Alexander Pushkin

Asmara, 28 November 2009 - The newly erected Pushkin Monument in Asmara was inaugurated today.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in which Government and PFDJ officials, members of the Russian Parliament and invited guests took part, the Administrator of the Central region, Mr. Tewolde Kelati, pointed out that the erection of the full-size Monument in Eritrean in honor of the renowned Russian poet Alexander Pushkin is the first of its kind in Africa.

The monument and the subsequent opening of the Pushkin Cultural Center would make due contribution to the development of culture, arts and education at the national and region level, he added.

Mr. Tewolde further stated that the erection of the Pushkin Monument would serve as a link between two cultures, though geographically wide apart. He further noted that Eritrea believes in the development of closer cultural exchange on the basis of equality on the part of the two sides.

The Administrator went on to express appreciation to all the parties, inducing the Eritrean-Russian Cooperation Association that made the necessary contribution to the successful accomplishment of the erection of the Pushkin Monument.

Also speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Elena Drapeko, Member of the Russian Parliament, explained that Pushkin’s great artistic works are treasured worldwide, and said that the renowned poet was proud of his African origin. She further expressed hope that the erection of the Monument would play due role in enhancing Eritrean-Russian relations.

A number of artistic presentations were staged during the inauguration ceremony, according to reports. Source: (Shabait)

Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was the creator of modern Russian Literatur and therefore, one of the greatest poet in European and Russian history. Pushkin is comparable to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, in terms of the cultural heritage he left behind for mankind and the world. As a person Alexander is described as a man who expressed his love for humans, nature and simplicity through his scripts, poems and written tales.

His liberal views mixed with a new style of story telling sometimes caused him trouble with the authorities of his time, nevertheless he managed to revolutionized and form Russian Literature as we know it today.

He wrote one of his biggest master pieces, the novel Eugene Onegin, around 1825. Pushkin was born in Moscow and was regarded as a talent, who published his first poem at the age of fifteen, before his academic education in Saint Petersburg had even started.

Alexander’s great grand father was Abram Petrovich Gannibal, who was born in 1696 in Loggo Sarda a place close to Dekemhare at the Mareb River in Eritrea. Abram was brought by Emperor Peter the Great as a child to Russia and was baptized having Peter as his godfather.

According to historians, the boy was not the only black child to be taken from his native home in Africa during this era. Monarchs in Europe used to regard it as trendy at the time to have black children around their royal yards.

Pushkin’s grand father enjoyed academic education in science, arts and warfare in Paris, under the umbrella of the royal Tsar family. As a high ranking monarch Abram later became a general, military engineer and governor of Reval, which is known today as Tallin the capital of Estonia.