The dictator's dog

Behold the Mighty Leader's pet dog 

Long time Flares readers will know that, from time to time, I rant and rave about the insane dictators of Turkmenistan. Most dictators are fond of putting up statues to their own glory. The leaders of Turkmenistan are no exception, and they take that urge to lunatic heights. 

I've often made fun of the previous Turkmen ruler, the late and not lamented Turkmenbashi, and the ridiculous golden statue of himself that twirled around and around so he always faced the sun. That masterpiece of dictator kitsch has since been slightly desecrated by moving it to the suburbs of Ashgabat and unplugging its electric motor. 

However, never fear, the former dentist and current President for Life of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has not deserted the tradition of erecting preposterous monuments. One of his latest, unveiled in November of 2020, is a giant golden statue of a dog of the Alaby breed, a Central Asian sheep herding dog. 

He owns a dog of the same breed -- I don't know its name so I'll call it Fluffy so's we know who I'm talking about. Anyway, although I'm not sure (and when did that ever stop me?), I like to think that the statue's model was Fluffy, so I imagine it is a statue of the dictator's dog. Yea, that's some sketchy reasoning, but it's good enough for me. All hail Fluffy!                            

Wider view of Fluffy's statue

Berdymukhammedov and his beloved pet Fluffy

Fluffy gets introduced to Vladimir Putin