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

The young Rasul, The young Rasul, impatient of any impatient of any interruption, would interruption, would listen for hours on listen for hours on end to the Avar end to the Avar stories, legends and stories, legends and fables his father fables his father would relate. would relate. «When I was quite «When I was quite small,» he recalls, small,» he recalls, «he would wrap me «he would wrap me in his sheepskin in his sheepskin cloak and recite his cloak and recite his poems to me, so I poems to me, so I knew them all by knew them all by heart before 1 ever heart before 1 ever rode a horse or rode a horse or wore a belt."wore a belt."

Gamzat Tsadasa and Young Rasul

He was eleven when he wrote his first verse, He was eleven when he wrote his first verse, lying on a bull’s hide on the balcony at home. lying on a bull’s hide on the balcony at home. It was a poem about the local boys who ran It was a poem about the local boys who ran down to the clearing where an aeroplane down to the clearing where an aeroplane landed for the first time in 1934.landed for the first time in 1934.His father was his first tutor in the art of His father was his first tutor in the art of poetry. «Of my early poems he said that if poetry. «Of my early poems he said that if you rummaged in the ash you might find at you rummaged in the ash you might find at least a glowing ember,» Rasul recalls.least a glowing ember,» Rasul recalls.

He studied at the pedagogical institute and, He studied at the pedagogical institute and, in 1940, returned to teach in his village in 1940, returned to teach in his village school for a short time. He then took on a school for a short time. He then took on a series of jobs, including director's assistant series of jobs, including director's assistant in a traveling theatre troupe, and worker for in a traveling theatre troupe, and worker for radio as well as the newspaper radio as well as the newspaper Bolshevik Bolshevik GorGor..

In 1945 with a few In 1945 with a few books of his own in books of his own in Avar tucked under his Avar tucked under his arm and with a arm and with a meager sum of money meager sum of money in his pocket, he in his pocket, he arrived in Moscow to arrived in Moscow to enter the Gorky enter the Gorky Institute of Literature. Institute of Literature. There in the There in the stimulating company stimulating company of younger poets and of younger poets and under the guidance of under the guidance of veteran writers he veteran writers he studied Russian and studied Russian and world literature and world literature and the craft of poetry. By the craft of poetry. By turns he fell in love turns he fell in love with Blok, with Blok, Mayakovsky, Yesenin, Mayakovsky, Yesenin, Pasternak, Tsvetayeva, Pasternak, Tsvetayeva, Bagritsky, the Avar Bagritsky, the Avar Makhmud and the Makhmud and the German Heine. German Heine.

But Pushkin and But Pushkin and Lermontov remained Lermontov remained his constant love.his constant love.Over the past fifty Over the past fifty years Rasul years Rasul Gamzatov has been Gamzatov has been one of the most one of the most prolific of Soviet prolific of Soviet poets. From his pen poets. From his pen have come short have come short love lyrics, long love lyrics, long narrative poems, narrative poems, ballads, epigrams ballads, epigrams and philosophical and philosophical octaves, which have octaves, which have won him millions of won him millions of devoted readers.devoted readers.

He lived with his He lived with his three charming three charming daughters Zarema, daughters Zarema, Patimat and Salikhat Patimat and Salikhat in Makhachkala, the in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan capital of Dagestan on the shores of the on the shores of the Caspian. His home Caspian. His home was open to all. With was open to all. With pride in fine pride in fine craftsmanship he craftsmanship he showed friends his showed friends his collection of splendid collection of splendid swords, riding cloaks, swords, riding cloaks, wine horns and the wine horns and the rust-brown pottery rust-brown pottery for which Dagestan is for which Dagestan is famed. famed.

Of the land of Of the land of his birth, of its his birth, of its people and its people and its poets he had poets he had drawn a drawn a fascinating, fascinating, intimate and intimate and human portrait human portrait in his recent in his recent prose volume of prose volume of musings and musings and reminiscences reminiscences «My Dagestan».«My Dagestan».

Winner of a Lenin Winner of a Lenin Prize for poetry Prize for poetry and honoured and honoured with the title of with the title of People’s Poet of People’s Poet of Dagestan, Rasul Dagestan, Rasul Gamzatov is a Gamzatov is a well-known public well-known public figure, chairman figure, chairman of the Union of of the Union of Dagestan Writers. Dagestan Writers. He has traveled He has traveled widely in Europe, widely in Europe, Asia and America.Asia and America.

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

According to old According to old legend the horseman legend the horseman who rode across the who rode across the world distributing world distributing languages threw a languages threw a whole sackful into the whole sackful into the mountain gorges and mountain gorges and told the people, «sort told the people, «sort them out your-them out your-selves!»selves!»So the problem of So the problem of translation is a translation is a familiar hurdle to the familiar hurdle to the people of Dagestan, people of Dagestan, where books are where books are written and published written and published in nine different in nine different languages.languages.

In 1959, Gamzatov was In 1959, Gamzatov was declared a People's Poet declared a People's Poet of Dagestan. In 1974 he of Dagestan. In 1974 he became a Hero of became a Hero of Socialist Labor. Socialist Labor.

In 1950, Gamzatov was In 1950, Gamzatov was named Chairman of the named Chairman of the Dagestani Writers Union, Dagestani Writers Union, a post he held until his a post he held until his death.death.

In connection with the In connection with the approach of Gamzatov's approach of Gamzatov's 80th birthday, the entire 80th birthday, the entire of 2003 was declared the of 2003 was declared the Year of Rasul Gamzatov Year of Rasul Gamzatov in Dagestan.in Dagestan.

On 3 November On 3 November 2003, Rasul 2003, Rasul Gamzatov Gamzatov passed away in passed away in the Central the Central Clinical Clinical Hospital in Hospital in Moscow.Moscow.