ABSTRACT
Among the artifacts that were part and parcel of Niyazov's cult there is a curious painting by G. Nurlyev entitled The Turkmen Kaaba. The title refers to Gök Tepe, the location of the 1881 battle that became the main site of collective identity in independent Turkmenistan. The Niyazov cult has often been compared to Stalin's, indicated as its main source of inspiration. Niyazov himself denied this genealogy, stating that 'Stalin achieved his personality cult through repressive measures', whereas he had achieved his popularity 'without conflicts' and denying that his was a personality cult. The Niyazov cult grew intertwined with a Turkmen version of 'official nationalism'. Like Qadhdhafi, Niyazov tried to neutralize the disruptive potential of tribes by denouncing tribalism as an obnoxious and backward remnant of the past and at the same time integrating them into his power structure. If the distant past was glorified, conversely, the Soviet past was either downplayed or rejected.
