The development of culture and state ideology based on the Turkmen nation’s spiritual values is a special and priority objective of President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov’s multifaceted policy. Specified tasks given to the relevant senior officials by the head of state at the enlarged Cabinet session held on July 7 to sum up the six-month outcomes, serve as an illustration of this. As the top-priority tasks, the head of state identified the need to make the most of the material-technical base created in the sphere in recent years, and to popularize the Turkmen people’s spiritual values and history taking full advantage of the national satellite. Special accent was placed on the importance of continuing efforts to strengthen our country’s cultural ties with other countries in the region and across the world, to discover talented performing artists and make them known to the international community, and to develop friendly relations with foreign cultural and art workers. Further improvement in the fields of culture and mass media aims to make our country widely-recognized by the world community as a country that has not only high economic but also spiritual and cultural potential. Conservation, in-depth study, growth and wide popularization of the national spiritual and cultural treasures is the cornerstone of the state policy aimed to enhance spiritual and intellectual potential of society. Massive efforts are today being made in Turkmenistan to ensure fruitful work of specialists who study and preserve the historical and cultural monuments and intangible heritage that have become an integral part of common heritage of mankind. The running year is marked by events which reflect the enormous creative potential of the country’s cultural sphere, including spectacular artistic forums and various activities organized in the country and beyond to popularize Turkmenistan’s national heritage and modern achievements. Culture Days of Turkmenistan in Qatar, timed to coincide with the state visit by President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov to the friendly country, are another testament to the fact that cultural diplomacy plays a significant role in interstate relations. Held in Ashgabat, Culture Week of Iran, Culture Days of the State of Palestine, and Culture Days of the Republic of Tajikistan greatly contributed to mutual enrichment of the nations, and extensive exchange of experience in this area. International partnership in the cultural-humanitarian sphere became the central focus at various events organized to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and the People’s Republic of China, France, the USA, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Japan, India, Italy, and other countries. Speeches by Turkmen cultural workers at the opening ceremony of Turkmenistan Days at the 2017 China Eurasia Expo were instrumental in promoting our country’s achievements. Today, cultural workers, performing artists, and mass media specialists are entrusted with responsible tasks: not only to maintain the nation’s unique artistic traditions, but also to continue them, preserving national cultural identity, and to create literary works, articles, television and radio broadcasts consonant with the spirit of the times. Skilled personnel and qualified specialists are an exceptionally important condition for tackling the tasks in the field of culture as well as for implementing all the socio-economic programs ongoing in the country. Efficient organization of the “Türkmeniň Altyn Asyry” Contest among writers, cultural and art workers, young singers and talented children is one of the short-term objectives. The annual event encourages professional growth of artistic workers, helps to find new talented artists and give young people access to the national cultural treasures. Among the “Türkmeniň Altyn Asyry” Contest winners are representatives of other countries. This serves as a vivid illustration of the openness of our country and national culture, and the rapidly-advancing international dialogue in this field. These awards are not only the recognition of our friends’ talent and achievements, but are also a token of gratitude for their personal contribution to strengthening cultural relations, promoting friendship and cooperation among nations. Many traditional rites and customs practiced during festivities have unique national identity. Folk songs and music, dances, games and fun-filled activities, the generous Turkmen hospitality, competence and skills in arts and crafts, and horse-breeding – this is also an integral part of such a many-sided concept as Turkmen culture. The state provides everything necessary to ensure qualitatively new development of age-old national cultural and artistic traditions, which take on a new meaning today. Present-day reality and technological progress make us look for modern ways of tackling the tasks to achieve the objectives of the country’s cultural development and education, to encourage the participation of young Turkmen people in creative activities, studies of the national heritage, and their self-enrichment. In this connection, the State Committee for Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography of Turkmenistan will have to give special attention to the popularization of national heritage, whose integral part is historical and architectural monuments, splendid samples of arts and crafts, wonderful songs and musical compositions, fine arts, and other national treasures. The popularization of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and the ongoing massive efforts to prepare for the sporting event that promotes friendship and inspiration is identified as one of the top-priority tasks assigned to artistic workers, the country’s mass media, and first and foremost television. The 2017 Asian Games inspire cultural and art workers to create new works of different genres. Many of them were presented during artistic forums, exhibitions and other events in our country. In early April, the Mukam Palace of the State Cultural Center hosted a meeting, which approved the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games anthem. It is the song by the head of state “Turkmenistan, beloved homeland, advance forward and only forward!” The 500-day riding marathon across the country (that will come to an end on the opening day of the 2017 Asian Games at the capital’s Olympic Complex) is a perfect reflection of the nation’s rich culture, historical and cultural heritage, traditions, customs, and modern outstanding achievements. The ongoing efforts to conserve the national historical and cultural heritage also have a close connection with the sporting event in Ashgabat. In this context, the finds discovered this spring by archeologists of the National Department of Turkmenistan for Protection, Study and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments and the Ministry of Culture during the excavations of the medieval settlement of Dandanakan in Mary velayat, serve as a notable example. One of the most astonishing finds was a little faience statuette of a dog that precisely reveals the breed character of the Turkmen alabai. It is symbolic that the Dandanakan statuette has been unearthed in the year which marks the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, whose mascot is the Turkmen alabai.