22 октября - День белых журавлей

The history of the poem

Dagestan poet Rasul Gamzatov wrote the poem “The Cranes” after coming back from Hiroshima. The theme of cranes was inspired by visiting the monument to the Japanese girl who suffered from leukemia after the nuclear explosion in Hiroshima.

Sadako Sasaki hoped that she would recover if she made a thousand of paper cranes – origami. There is a legend in Asia that if a person makes a thousand of paper cranes his wish will come true.

When Rasul Gamzatov was flying home from Japan he thought about his mother, who died when he was in Japan. Also, he thought about his elder brother who perished (погиб) in the battle under Sevastopol and another elder brother Akhilchi, having disappeared during the Great Patriotic War. The result of this war became the victory over Nazi Germany and military Japan.

The Crane is a beautiful bird!

In Japan a crane is a symbol of long life and prosperity.

In China this bird symbolizes immortality.

In African folks this bird is a messenger of Gods.

In the Christian culture it is a similar symbolism: the crane is related to loyalty, patience and integrity.

October 22. The Day of White Cranes

For more than 20 years in many cities of former USSR October 22 is the Day of White Cranes. It’s the holiday of poetry and memory of all people who died in different wars, this holiday is out of time and space. What’s most important that this day in international, as this day we remember people died in Khatyn and in Hiroshima, in Groznyy and in Bagdad, in New York and in Beslan.

Dagestan

Kaluga

Kingisepp

Kislovodsk

Lugansk

Saratov

St Petersburg

Northern Ossetia.

Seven cranes

Seven brothers

Gazdanovy.

Nobody came back…