ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the case study of nation-building in Turkmenistan in order to make two distinct contributions to the literature on nation-building. It attempts to provide further empirical material on a country that is largely unknown. The chapter focuses on way the personality cult was created, maintained and developed points at the constant rediscovery of national values that seem to be linked with a territory and a people rather than with a single ethnic group. Spontaneous nation-building is defined as political measures not specifically targeting national identity that end up affecting the national identity narrative in a given context and non-political measures. The Golden Age of Turkmen became one of the principal slogans under Niyazow. Ruhnama has served, since its publication, to highlight independence and neutrality as well as the role of president Niyazow in the process of state and nation-building in Turkmenistan.
