Ruhnama Monument

To commemorate this sacred text, a lavish monument was erected in the southern part of Ashgabat, in Independence Park. The monument is a striking replica of the Ruhnama itself and features the unique ability to open and display documentary films about the formation of the Turkmen nation when night falls.

Located in Independence Park, the Ruhnama monument is situated near Lenin Avenue. Between 2001 and 2006, the book was translated into forty languages, with a total print run exceeding one million copies. The Ruhnama combines moral guidance and philosophical reflection with legends and historical excursions, divided into five chapters:

1. Turkmen
2. The Path of the Turkmen
3. Origins of the Turkmen Nation
4. Statehood of the Turkmen
5. The Spiritual World of the Turkmen

Turkmenbashi envisioned the Ruhnama as a «moral constitution for the Turkmen,» requiring:

• Every citizen to study it in school, read it at work and at home, and prisoners to swear an oath on it before their release.
• It to be taught as a separate subject in all schools and universities in Turkmenistan.
• Knowledge of the book to be mandatory for professional certification across all sectors. For example, Turkmenistan’s Minister of Communications, Akmura-dov, required periodic exams on the Ruhnama for all industry employees, with the process recorded on video.
• Every organization to have a designated room or corner for the Ruhnama.

September 12th was established as Ruhnama Day, a national holiday. The month of September was renamed «Ruhnama» and Saturday became «Ruhgyun» («Spiritual Day»), dedicated to studying the book.

September 12th was established as Ruhnama Day, a national holiday. The month of September was renamed «Ruhnama» and Saturday became «Ruhgyun» («Spiritual Day»), dedicated to studying the book.

Foreign companies operating in Turkmenistan were also required to translate the Ruhnama into their languages. For instance, Erich Jonscher, head of DaimlerChrysler, gifted a German edition of the book to Turkmenistan’s leadership as a token of appreciation for a seven-year contract for truck supplies.

In early 2006, Turkmenbashi ordered the construction of a new university named after the Ruhnama to positively influence the development of the Turkmen state. The university was intended to focus on the humanities and natural sciences, with a particular emphasis on literature.

Despite these grand plans, the death of Turkmenbashi in late 2006 marked a rapid decline in the Ruhnama’s popularity. By spring 2009, Turkmen authorities began removing copies of the book from all institutions and enterprises. The time had come for the new national leader, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, to start writing his own books.

The decline in the Ruhnama’s popularity was also reflected in the monument, which no longer displays films at night. The revered book’s prominence faded quickly, just ten years after its inception.