President of Turkmenistan unveils giant statue of his favorite pet | the Chronicle

Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, President of Turkmenistan unveiled a monumental statue gold in tribute to the breed of his favorite dog, the Pastor Alabay.

News from Central Asian country went viral after media BBC Mundo publicize the history of the 6-meter-long sculpture.

Next to the statue, President Berdymukhamedov wrote a long poem on the celebrated race, which exists in countries like Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

The monument was installed as national pride symbol, since the animal depicted is used by local shepherds to work in the field. These dogs protect sheep and goats from wolves and dwelling houses. They are also used in combat, one of the entertainment of local society.

The new statue is not the first sculpture unveiled by the Turkmen leader, who features a statue of himself on horseback honoring him from a crossroads.