Template:Russia portal/Featured picture
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The Gamayun (russ.: Гамаюн) is an immortal prophetic bird in Slavic mythology with a girl's head. She is one of three prophetic birds of Russian folklore, alongside Alkonost and Sirin. Her auguries are hard to hear because she comes with the noisy storm. She lives on an island in the east near paradise. The Gamayun is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge. The bird is similar to the bird Phoenix. The painting is by Viktor Vasnetsov, 1897. Vasnetsov's version of the picture dated 1889 inspired the poet Alexander Blok to write a poem which was set to music by Dmitri Shostakovich 1967 (opus 127-2: Seven Romances on Poems by Blok for soprano, violin, cello and piano). Listen (mp3) and view the picture.
