Turkmenistan, a country known for its authoritarian regulation and eccentric decrees, surprises the planet again. State authorities have issued Urgent order for all artists and cultural activists: they must lose unnecessary kilograms and get free of their stomachs by September 27. This date is not accidental – it is Turkmenistan independency Day. The consequences for those who neglect to comply are dramatic: total ban on performances on phase and in front of tv cameras. This unprecedented decision affects thousands of people, putting them before a hard choice: occupation failure or drastic change in form in just a fewer weeks. This information, confirmed by local sources, sheds light on the specificity of state control in this Asian country.
Dracon Warrant Before independency Day. What threatens the Artists?
Artists and cultural workers in Turkmenistan received a clear ultimatum. By September 27, 2025, or to celebrate independency Day, they must accomplish a certain weight and get free of excessive body fat. The directive, revealed by the Turkmenist section of Radio Swoboda and confirmed by activists from the Balkan vilajet, most likely covers all 5 provinces of the country. The superiors in the cultural institutions passed the order in the volume of the opposition“If you do not lose weight, you will be removed from the cultural system.” It means immediate withdrawal from performances on phase and any appearances in public media. Importantly, these rules concern without exception all, even the most titled and valued artists who besides gotta meet fresh requirements.
Healthy Life mode policy and Commercial Reality
The decision of the authorities is part of a wider run to advance a healthy lifestyle, athletics and appropriate nutrition, actively supported by presidents. Already in 2021, the Minister of Culture received a reprimand due to “the obesity of any well-known cultural and artistic activists”. Paradoxically, although authorities require a slender figure, artists point to economical difficultieswhich prevent them from eating healthyly. Their monthly earnings, frequently around 3,000 manates, let only the acquisition of basic products specified as bread, favoring fat. Meat, fruit or vegetables are out of their financial reach, as are gym passes. As the anonymous artist stated: "If we are required to be a figure on the planet level, we must pay a wage on the right level". It is worth adding that the authoritative dollar rate (3,5 manata) is drastically different from the black marketplace rate (even 30 manatas), which additionally lower the real value of the salary.
Precedents: From Police to Artists – Who Next in Turkmenistan?
The current warrant for artists is not an isolated case in Turkmenistan. The country already has a past of akin campaigns affecting another professional groups. In 2017, the Home Office established strict weight standards for militia officers, firing 20 police officers who couldn't lose weight in six months. This run was repeated in 2024 erstwhile 26 overweight police officers lost their jobs, although any of them returned to service after reaching the required weight. akin actions took place in Uzbekistan in 2019, where president Szawkat Mirzijoev openly stated that "nationals are not needed officers and officers with overweight; how will they catch criminals?". Extending these draconian safety requirements to the artistic environment raises concerns about the future and scope of state control on the private lives of citizens in another professions.
Social and Cultural Effects of the Authoritative Decree
The decision of the Turkmenistan authorities has far-reaching consequences, beyond aesthetic issues. First of all, directly threatens careers and livelihoods of thousands of artistswho, in the face of low earnings and deficiency of access to healthy food, face an impossible task. It besides introduces additional stress and intellectual pressure. The consequence may be not only mass release, but besides poverty in the cultural scene The country, forcing talented creators to abandon their profession. These actions are besides a signal to the public growing state interference in individual spheres of lifewhich raises questions about the limits of civilian liberties. In an global context, specified practices frequently face criticism from human rights organisations, as an example authoritarian abuse of power.
A weight failure order for Turkmen artists is another example radical state controlwhich enters profoundly into the lives of citizens. The upcoming independency Day becomes the final date, after which many creators may lose the chance to practice the profession. Faced with low earnings and deficiency of real opportunities for fast change in diet or physical activity, artists face an highly hard challenge. This situation underlines not only the specificity of the Turkmenistan regime, but besides urgent request to pay attention on surviving and working conditions in the cultural sector in that country. The consequences of this decree will be visible after 27 September, changing the face of the Turkmen artistic scene.
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The Turkmenistan authorities have issued an order. Artists have a period to lose weight or no career
