The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic was a Soviet socialist republic that existed from 1925 to 1991, with Ashkabad (Ashgabat) serving as its capital. The republic was created from the Turkestan ASSR, the Khorezm People's Soviet Republic, and the Bukharan People's Soviet Republic, and the Soviets banned most religious schooling and religious observance, closing the vast majority of mosques in the country. During the 1930s, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union fostered the development of a Turkmen political elite and supported Russification. The Turkmen SSR remained a quiet Soviet republic until August 1991, when, following the failed August Coup in Moscow, Turkmen leader Saparmurat Niyazov called for a popular referendum on independence. On 27 October 1991, the Supreme Soviet declared independence.
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