Turkmenistan Life & Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

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Contemporary Music

It’s a Marvel vs. DC Musical Battle – in Turkmenistan

A Turkmen string orchestra plans to perform soundtracks from Marvel and DC superhero movies in Ashgabat this month. On September 17, the Tahir Atayev Orchestra will play theme music associated with Spider-Man, Thor, Batman, and other comic-book icons, promising “a true symphonic confrontation between two worlds.” The event will happen at the Magtymguly National Music and Drama Theater, one of Turkmenistan’s most important cultural venues. The theater, which has a dome and marble columns, can seat about 750 people. Ashgabat Events, a local platform, provides a phone number for ticket inquiries, but doesn’t say how much they cost. The Tahir Atayev Orchestra has sometimes moved beyond classical or conventional repertoire since making its debut in 2018. In June 2020, it joined with vocalists to perform versions of hits by bands such as Queen, AC/DC, and Scorpions in a well-received concert titled “Heat.” “We’ll continue performing and strive to continue surprising audiences with creative ideas, original execution, and discovering new stars,” conductor Tahir Atayev said after the 2020 rock show, according to Golden Age, a state media outlet in Turkmenistan. As it prepares for the superhero concert, the orchestra is relishing not only the childhood and often lifelong feelings that superhero stories evoke, but also the traditional, fan-fueled rivalry between the Marvel and DC franchises. “This is more than just a concert,” the orchestra says. “It’s a clash of two universes, two eras, two musical worlds and two legends that millions of people can recognize within the first few seconds.” Turkmenistan’s government maintains tight media and other restrictions, and it is difficult to assess the popularity and accessibility of superhero movies and other cultural imports in the country. However, the promotional material of the Tahir Atayev Orchestra suggests that organizers believe some portion of the population is familiar with and enthusiastic about the Marvel and DC films. At the beginning of this year, the Zaman-Türkmenistan newspaper reported that the “eagerly awaited” Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three will be released in theaters on December 18, leading to the creation of the term “Dunesday.” The newspaper says it delivers information worldwide via its website and mobile app, but is also printed by state publishers and distributed to “all regions” of Turkmenistan.

World Nomad Games

World Nomad Games Return Home as Kyrgyzstan Welcomes World Leaders

Few periods since independence have put Kyrgyzstan so squarely in the international spotlight. On August 31, the country marked 35 years of independence, opened the sixth World Nomad Games, and prepared to host a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit that has brought more than a dozen foreign leaders to Bishkek. The Games themselves were back where they began. Kyrgyzstan launched the World Nomad Games in 2014 and staged the first three editions at Cholpon Ata before the event moved to Turkey in 2022 and Kazakhstan in 2024. This year's Games run through September 6, with The Times of Central Asia reporting from Bishkek and Issyk-Kul throughout the week in our special coverage. The opening took place at the new Bishkek Arena, rising out of the dust on the southwestern edge of the capital near the foothills of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range. Around 30,000 spectators attended the ceremony. The stadium will eventually hold more than 51,000, but it is not formally due to open until October 5. The Games opened while work on the arena was still underway, with parts of the building still looking unfinished. In the weeks before the ceremony, horses had circled the arena floor during rehearsals while drilling continued around them. By the time the spectators arrived, the construction site had become the biggest show in town. Before the politics and pageantry, there was pop. Kyrgyzstan put many of its best-known performers on stage in a concert that at times had a distinctly Eurovision feel. Energetic hosts introduced a succession of singers and rappers while tightly choreographed dancers moved between traditional dress and contemporary styling. The lineup included Bayastan, Malika Dina, Erlan Andashev, Begish, and others, but veteran singer Baktiyar Toktorov received the loudest reaction. When he launched into "Yza," known almost universally by its "Bui-Bui" refrain, spectators rose from their seats and sang with him. Even some of the security guards joined in. The refrain does not demand many words, but almost everybody in the arena seemed to know them. The new stadium also showed some early teething problems, with concession stands running out of bottled water and food as crowds built. After the concert, the momentum disappeared. The audience waited for around 90 minutes while footage of arriving dignitaries played on the giant screens. The reason for the pause soon became clear, as one motorcade after another delivered guests for the formal ceremony. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko were among those in the stands. The presidents of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan also attended, along with leaders and senior officials from elsewhere in Asia, the Caucasus, and Africa. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was among the international guests. One expected heavyweight was missing. Chinese President Xi Jinping, in Bishkek for a state visit and the SCO summit, had been due to attend the opening. Presidential spokesman Askat Alagozov said Xi had stayed away because of the deadly flooding and landslides in...

Fashion

Turkmen Fashion Heads to Paris

Designers from Turkmenistan will display their ready-to-wear clothing at Who's Next in Paris, an international fashion trade show that runs from September 5–7. Under an EU-funded initiative, four designers and brands from the Central Asian country will participate in the show, according to the International Trade Centre, an agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organization that promotes small and medium-sized businesses in emerging economies. They are Mukaddes Ibragimova, whose work includes corsets, jackets and trousers in denim, embroidered silk and garments using ikat, a dyeing and weaving technique; Desert Heritaga, which works with handwoven silk, cotton, linen and camel wool; Aymahri Boutique, whose hand embroidery on linen is inspired by Nisa, an ancient capital of the Parthian Empire that lies near modern-day Ashgabat; and Binaym Project, which draws on traditional Turkmen techniques for its denim patchwork. In June, the TurkmenTextile Expo in Ashgabat highlighted the role of traditional textiles in fashion and featured the Eurasian Council for Craft & Design, a platform that promotes regional designers and artisans. Turkmenistan has said it is increasing investment in spinning, weaving, knitwear, sewing production, and other aspects of its textile industry. Part of that effort has included the introduction of new production technologies from Japan and Europe. Turkmen officials say they are bringing the textile industry into line with international standards despite concerns about labor conditions during the annual cotton harvest.

Chess

Turkmenistan’s Allayar Shirliev Wins Abu Dhabi Chess Tournament

Allayar Shirliev was a conscripted soldier when he became Turkmenistan’s national chess champion in 2024 and has said he wants to break the world record for playing the most games simultaneously while blindfolded. The 22-year-old Turkmen player has now won a chess tournament in the United Arab Emirates, the Turkmenportal platform and other media reported. Shirliev won the Open A tournament at the 32nd International Chess Festival in Abu Dhabi, which was held from August 15 to August 24. The Open A category is for players with a rating of 2299 and below under the rules of FIDE, the international governing body of chess. The top ten players in the world all have ratings above 2750. Shirliev, whose chess title is candidate master, entered the Abu Dhabi tournament with a classical chess rating of 2184, and his victory is expected to raise his rating by about 40 points when FIDE publishes new figures. He won eight out of a possible nine points in the competition, drawing with two players who have the more advanced international master title, Bashir Eiti of Syria and Richilieu III Salcedo of the Philippines. In a separate category, Uzbek grandmaster Jakhongir Vakhidov won the masters tournament for players with a rating of 2,300 and above in Abu Dhabi. Next month, Uzbekistan will host the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, fielding a team led by Javokhir Sindarov, winner of the FIDE Candidates Tournament in April. Born in Ashgabat, Shirliev is eager to push his limits. In April 2021, he played 25 games simultaneously while blindfolded and was planning another 30-game event, state media in Turkmenistan reported. Then, in July of that year, he played 40 games blindfolded, according to the InAshgabat news site. The world record for simultaneous games while blindfolded is held by Uzbek-born Timur Gareyev, according to Guinness World Records. He played 48 games at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas in 2016. He won 35 games, drew seven, and lost six. Hungarian grandmaster János Flesch played 52 opponents simultaneously while blindfolded in Budapest in 1960. But the performance wasn’t recognized as a world record.

Central Asian Music

Central Asian Music Takes the Stage in Berlin

Young Central Asian musicians have featured at the ongoing Young Euro Classic festival in Berlin. Since its beginnings in 2000, the festival has brought youth orchestras from around the world to the German capital, while the later addition of the Future Now series as a “festival within the festival” opened it to smaller experimental ensembles. It was not the first time that orchestras and smaller groups from Central Asia had performed at Young Euro Classic. Kazakh musicians had appeared before, including at the 2024 festival. Turkmen musicians also performed in Berlin later that year as part of the separate FUTURE NOW – Central Asia festival. However, this year’s performances introduced two new groups to Young Euro Classic audiences. On August 1, Mohiron from Dushanbe opened the Future Now series. The six Tajik musicians played traditional Tajik melodies, their own compositions, and arrangements of Western music at their sold-out concert. Their interpretations of Vivaldi’s “Escala Palladio” and Zequinha de Abreu’s “Tico-Tico” drew particularly enthusiastic responses from the audience. On August 9, the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Turkmenistan made its Young Euro Classic debut in Berlin. The orchestra traces its roots to a chamber ensemble founded by conductor Rasul Klychev in 2007, which had previously performed elsewhere in Germany. Klychev and his musicians introduced the audience to Turkmen orchestral classics alongside contemporary works by American composer Aidan Gold and French composer Pierre Thilloy, both receiving German premieres. Highlights included the demanding piano concerto by Turkmen composer Chary Nurymov, performed by the young pianist Shaislam Komildjanov, and the final “Danzón No. 2” by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez. The audience gave the performance a standing ovation. As much of Central Asia remains relatively unfamiliar to many German audiences, the concerts offered a chance to introduce the region and its musical traditions. The appearances may also create further opportunities for the musicians to represent their countries elsewhere in Germany and Europe.

Turkmen Embroidery

Turkmen Embroidery Showcased at International Fashion Event in France

Turkmenistan’s traditional textile art and national costumes were presented at Art-Storytelling Paris-Deauville, an international fashion event held in the French seaside town of Deauville. The event brought together designers, fashion industry professionals, cultural organizations, and members of the diplomatic community from Europe, North Africa, and Central Asia. Turkmenistan was represented by designer Jennet Agayeva, head of the embroidery department of the Women’s Union of Turkmenistan, alongside representatives of the Women’s Union and officials from the Embassy of Turkmenistan in France. The event also included designers from France, Vietnam, Morocco, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, who presented collections combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary fashion. Turkmen embroidery, officially listed by UNESCO as Turkmen-style needlework art, is one of the country’s best-known forms of traditional decorative art. In 2022, UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The embroidery is known for intricate geometric and floral patterns. Its traditional palette of red, yellow, black, and white has cultural significance in Turkmen heritage.