He was born on January 17, 1934 in Kyzyl-Arvat. He lost his parents early, and was brought up in an orphanage. After graduating from the 7th grade, the director of the orphanage he stayed at sent him to a 3-year medical school, in which the teacher arranged for him to work in the school library, but the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake interrupted his studies, after which he returned to his orphanage without documents.