Dagestan marks 90th anniversary of Rasul Gamzatov's birth

On September 8th Dagestan and the whole of Russia celebrate the 90th anniversary of Rasul Gamzatov's birth. On this day the acting head of the Dagestani republic Ramazan Abdulatipov and the acting prime minister of Dagestan Abdusamad Gamidov visited Gamzatov's grave.

Rasul Gamzatov is believed to be the most famous poet writing in the Avar language. Among his poems was Zhuravli, which became a well-known Soviet song. He was awarded the prestigious State Stalin Prize in 1952, The Lenin Prize in 1963, and Laureate Of The International Botev Prize in 1981.

Rasul Gamzatov was born on September 8, 1923, in the Avar village of Tsada in the north-east Caucasus.