Love Me Turkmenistan

Nicolas Righetti

London

Saparmurat Niyazov, President of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic of Turkmenistan, died early on 21st December 2006 in a strange new world of his own creation.
His official title, bestowed on himself, was ‘Turkmenbashi’, or ‘leader of Turkmen’.
The surreal reality that followed was a twenty-year long dictatorship, considered one of the hardest in the world, where he gave his people free salt, electricity and gas – but also the lowest minimum wage possible.

As a graphic solution for the book we used with each vivid image alongside an actual quote from Niyazov, forming a strong and often outrageous commentary.