Behind the Bastards

Part One: Turkmenbashi: The Dictator Who Declared Himself Jesus

Mar 26, 2019
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ANECDOTE

Near Miss and Unexpected Snow

  • David Christopher Bell almost hit a jaywalker with his car.
  • Bell's parents moved to Los Angeles to escape snow, only to experience the city's first snowfall in decades.
ANECDOTE

Niyazov's Early Life

  • Saparmurat Niyazov, born in 1940, faced early hardships: his father died fighting Nazis, and an earthquake killed his remaining family.
  • Despite growing up in an orphanage, Niyazov excelled academically, earning a power engineering degree.
INSIGHT

Niyazov's Rise to Power

  • Niyazov's career began smoothly, rising through Communist Party ranks and becoming Turkmenistan's leader under Gorbachev.
  • When the USSR collapsed, he declared Turkmenistan's independence, securing his position in the new nation.
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