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Left: Ashgabat Tele-radio Center, in the hills overlooking Ashgabat. Right: A holdover from the Soviet era, Saparmurat Niyazov had been promoted within the communist party for his deference (Moscow was worried about nationalist sentiments in the distant Central Asian republics). After the collapse of the soviet union Niyazov found himself at the helm of an independent nation and a cult of personality. Gas revenues funded a descent into an increasingly bizarre dictatorship – dogs were banned, hospitals and libraries were closed outside of the capital, and months of the year were renamed after members of his family. (© Amos Chapple)
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