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  Posted By:
  petrovna at 04/13/2008 11:32:19 PM
  Comment:
  THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS!!!!
  As a (white) Russian immigrant, I would like to point out that to my knowledge
  Pushkin's blackness is never denied. I would say that Russians are generally more "cultured" than most Americans (and I would consider myself more American in this regard) and so it is actually common knowledge to all that Pushkin's grandfather was Ethiopian, and black. If anything, it adds an interesting element to Pushkin's identity (for the average Russian).
  
  I don't think most people attribute his works to his African origins, though. As any Russian child, teenager, or adult would tell you, Pushkin is considered by all as the father of Russian literature, and Russian folklore.
  
  He was one of the first to write for the masses in the Russian language, since before that French was the language of the nobility and of conversation among the upper classes.
  
  Pushkin was the one who would put into writing an incredible amount of Russian folklore, told to him by his Russian nurse. His writings are the basis of Russian children's (and adults) conception of Russian myths and fairytales. His works are the basis for my identity as a Russian. To this day, memorization of his beautiful poetry are standard practice for schoolchildren.
  
  Everyone knows Pushkin was (part) black. Everyone considers him of the most important (if not THE) contributer to Russian literature. He is one of the heroes in Russian history. This is neither because of, nor despite of, his blackness.
  
  Nevertheless, I think it's important to point out his blackness to the world, especially, as the blog says, to the would be perpetrators of neo-nazi nationalistic crimes in Russia. They definitely know Pushkin was black, I think they just prefer to ignore a black person's contribution to their country's identity.
  
  And in Pushkin's case, "contribution" really means "foundation."
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  Posted By:
  youngglobal at 02/11/2008 3:19:51 PM
  Comment:
  You should check out the Black Maestro if you find this story interesting.
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  Posted By:
  bgish at 02/08/2008 1:27:56 PM
  Comment:
  "Pushkin's great-grandfather, Abram Gannibal, was born in Sub-Saharan Africa, probably on the territory of what is now Cameroon, in the late 17th century."
  
  Actually his great-grandfather was from east africa as then known as Abyssinia or current Ethiopia.