Ramazan Abdulatipov lays flowers at bust of Daghestani poet Rasul Gamzatov in St. Petersburg

Makhachkala, May 26, 2014. On his working visit to St. Petersburg, Daghestani Head Ramazan Abdulatipov laid flowers to the bust of Rasul Gamzatov erected at the Modern Art Museum of the St. Petersburg State University.

He was accompanied by the deputy Daghestan Prime Minister, Permanent Daghestan Representative at the Russian President Alexander Ermoshkin, the minister of trade, investment and enterprise Yussup Umavov, the head of Daghestan Mission in St. Petersburg Gassan Gassanov, his deputy on trade and economic issues, the professor of the Faculty of Philology of the St. Petersburg State University Gazimagomed Gazimagomedov.

Lyudmila Riabokon from the university, who personally knew Rasul Gamzatov, met the delegation in the courtyard of the Faculty of Philology. Welcoming the guests, she noted how close are the cultures of Daghestan peoples and the entire Russian an how they are complementing each other.

Ramazan Abdulatipov thanked the leadership of the university, the initiators of erecting the bust of R .Gamzatov, stressing the importance of the event and the fact that the St. Petersburg State University is one of the first educational institutions in Russia, and the city itself is a recognized cultural and historical center.

"In Leningrad, the greatest kindness and intelligence of the older generation have always been helpful to me. There were many outstanding Daghestani working and studying at the St. Petersburg University. Daghestan science, literature, and culture have left their footprint here. Rasul gamzatov embodies the whole Daghestan literature, because his art reflects the poetic, literary potential of all Daghestan peoples. The monument to Rasul Gamzatov is a monument to the Daghestan culture, a monument to all our poets: Irchi Kazak, Omarla Batyrai, Suleiman Stalskiy, Effendi Kapiev, and many others," Ramazan Abdulatipov said.

Yesterday, Ramazan Abdulatipov and St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko signed the protocol to the agreement on trade, economic, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. One of the joint projects planned for the near future is fixing up a monument to Daghestani who had died defending Leningrad, the project is already underway.

In conclusion, the Daghestan head said that one should always remain a patriot, regardless of his or her place of residence and office.