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He prides himself like a lion on top of a shelf. The dictator’s favorite dog has been given eternal life.
The statue of the golden Alabay dog is six meters high. Photograph: Vyacheskav Sarjisyan / AP / NTB
The President of Turkmenistan has shown the greatest honor to his favorite breed of dog.
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov unveiled the 20-foot tall statue of the dog Alabay in the capital Ashgabat on Tuesday.
Alabay is a Central Asian sheepdog bred in Turkmenistan. The breed of dog is listed as part of the country’s national heritage along with handcrafted rugs and Ahal Teke horses.
This is not the first time the president has honored the race. Last year he honored the canine breed with a book.
The majestic dog statue stands in the middle of a roundabout. Photograph: Vyacheskav Sarjisyan / AP / NTB
In stark contrast to the population
The magnificent statue stands in stark contrast to the poor population of Turkmenistan.
The country is ranked as one of the countries with the least freedom of expression by the press freedom organization RSF, just one place above North Korea.
The golden statue is placed on a huge pedestal in a rotunda.
The area in which it is located is a very narrow residential area that is specially designed for public officials, according to Eurasianet.
Located on an LED screen
The statue is of a peculiar type. It has an LED screen on the large shelf with video recordings of Alabay dogs in different situations.
It’s unclear how much the statue cost, according to the BBC.
State media say the statue should reflect the pride and self-confidence of the dog breed.
During the inauguration, a boy is said to have received an Alabay dog as a gift.
Here President Gurbanguly Berdymukham is riding a horse on a previous occasion. Photo: Igor Sasin / AFP / NTB
It is not the first statue
President Berdymukhamedov has previously admitted his love for local Ahal Teke horses.
Horses must be especially known for their beauty and special strength.
In 2015, the president unveiled a golden statue of his favorite horse with a warrior on horseback.
The president is known for his riding skills and likes to compete on horseback. In that regard, it is said that he fell off his favorite horse in a rather spectacular way after a race in 2013. A video is shown. But authorities were silent about the incident.
Putin has a dog
From time to time, the president has gifted a horse or puppy to leaders of what he describes as “friendly nations.”
Among them are the late President Islam Karimov, an emir and Vladimir Putin of Russia.
Berdymukhamedov has previously been criticized for the way he handled Putin’s dog after a video went viral in 2017: The president grabbed the dog by the neck and held it in the air.
