August M
Authoritarian states often impose controls that reach deep into everyday life. Alongside grand displays of power, small and seemingly arbitrary restrictions can reveal how tightly societies are managed from the top.
A recent LADBIBLE report on Turkmenistan highlights how these rules affect ordinary experiences, from shopping to communication, in one of the world’s most closed countries.
Cut off and controlled
Access to information is heavily restricted in Turkmenistan. According to LADBIBLE, most social media platforms are banned for the general population, making it impossible for people to freely share images or opinions online.
During a visit by journalists from Nova Productions, one man claimed to have access to Instagram and showed them his account.
The team later learned he was officially authorised to use the platform to attack critics of the regime rather than to communicate freely.
Daily life is also marked by shortages. The reporters visited a supermarket where many products were past their expiry dates, with some items labelled as expiring in 2022, underscoring the gap between official imagery and lived reality.
Power and spectacle
Dictatorships often rely on elaborate ceremonies and monumental architecture to project strength, LADBIBLE notes.
These displays are designed to glorify leaders and reinforce loyalty, even as much of the population lives under repression.
North Korea is frequently cited as the most extreme example, with rigid controls on movement and media, alongside vast construction projects that do little to improve daily life. Turkmenistan follows a similar pattern, albeit with its own distinctive aesthetic.
The country is ruled by former dentist Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and his son, Serdar, who have presided over an array of unusual regulations.
An empty city
Despite an official population of around 900,000, the journalists reported seeing few pedestrians and only a handful of cars.
They concealed their profession and were warned by their handler to return before nightfall. “It would be much better for your safety if you come back before 11 o’clock,” they were told.
An 11.00pm curfew introduced during the Covid pandemic remains in place, leaving the streets completely empty at night, LADBIBLE reports.
Sources: LADBIBLE
