DUSHANBE, October 15, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- The Russian Embassy in Dushanbe and Tajik Academy of World Poetry yesterday held a meeting of friends of international known poet Rasul Gamzatov in Dushanbe.  

The meeting was dedicated to the 85th anniversary of birthday of People’s Poet of Dagestan.   

Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan, Mr. Ramazan Abdulatipov, inaugurating the meeting noted that the meeting was dedicated not only to pay tribute to the great Dagestan poet but also to mention “commonality and deep interpenetration of historical fortunes of Russia and Tajikistan.”   

Known Tajik poets Mumin Qanoat and Gulrukhsor Safiyeva, academicians Talbak Nazarov and Muhammadjon Shukurov, Kazakh Ambassador to Tajikistan Abdutalip Akhmetov, and others attended the meeting.   

Rasul Gamzatov wrote in his native Avar language, a language spoken by no more than 500,000 people. Yet even so the Avars along with the Darghins, Lezghins and Kumyks are among the largest ethnic groups in the two-million population of Daghestan, where 36 different languages are spoken.

He was probably the most famous poet writing in the Avar language.  Among his poems was Zhuravli, which became a well-known Russian song.