Turkmenistan President Installs Giant Gold Statue of Himself Riding a Horse in the Capital

Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has inaugurated an enormous monument to himself in the capital of Ashgabat.

The Guardian reports the statue is more than 65 feet tall and shows Berdymukhamedov stop a horse rearing up in its hind legs on top of a white marble cliff. The horse and Berdymukhamedov are made from bronze and covered in 24-carat gold leaf. The horse imagery is deliberate and refers to Berdymukhamedov's adoration of equestrianism. He is a regular rider and race, and he has even published books on the matter.

Berdymukhamedov has ruled the isolated, repressive, impoverished Central Asian country since 2006 and is at the center of a cult of personality. He is commonly referred to as Arkadag, which means patron. The patronage network to which he owes his nickname is made possible by the fact that the country has abundant supplies of natural gas and fossil fuels.

The gaudy statue is a continuation of the bizarre ruling style that preceded Berdymukhamedov, who inherited power from Saparmurat Niyazov after his death in 2006. As president, Niyazov took a number of bizarre steps to help cement his rule and foster a cult of personality.

For example, days of the week and months of the year had their names changed to that of Niyazov and his family members. He also closed all of the hospitals and universities that were outside of the capital while banning the circus and opera.

It seemed that when Berdymukhamedov gained power the country would creep somewhat closer to international norms, but this new statue has put those ideas to rest. The statue was also inspired by Niyazov, who had a massive gold sculpture of himself rotate to face the sun built in the capital.