Poet Rasul Gamzatov died in Moscow

Poet Rasul Gamzatov died on Monday morning in Moscow at the age of 80.

Gamzatov had been receiving treatment at the Moscow Central Hospital and his discharge was planned for Monday.

Gamzatov was decorated as a People's Poet of Dagestan. He was born on September 8, 1923. He had been a member of the Union of Soviet Writers since 1943, and the Board Chairman of the Union of Dagestani Writers since 1950.

Gamzatov's first book of poetry was released in the Avar language in 1943. He wrote dozens of books in poetry and prose and articles in the Avar and Russian languages, including "My Heart Belongs to the Mountains," "Cranes," "Tales" and "The Wheel of Life." Raymond Pauls, Yuri Antonov, Alexander Pakhmutova and other composers wrote music to Rasul Gamzatov's lyrics.