October 22 is the celebration of the White Cranes. This memorable day is known not only throughout Russia and in the CIS countries, but also far beyond their borders. The great holiday is dedicated to the memory of soldiers who died in the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War, and buried in mass graves. Such a poetic name appeared thanks to the poem of the same name by R. Gamzatov. It was he who became the founder of this wonderful memorable day.
about the author
The poet was born in September 1923 in the village of Tsada, located in Dagestan. Poet and laureate of the State Prize of the Soviet Union.
He graduated from the Aranin school and the Avar pedagogical school. At the end, he worked as a teacher, then an assistant director, correspondent in the newspaper "Bolshevik Gor", was an editor in the radio committee of Dagestan. Since 1945, begins training at the Institute. Maxim Gorky in Moscow. Since 1951, Rasul Gamzatovich served as chairman of the Union of Writers of Dagestan. In this position he stayed until the end of his life.
Gamzatov began his career with nine years. Very early, his poems hit newspapers and magazines. The first collection of poems was published in 1943 in Avar. Many of his works later became songs.
Rasul Gamzatovich has a lot of government awards, titles and prizes. His name is widely known outside of Russia and the CIS countries. The writer died in 2003, is buried near the Tarki-Tau mountain, next to his wife’s grave.
History of the White Cranes
October 22 is marked one of the saddest holidays honoring the memory of those who died during the Great Patriotic War. But why did cranes become a symbol of celebration? Honoring soldiers takes place on October 22. The holiday of the White Cranes was suggested to be celebrated by the poet Gamzatov Rasul Gamzatovich. He is the author of the eponymous poem Cranes.
Initially, this day was celebrated only in Dagestan, but very soon many cities and countries of our vast Motherland took over. The poem written by Gamzatov also changed. The poet wrote in the initial version a line: "It sometimes seems to me that the dzhigits ...", which was subsequently changed. The initiator of this change was Mark Bernes - the first performer of the song. The deep meaning of this soulful work made a great impression on the songwriter. The singer suggested changing the word "dzhigits" to a synonym - "soldiers". It was in this version that a huge audience heard the song.
The lines of the song became the epigraph for the holiday.
In Dagestan, the celebration takes place in the village of Gunib. Representatives of various peoples try to come here on October 22. The White Cranes Festival is a symbol of endless peace and solidarity in many fraternal countries and republics.
The impetus for writing a poem was the sad event that occurred in Japan, which the poet visited. In August 1945, an atomic bomb hit in Hiroshima.
The explosion affected tens of thousands of people. So, one little girl, who was only 8 years old, named Sadako Sasaki, became a victim of radiation sickness. According to Japanese tradition, if a sick person makes a thousand origami cranes, tsuru, he will recover. Sadako tried her best to make a thousand paper cranes, but only 644 in time. This story amazed the poet to the core, and he wrote the poem "White Cranes."
In August 1986, a monument with the image of cranes was first opened. The grand opening took place in Dagestan. At the heart of his composition are cranes. This first “crane” monument was the starting point for the celebration of the days of the “White Cranes”.
Crane Symbol
Why is the crane the symbol of this poetic holiday? In many cultures, the white crane is the personification of spirituality, peace, light and warmth. In Japan, this is the personification of longevity, in China - a symbol of immortality, in Christianity - decency and patience, among the African peoples - the messenger of the gods. In the Caucasus, it is said that the souls of warriors who died in battle turn into snow-white cranes and soar upward.
In many cultures, the crane is a mediator between the worlds of humans and gods. It is a bright sign of liberation and immortality, symbolizing peace and prosperity.
Poetic solidarity
Annually, on October 22, it invites the White Cranes literary festival to schools, libraries, universities, clubs of writers and poets, and many other institutions in our country and abroad.
The epithet of celebration is Gamzatov’s poem “White Cranes”. Rows of this creation open events, they are immortalized in a stone of gravestones.
Traditionally, the White Crane festival takes place on October 22. The script is written using a huge number of poems. These poetic sketches are dedicated to soldiers who gave their lives in battles for their homeland.
Immortalized in stone
In 2009, UNESCO proclaimed: October 22 - the White Cranes Festival, putting it on the international list of memorable events. This is a celebration of solidarity and a poetic song about dead soldiers around the world. The meaning of this memorable date was the commemoration of the memory of the innocent soldiers who left during various wars around the world, which, unfortunately, continue to the present day.
Most often, memorials are performed in the form of eternal flame, cranes, the image of the mother and the soldier. The holiday was the beginning of the creation of "crane" monuments throughout the vast world.
White Cranes Festival - October 22
You can see the photo of the "crane" monuments on this page. In 1986, the first such monument was opened in the village of Gunib. Every year at the memorial on October 22, celebrations are held for soldiers who have not returned from the battlefield. Here, under the white Russian birches, the soldiers of the Absheron Regiment and the highlanders of Shamil lie.
In 1980, a memorial was opened in St. Petersburg under the name Cranes.
In Saratov there is the highest “crane” monument on Sokolovskaya Mountain. The opening took place in 1982 on May 9. The design consists of 5 levels, each of which symbolizes the city, for the liberation of which the Saratovites fought. Three forty-meter arrows are framed by cranes, as a symbol of freedom and purity.
In 2015, in honor of the celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the Great Victory over the Nazis in Astrakhan a memorial was erected under the name “White Cranes”.
It is located in Victory Square. A stele fourteen meters high gives rise to cranes, soaring up above the monument. It is a symbol of infinity and purity.
Interesting Facts
After the opening of the first “crane” monument in Dagestan, commemorative sculptures depicting soaring cranes began to be erected throughout the country and beyond its borders. Nineteen of these monuments are best known in the vastness of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Dagestan and many other countries and republics.
After the performance of the song “White Cranes” by Mark Bernes , its popularity began to grow outside the country. The event became especially popular thanks to the inclusion of this significant day on the UNESCO list. British artist Mark Almond recorded a single in English called The Storks. In 2008, the Polish band Majdanek Waltz recorded the song Zurawi.
Conclusion
Be sure to visit the "crane" monument on October 22. The holiday of the White Cranes symbolizes not only the blessed memory of the dead soldiers, but also the hope for a bright peace time. Respect the feat of ordinary soldiers defending their homelands and our mighty power.