# Saparmurat Niyazov

_President of Turkmenistan from 1990 to 2006_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/saparmurat-niyazov
Last updated: 2026-11-04

> Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov was a Turkmen politician and dictator who led Turkmenistan from 1985 until his death in 2006. He was the first secretary of the Communist Party of Turkmenistan from 1985 until 1991 and supported the 1991 Soviet coup attempt. He continued to rule Turkmenistan as the first president for 15 years after independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 19 February 1940 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82918#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Gypjak ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82918#P19))
- **Died:** 21 December 2006 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82918#P570))
- **Place of death:** Ashgabat ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82918#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Soviet Union; Turkmenistan ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82918#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; autobiographer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82918#P106))
- **Political party:** Democratic Party of Turkmenistan (1991–2006); Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1962–1991) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82918#P102))
- **Education:** Peter the Great Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University; Higher Party School at the Central Committee of the CPSU ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82918#P69))
- **Spouse:** Muza Niýazowa ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82918#P26))
- **Positions held:** President of Turkmenistan (27 October 1990 – 21 December 2006); Member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee (14 July 1990 – 6 November 1991); people's deputy of union of socialist soviet republics ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82918#P39))
- **Awards:** Order of Neutrality; Order of the Renaissance (Turkmenistan); Order of Friendship of Peoples; Medal "For Labour Valour"; Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin"; Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots; Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class; Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow 1st class; Hero of Turkmenistan; honorary doctor of Baku State University ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82918#P166))

## Questions

**When was Saparmurat Niyazov born?**  
Saparmurat Niyazov was born on 19 February 1940 in Gypjak.

**What positions has Saparmurat Niyazov held?**  
Positions held by Saparmurat Niyazov include: President of Turkmenistan (1990–2006); Member of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee (1990–1991); people's deputy of union of socialist soviet republics.

**Where did Saparmurat Niyazov study?**  
Saparmurat Niyazov was educated at Peter the Great Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University, Higher Party School at the Central Committee of the CPSU.

## Related

- [Serdar Berdimuhamedow](https://diginpl.com/people/serdar-berdimuhamedow)
- [Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow](https://diginpl.com/people/gurbanguly-berdimuhamedow)
- [Absamat Masaliyev](https://diginpl.com/people/absamat-masaliyev)
- [Mikhail Kalinin](https://diginpl.com/people/mikhail-kalinin)
- [Nikolai Ignatov](https://diginpl.com/people/nikolai-ignatov)
- [Vitaly Vorotnikov](https://diginpl.com/people/vitaly-vorotnikov)
- [Nikolai Shvernik](https://diginpl.com/people/nikolai-shvernik)
- [Islam Karimov](https://diginpl.com/people/islam-karimov)
- [Boris Yeltsin](https://diginpl.com/people/boris-yeltsin)
- [Valentina Tereshkova](https://diginpl.com/people/valentina-tereshkova)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Saparmurat Niyazov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saparmurat_Niyazov) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q82918](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82918) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Nyyazov in February 1998.jpg by Danny Gys (CC BY 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nyyazov_in_February_1998.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Saparmurat Niyazov, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Nyyazov in February 1998.jpg — Danny Gys, CC BY 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Saparmurat Niyazov". DigiNepal. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/saparmurat-niyazov. Retrieved 7 November 2026.