For the lovers of photo art the “Ferula” club gained its fame in Turkmenistan relatively recently. In the jubilee year for the country, the 30th anniversary of Neutrality, it turns 10 years old.

Initially conceived as an ordinary photography enthusiasts studio, over time it has grown professionally from the level of an ordinary participant in city and national competitions, to rivalry with international masters.

The club got its name from a plant that grows in the sands of the Karakum. This is a rare perennial herbaceous plant, in the bowls of the petals of which moisture collects and accumulates, which is a thirst quencher for the inhabitants of the desert. So the members of the club, in their opinion, like the desert Ferula, strive not only to reflect the beauty of nature and the values of our existence, but also share it with those who long and strive to explore our world in all its multicolor and diversity.

Much has been written and said about modern Turkmenistan, a country of neutrality. However, as the Ferulians rightly believe, the best addition to any narrative is a vivid, visual illustration. Indeed, sometimes a successful photo can say more than the most winning, effective word or phrase of a journalist. That is why the work of master photographers, who provide an illustrative chronicle of the life of modern neutral Turkmenistan, is so valuable. Their works are becoming the hallmark of the country in the most remote corners of the world.

Today, “Ferula” unites photography enthusiasts of various ages and professions. Over the years of its existence, tens of citizens of velayats (regions) and the capital of Turkmenistan have acquired professional photography skills. Some have achieved good results, having received awards of various advantages at the most prestigious republican and international competitions. Among them, it is fair to mention Svetlana Krupskaya, who, having received an architectural education, realized that she lacked the skills of photographic vision of objects. That's how she ended up at “Ferula”, and today she is actively working in the genre of street photography. Another member of the club, Sergey Mirzoev, has loved photography since childhood. He was a multiple winner and prize-winner of various photo contests. Now he is successfully published in the journals of Turkmenistan. Akhmet Tangrykuliev is currently successfully specializing in so–called industrial topics.

Another student of the club, Alina Tolstikhina, has achieved significant success in the art of photography. In her first photo contest, held a few years ago in Austria, she immediately became the winner of a gold medal. Among the successful students of the club, it is also worth noting Akhmed Halliyev, Suleiman Charyev and Begench Shikhliyev.

These “Ferula” students, being a united team, who worthily represented Turkmenistan at the 15th FIAP World Cup among clubs — the World Cup for Clubs. At that time, more than two hundred teams representing different countries of the world took part in the tournament. The debutants from Turkmenistan showed excellent results and made the most favorable impression on the organizers of the competition. Subsequently, the team work of the club members were exhibited at photo exhibitions in India and Turkey.

Many of the club's students over time grew to the level of real professionals: Alexey Gimaletdinov, for example, now is a photojournalist at the State News Agency of Turkmenistan, his colleague is Meret Roziev, and another Ferulian, Hassan Magadov, is a leading photojournalist of the “Neutral Turkmenistan” newspaper.

However, talking about the Ferula club, it is impossible not to mention the man who initiated its creation and remains today a kind of "motor", the soul of the club. His name is well known not only among professionals of photography in Turkmenistan, but also far beyond its borders – Vyacheslav Adamovich Sarkisyan.

For almost half a century of his professional activity, he participated in dozens of international photo contests and photo salons of FIAP (the International Federation of Art photography under UNESCO) in three dozen countries of the world, from where he brought the scattering of gold, silver and bronze medals. The subject of its special pride is the gold medal in the nomination "Architecture" of the most massive international photo contest "Austrian Super Circuit".

The recognition of the highest professional skill of a photographer according to the FIAP rating is the award of the title "FIAP Artist", and the best of the best are awarded the title "Outstanding FIAP Master". In order to qualify for the highest titles, their applicant must pass a certain qualification selection, regularly exhibiting his images at international photo shows under the patronage of FIAP in different countries of the world and exhibiting dozens of works at international exhibitions. The requirements are quite stringent, and units of thousands of photo artists are awarded the main FIAP awards. However, in the elite team of both owners of the highest titles of FIAP there is also the name of the photomaster Vyacheslav Sarkisyan.

A non-standard, inquisitive look at the surrounding reality, the ability to see the original, virtuoso possession of the composition of the frame, and finally, the natural flair of the exclusivity of the moment - all this remains a sign of high skill, which is not available to everyone who picked up the camera.

By passing on his rich experience to his students, it is precisely these qualities that Master Sarkisyan develops. It is worth noting that largely thanks to his efforts and efforts of numerous pupils of “Ferula”, today the image of the country of neutrality is created, which becomes brighter and closer to many and many people, both in Turkmenistan and beyond it.