Rasool Hamzatov

Rasool Hamzatov / Rasul Gamzatov (8 September 1923 – 3 November 2003) was born 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. Rasool Hamzatov is among the best known poets of Avar language. His poem ‘Zhuravli’ became a well known Soviet song. He was awarded The State Stalin Prize in 1952, The Lenin Prize in 1963 and Laureate Of The International Botev Prize in 1981. Punjabis know him through his book ‘Mera Dagistan’.