country's president, chairman of the Council of Ministers, supreme commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, army general, doctor of medical sciences, doctor of economic sciences, academician of the Academy of Sciences, chairman of the Democratic Party. And all this is the same person.

Two years ago the equestrian monument "Arcadag" was opened - it is a 21-meter statue, covered with 24-carat gold. And the newlyweds in all registry offices are now photographed against the background of the portrait of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

I have not been here for several years. Much has changed. For example, there is roaming and Internet. True, Facebook, twitter, youtube, viber, whatsapp, facetime, messenger, telegram are blocked. The essence of this blocking is not very clear. But here they explain to me: that "there was no bad influence". In the old part of the city (in the new one there is cable, IP-TV), all houses are studded with satellite dishes, and you can watch anything.

By the way, if you want to read something other than official things about the president on the Internet, then in Turkmenistan no site with "unnecessary" information will open. Many sites are also blocked.

Here everything is huge, luxurious, magnificent and - "the biggest," "the most expensive," "the highest".

In the center, for example, a fountain worth 6.6 million dollars. In the palace itself, there is a carpet-giant "President", 294 square meters. Have you realized the scale? The size of the carpet is 14? 21 meters. And this is not the biggest. Here is the only carpet museum in the world. Here there really is the world's most giant handmade carpet in 301 square meters. He is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

There is a Health Trail - a 36-kilometer-long concrete road that is located near Ashgabat and was supposed to serve to improve the health of its inhabitants. In 2000, the former president of Turkmenistan forced his entire cabinet of ministers to pass through it from the very bottom to the top. Few succeeded. Niyazov himself was delivered to the top by a helicopter.

Over 14 thousand monuments and busts of Turkmenbashi have been installed throughout Turkmenistan. Several gold statues of Niyazov have been installed, among which stands a huge 14-meter rotating after the movement of the Sun sculpture in Ashgabat worth $ 10 million.

The country has large reserves of natural resources. Spend as they can. Mostly they build huge buildings and make roads. Along ideal roads - ideal stopping complexes, inside which TV-plasmas and conditioners.

And here there are two Ashgabat. One for the select. Everything is beautiful, stylish, marble. Most of the buildings were built by the French. And there is another city - former Soviet buildings remember? Streets? Approaches? Here everything is still left. Only almost all the roofs are plugged with satellite dishes. They are hundreds of towers over the houses of the old, still Soviet-built.

A new city, one that for the elect is almost empty. City without people. Machines and police. They are everywhere. Prohibit taking pictures. Almost always, as soon as you throw up your hand with the camera or with the phone. Asking to wipe. Not allowed, they say. All questions are answered with stubbornness - it is not allowed.

Cheap gasoline. 4 cents per liter. Utilities in a month cost 2-3 dollars a maximum. Nobody saves electricity. Everything is burning and sparkling. So with water. Here it is also not very protective. A hairdresser in a beauty salon, for example, made me a scalp massage alternately with cold and hot water, and lasts for half an hour.

There is one place in Turkmenistan called Darvaza. True, the locals call it the Gates of Hell. In 1970, during the exploration work, the breed failed and methane emerged from within. It was decided to set this gas on fire to avoid jeopardizing neighboring villages. According to calculations, the gas was to burn for a few days. But it still burns. More than forty years. Therefore, the Gateway to Hell. They say that at night everything is especially ominous. Although the day is also impressive.

Turkmen women are very beautiful. Slender, precise figures, beautiful faces. The vast majority in national dresses up to the floor, in kerchiefs skillfully mended on their heads.

There is practically no crime. Drug addiction and, consequently, addicts - also. One day, all those who traded foolishly disappeared from the city. They received 25 years in prison, they will not return soon.

In the country a rigid vertical of management. All decisions are made personally by the president, all are accountable to him as well. He examines everything, goes everywhere and controls everything.. Television broadcasts the first person almost in a round-the-clock mode. Citizens every minute see how the president cares about the country. Newspapers are all owned by the authorities. Many and often publish congratulations to the President on various holidays from collectives, foreign leaders, the subordinate president. Sometimes such congratulations from the first to the last page can be printed for several issues. Naturally with a lot of photos on all pages of the same person.

Here, few people will be frank with you, but it is impossible not to notice that now in Ashgabat there was some kind of relaxation, curiosity towards the outside world, they argue and get involved in the discussion. Two years ago, privatization of housing was allowed and you can take a mortgage for the purchase of housing. Canceled ten strange laws adopted under Niyazov (a ban on wearing a beard, gold teeth, schooling only 9 years and 2 years in a university, etc.).

The driver with whom we are going, suddenly tells me: - Here you can live, but you need to let us go, do not push so much. It is necessary to give some freedom.

In Turkmenistan, by the way, there is a visa for exit from the country of citizens.

Now all the forces are thrown on the preparation of the 5th Asian Games in indoor and martial arts. Opening will take place on September 17. Here is built an incredible number of Olympic venues. The total value of the Olympic town of 30 objects - 5 billion dollars.

I fly away. Again I go through a complex identification procedure. But this time everything happens faster. For 50 meters I only have 5 times to look at the passport. And wish a pleasant flight.

Gonna fly Now. Maybe someday I'll be back here..

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