Mukhamednazar Gapurov

Gapurov, Mukhamednazar 

Born Feb. 15, 1922, in the village soviet of Amu Darya, Chardzhou Raion, Turkmen SSR. Soviet government and party figure. Member of the CPSU since 1944. Born into a peasant family.

In 1954, Gapurov graduated from the Chardzhou State Pedagogical Institute, where he had been a correspondence student. From 1941 to 1943 he took part in the Great Patriotic War. In 1943—44 he was head of a school and director of studies. From 1944 to 1948 he was an instructor, section head, and secretary of the Sakar Raion committee of the CP of Turkmenistan. From 1948 to 1951 he was first secretary of the Chardzhou Oblast committee of the komsomol; and from 1951 to 1955, secretary of the Central Committee of the Lenin Communist Youth League of Turkmenistan. From 1956 to 1957 he was head of the agitation and propaganda department of the Chardzhou Oblast committee of the CP of Turkmenistan; from 1957 to 1959, secretary; from 1959 to 1962, first secretary of the Chardzhou Oblast committee of the CP of Turkmenistan; and from 1962 to 1963, secretary of the Central Committee of the CP of Turkmenistan. In 1963 he became chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Turkmen SSR. In December 1969 he became first secretary of the Central Committee of the CP of Turkmenistan. He was a delegate to the Twenty-second, Twenty-third, and Twenty-fourth Congresses of the CPSU. At the Twenty-third Congress he was elected a candidate member, and at the Twenty-fourth Congress he was elected a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU. He was a deputy to the sixth, seventh, and eighth convocations of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Gapurov has been awarded the Order of Lenin, three other orders, and medals.