The ceremony of lighting the lights on the country's Main New Year tree, traditionally preceding the events in honor of the arrival of the New Year's holiday, took place today in the Turkmen capital.

According to the State News Agency of Turkmenistan, the green beauty, crowned with an eight-pointed star and the numbers 2022, is installed in the center of the fairytale town, arranged on the square in front of the Älem Cultural and Entertainment Center, where New Year's celebrations are held annually.

The height of the country's main tree, dressed in a sparkling robe of numerous crystal snowflakes, colorful balls and lanterns, beads, tinsel, LED garlands, is 38.5 meters, its diameter is 16 meters.

By the way, in recent years, the central New Year tree of Ashgabat ranked first in the rating as the highest among the New Year trees in the capital cities of the CIS countries.

On New Year's days, this bright symbol will become the most attractive attraction for residents and guests of the Turkmen capital, which celebrated its 140th birthday in the year that entered the chronicle of the country's modern history as the year of the 30th anniversary of the independence of the Motherland.

It is also worth noting that at the initiative of independent, permanently neutral Turkmenistan, 2021 was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly as the International Year of Peace and Confidence. And it is no coincidence that children open the New Year's celebrations - the most privileged part of our society, the future of the country.

Every year young Ashgabat residents meet and accompany Ayaz Baba and his granddaughter Garpamyk to the central New Year tree, introducing their long-awaited guests to the changes that have taken place over the past year in the form of the rapidly developing main city of our country.

Even today, a special route of the New Year's motorcade ran through the new urban area, starting from the intersection of Bitarap Turkmenistan and Archabil avenues. A magnificent view of the new buildings of the Turkmen capital opens from here. One of them is the Ashgabat Shopping and Entertainment and Business Center, where all conditions have been created for interesting and informative leisure of the townspeople and especially children.

Then Ayaz Baba and his granddaughter Garpamyk moved from the convertible to a snow-white phaeton and, accompanied by dexterous horsemen of the Group of National Equestrian Games "Galkynysh", prancing on magnificent Ahal-Teke horses, as well as the young owners of the Turkmen capital, accommodated in a double-decker elegant bus, continued festively decorated New Year's Eve Ashgabat.

The participants of the show rode along residential "high-rise buildings", admired the architectural appearance of the new objects of the Turkmen capital. At the modern buildings of ministries and departments that formed a business center on Archabil Avenue, there are elegant Christmas trees, which, in the course of the Ayaz Baba phaeton, flashed with bright lights from his magic staff.

Finally, the caravan arrived at the Älem Cultural and Entertainment Center, where the Main Christmas Tree was installed. The approach of everyone's beloved holiday, covered with ideas of fairy-tale magic, is especially noticeable here.

At the entrance to the wonderful country, guests are greeted by figures of characters from Turkmen fairy tales, heroes of cartoons beloved by children, drowning in multi-colored lights.

The original flavor is created by models of ancient fairytale fortresses and oriental bazaars with their inherent attributes.

Compositions around trees and shrubs are also decorated with a decor of light structures, multi-colored lamps, which in the evening create the effect of the whole New Year's ensemble floating in the air.

Ayaz Baba and Garpamyk are greeted with joyful, sonorous greetings and cheerful songs by smart children.

Young artists of the Palace of Children and Youth, art schools, as well as children's dance ensembles of Ashgabat prepared their creative gifts for them. Children dressed in costumes of animals - symbols of the Eastern calendar are invited to a round dance at the Main Christmas tree of the country.

On behalf of the young people of Turkmenistan, Ayaz Baba and his companion Garpamyk are addressing President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and his native people with heartfelt congratulations on the coming New Year, wishing happiness, health, great success in implementing progressive transformations in the name of the well-being and prosperity of the Motherland.

They thank the leader of the nation for the tireless care of children, the creation in the country of all the necessary conditions for the all-round harmonious development of the younger generation.

And, of course, the culminating moment of the merry New Year's performance was Ayaz Baba, a beautiful Christmas tree that sparkled at the wishes of the children and with a wave of the magic staff. Myriads of bright lights announced the imminent arrival of a magical and mysterious, cheerful and kind New Year's holiday.

The celebration continued with a concert, which took place on the stage set up in front of the Älem Cultural and Entertainment Center.

On behalf of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the children received wonderful gifts in memory of the unforgettable event.

Following the green beauty of the capital, all the New Year trees installed in the velayats on festively decorated squares in front of the buildings of the “Turkmen white yurts”, as well as in the centers of cities and villages of the country, sparkled with lights.

From today, festive events in honor of the upcoming 2022 will be held here.