President of Turkmenistan attends Remembrance Day ceremonies

Thursday, 06 October 2011 00:00

The 6th of October is a mournful day in Turkmenistan when the ceremonies in commemoration of victims of the disastrous Ashgabat earthquake take place throughout the country. 63 years have passed since this tragic event in the history of the Turkmen people that still echoes painfully in the heart of every citizen of Turkmenistan. On the night of the 5th and 6th of October of 1948 the earthquake razed the beautiful and blooming city and its vicinities to the ground bringing the bitterness of orphanhood and irretrievable loss. One of the greatest earthquakes of the XX century had a magnitude of 10.
After decades, during the years of independence the world has known the truth about the real effects of the disaster, and the people of our country were allowed to follow the national traditions and observe this sorrowful day as the nationwide day of mourning paying tribute to the memory of the relatives and loved ones.
On the Remembrance Day the flags were lowered throughout the country. It is deeply symbolical that this mournful date has fallen on the day when the Turkmen people usually commemorate the deceased members of their families and friends and their ancestors and, of course, the prominent sons of the Turkmen nation on Thursday evening, ‘anna agshamy’. The prayers for the peace of souls of our compatriots whose lives had been taken away by the natural disaster were offered up and commemorative sadaqahs were given in accordance with Muslim rituals and national traditions.
In the morning on October 6 the Chairperson of the Mejlis, the Vice Premiers, the representatives of ministries and departments, the elders and citizens of Ashgabat and Ahal Velayat laid flowers to the memorial complex near the Mosque of Spirituality built in commemoration of victims of the 1948 earthquake in Gypjak settlement.
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov attended the commemoration ceremony.
Ceremony participants including the cabinet ministers, khyakims of Ashgabat and velayats, the heads of the Mejlis, the military and law enforcement agencies, the public organisations of the Galkynys National Movement and diplomatic mission accredited to Turkmenistan and mullahs gathered together in front of the Mausoleum at the Mosque of Spirituality.
Following the call of their hearts, thousands of citizens of Turkmenistan came there on that day to commemorate the deceased relatives and loved ones, all compatriots who had passed away prematurely.
The President’s car stopped on the square in front of the memorial complex. The Mufti of Turkmenistan, the Chairman of the Council for Religious Affairs under the President of Turkmenistan, the Manager of the Mosque of Spirituality and other ceremony participants heartily greeted the Turkmen leader.
Then the Turkmen leader laid a wreath of flowers to the memorial complex and bowed his head in deep sorrow. As is known, the 1948 tragedy plucked the life of the grandfather of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Berdimuhamed Annaev, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, school teacher and enlightener, who had dedicated himself to the noble mission of educating and upbringing rural children.
Then ceremony participants laid flowers to the memorial complex. Numerous bouquets of flowers covered the marble slabs of the monument within a few minutes. A remembering prayer was offered up in the mausoleum.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the Vice Premiers, heads of the military and law enforcement agencies visited the place of burial of Saparmurat Niyazov and his relatives where the Mufti of Turkmenistan recited a prayer for the peace of the souls of those untimely deceased.
Then the Turkmen leader and ceremony participants headed for the place where a sadaqah was given. All those present greeted President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov there.
Addressing ceremony participants and guests, the Turkmen leader said that our bravery people had gone through terrible ordeals in the 1940s, including the Ashgabat earthquake in 1948.
The Turkmen leader noted that the terrible natural disaster which had gone down to history of mankind occurred on the night of the 5th and 6th of October. Within a few minutes it razed the city sand its suburbs to the ground burying hundreds of thousands of human lives under the ruins and crippling thousands of people.
During the days of the Ashgabat earthquake citizens of Turkmenistan and brotherly peoples of different countries demonstrated fortitude, humanism, compassion and mercy towards the suffering country and its citizens, continued President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Working day and night tirelessly and demonstrating patience and endurance, our courageous people together with all peoples of the great country who had come to the aid restored the city in a short period of time.
Independence presenting freedom and happiness to our people had given the second life to our white-marble Ashgabat, said the President of Turkmenistan. Our capital that symbolizes the concern for the present and future generations and embodies the dream of the people is growing and beautifying before our eyes.
The Turkmen leader emphasized that high-rise apartment houses of an original architectural style, modern kindergartens and higher educational institutions, other numerous social and cultural facilities, wonderful parks, public gardens and alleys, beautiful fountains made our city especially attractive and charming. Today Ashgabat that underwent this ordeal has turned into a pearl of Central Asia and become one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Then the Turkmen leader stated that further measures would be taken to develop and beautify the capital so that it would become one of the beautiful capitals of the world.
63 years have passed since the Ashgabat earthquake. However, the memory of our compatriots killed at that night was sacred for us, emphasized President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Today we pay tribute to the memory of earthquake each year at the national level, and the Remembrance Day is observed in our country on October 6.
In the regions of the country and at our embassies in foreign states the national flags were lowered in memory of victims of the Ashgabat earthquake. Bouquets of flowers were laid to the monument and memorial complexes, the mourning activities, prayers and sadaqahs were given in memory of victims.
We will never forget our relatives, loved ones and compatriots killed at that horrible night, we will have the memory of them in our hearts forever, said President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. May all your prayers offered up in commemoration the deceased and the prayers for the glory and prosperity of the beloved Motherland, may sadaqahs you have given on this day be accepted by Almighty Kabul bolsun! May peace and wellbeing, unity and solidarity reign forever in the Turkmen land!
Then the President gave the floor to the Mufti of Turkmenistan who recited the prayer tebarek.
After the commemorative dinner was concluded, the remembering prayer ayat-towir was offered up for the peace of the souls of victims of the Ashgabat earthquake and Turkmen citizens deceased prematurely.
On that day the commemorative ceremonies, public prayers and sadaqahs took place in the capital and regions of the country.

State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH)