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Central Asia
Turkmenbashi orders "ice palace"
2004-08-12
Sneer quotes mine.
Turkmenbashi President Niyazov of Turkmenistan has ordered the construction of a palace made of ice in the heart of his desert country, one of the hottest on earth. It is the latest in a series of improbable colossal building projects instigated by the incredibly insecure all-powerful president that seem to defy the country's environment. "Let us build a palace of ice," said President Niyazov, "big and grand enough for my bodyguards 1,000 people."
"Let us feed our families", said the Turkmenis, "and scratch out a meager existence in this blasted wasteland of a country."
President Niyazov made the announcement in a speech broadcast on Turkmen television, which in effect made it a presidential order. The idea is to build the palace in the Copa Deg Mountains outside Ashgabat, now baking in the summer heat, with a long cable-car running up from the city. "My Our children can learn to ski," Mr Niyazov enthused, "we can build cafes there, and restaurants." President Niyazov's extravagant buildings are a hallmark of his monomaniacal idiosyncratic regime. He is currently building one of the biggest mosques (!) in the world, and has a chain of convenience stores conventional palaces. But the latest have a special quality - of challenging Turkmenistan's desert environment. As well as the ice palace, there is to be a vast aquarium. The projects tend now to be sites of recreation for gullible reporters the people, like a Disney-style theme park instead of state palaces. That is in keeping with Mr Niyazov's image as a servant of his press people, who lays on every sort of amenity for them.
Um, okay, if you say so...
Ice palaces were popular in the Soviet Union, to which Turkmenistan once belonged, but they were built in the freezing cities of the north, far away. The Turkmen mountains are relatively high, but it is hard to imagine the palace being built remaining frozen without some sort of technical help.
Cable cars! Cafes! Skiing! Shopping!!! When's the next plane to Turkmenistan?
Air Ukraine has hourly flights, check Expedia.
Posted by:Seafarious

#7  And soon:

"We the Turkmenbashi declare only melons may be members of the legislature. Therefore when We go and consult with them, and We have dissent. We can eat the offending politician. When Our session with the new Melonatti is done, We can go outside Ashgabat, and counsult with our new ministers at the Equine Leisure Center."

"Scribes- chisel this in stone. We desire it!"
Posted by: BigEd   2004-08-12 5:04:41 PM  

#6  Ed, you frighten me.
Posted by: Secret Master   2004-08-12 11:46  

#5  "bring me... a shrubbery an ice palace!"
Posted by: Frank G   2004-08-12 09:50  

#4  I doubt that Ed. Some wiseguy like Vlad would have offed him first.
Posted by: Spot   2004-08-12 09:33  

#3  Niyazov was the head of the Turkmen S.S.R. Communist Party when the Soviet Union fell, so the post fell into his lap. Just think, the USSR could still be together, and Niyazov could have risen to become the head of the USSR.
Posted by: ed   2004-08-12 01:34  

#2  I've become convinced Kerry isn,t modeling his life after JFK, instead it's Martin Sheen movies.
First there is Apocalypse Now and going upriver into Cambodia.
Then the War at Home and Chicago 8.
Now he is imitating Senator Sleazebag in the Dead Zone.
For the 2005 viewing season, Kerry wants to do a West Wing reprise.
Aren't there anti-stalking laws to prevent this?
Posted by: ed   2004-08-12 01:26  

#1  >>When’s the next plane to Turkmenistan?

I'm packing my bathing suit ice skates!
Posted by: laughing   2004-08-12 01:18  

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