Berdymukhammedov's Required Reading

Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov is still removing the legacy of his predecessor Saparmurat Niyavov, but already showing signs of installing a parallel personality cult of his own:

Secondary school students in Turkmenistan returned from their New Year’s break to find a surprise waiting for them: a new collection of required reading material written by, or about, the country’s current president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov.

The Turkmen opposition website “Khronika Turkmenistana” reported about
the additions to the curriculum on January 14, when secondary school students returned to class after the break and were being introduced to Berdymukhammedov’s literary works that included “The Bird of Happiness” (I’m not making this up), “Living Legend,” and “A Good Name Remains Forever.” Also on the list is a book by author Tachmamet Jurdeko about the president, entitled “Dreams Come True,” and poems about Berdymukhammedov penned by poet Gozel Sagulyyeva.