Rasul Gamzatov

Rasul Gamzatov (Avar: Расул ХIамзатов) was probably the most famous poet writing in the Avar language. Among his poems was "Zhuravli", which became a well-known Russian song.

He was born on September 8, 1923, in the Avar village of Tsada in the north-east Caucasus. His father, Gamzat Tsadasa, was a well-known bard, heir to the ancient tradition of minstrelsy still thriving in the mountains.

Gamzatov was awarded the prestigious State Stalin Prize in 1952, The Lenin Prize in 1963 and Laureate Of The International Botev Prize in 1981.