Unreached People of Russia

Transcription

PRAYER GUIDE
There are 90 ethnic minorities in Russia considered unreached,
totaling over 13 million in population. Most expatriates and even
Russian ministries focus on reaching ethnic Russians. Moscow
operates as the center of the former Soviet world, and nearly
every ethnicity from the FSU can be found there. Most of these
ethnicities are more accessible and open away from their home
location and cultural setting. Pray for effective partnering and
viable strategies to plant churches among them.
Muslims in Russia. Their growth and the ethnic-Russian
decline could make Muslims a majority in Russia by the end of
the 21st Century. The largest groups are Tatars (5.5 million) and
Moscow, Russia’s capital, has the largest Muslim
Chechens (1.4 million), but there are also many Central Asians population of any European city. Estimates range
and peoples of the Caucasus. Undocumented and often illegal, between 5-7 million Muslims (migrant workers, legal
millions of Central Asians live as temporary workers in Russia. Pray and illegal, perhaps as many as 2 million).
for openness to the gospel on the part of Muslims, and a loving and sensitive passion for their salvation on the part
of Christians in Russia.
• Radicalization of Islam. While only around 20% (at most) of Muslims faithfully practice Islam, the radicalization
of Muslims in Russia accelerated due to the Chechen war and foreign Islamist influences. Russian military
belligerence in the south and the equation of Christianity to Russian imperialism make witness to these peoples
difficult for practical, cultural and spiritual reasons.
• Millions of Central Asian immigrants work in Russian cities, most of them undocumented and uncounted in
census figures. The great irony is that without these workers, the Russian economy would violently contract;
and without massive-scale immigration in the future, Russia may become a pale shadow of its former self.
Copyright © 2010 Jason Mandryk and GMI.
• Tatarstan has abundant resources – minerals and farmland. It has a high degree of political and religious autonomy.
– The Tatar have long been Muslim and are Russia’s largest Muslim people (5.5 million) and Europe’s second
largest. They are more numerous in neighboring regions of Russia and Central Asia than in Tatarstan itself. The
majority are nominal or secular; only 10% faithfully practice Islam. Only 10% of Tatars are nominally Orthodox.
For most, to be Tatar is to be Muslim. Since 1991, Islam has advanced from a handful of mosques to over 1,200
and an Islamic university.
– The number of evangelical churches and groups is now possibly over 100. Most are Russian-speaking, but
Tatar believers are increasing. Persecution from government, Muslim and Orthodox circles brings about closer
fellowship among evangelicals historically divided by language and theology. Pray especially for Tatar believers
to be protected.
– Christian ministry. The NT was completed in 2001, and the OT is nearly complete. A Children’s Bible in Tatar is
also published, and, increasingly, Christian books in Tatar are being published. The Eurasian Missionary College
trains workers for the hinterlands of Russia and Central Asia.
• The North Caucasus region lies between the Black and Caspian Seas. There are seven republics and a medley of
50 to 60 ethnic groups of Caucasus, Turkic and Iranian origin. These restive peoples have long resented Russian
domination. The Chechen wars of the 1990s and related terrorist incidents destabilized the whole region. These
regions are not only the least stable but also the poorest, with the highest unemployment and the highest
birthrates as well as widespread corruption. Pray for wisdom, restraint and moderation to replace present
extremes and rhetoric, and for a fair political solution – especially in Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Abkhazia
and South Ossetia.
• Islam predominates in all the indigenous peoples except the Ossetians, a majority of whom are nominal Orthodox.
Islamists, both local and foreign, work to radicalize Islam in this region and to subvert the complex ethnic, political,
economic and religious factors of the North Caucasus conflicts into a jihad defined solely along religious lines. Pray
that Islamist plans may be thwarted and the whole region experience peace, progress and religious freedom.
• The North Caucasus peoples remain some of the least reached on earth, and they live in Europe’s least-evangelized
region. Most of the 50 or so ethnic groups have little by way of Scripture in their languages or churches among their
peoples. Thankfully, this is changing. Groups of believers are springing up through the faithful work of Christians from
the Russian Federation and beyond. An interagency partnership works to bring blessing in Christ to this region; pray
for this partnership. Pray also for IBT and its work of Bible translation in 25 languages of the area.
Copyright © 2010 Jason Mandryk and GMI.
SUGGESTIONS HOW TO USE THIS PRAYER GUIDE:
DEFINITIONS:
At home:
What is a people group?
1. Pray for one people group each day.
2. When you hear about these peoples on the radio, TV, or reading news;
pray for their needs found in the prayer guide and for the news event
that come with them.
3. Read the prayer guide together as a family at home and pray at dinner
time.
4. When you see foreigners on the street, in the market, pray for
them. Perhaps they haven’t heard about God’s love. If they are your
neighbors, get to know them and pray that they would come to know
the love of God.
In church:
1. Pray during the Sunday service for these people groups.
2. If you pray during the Sunday’s service, distribute information sheets
about the people group so that members of the church can continue
to pray at home (see the last page for information on how to receive
prepared leaflets for distribution).
3. You can allocate more time to pray for unreached peoples during a
weekly prayer service.
Islam
Buddhism
Ethnic Religion
Judaism
A significantly large grouping
of individuals who perceive
themselves to have a common
affinity with one another. “For
evangelization purposes, a people
group is the largest group within
which the Gospel can spread
as a church planting movement
without encountering barriers of
understanding or acceptance.“
What is an unreached people
group?
An unreached people group is a
people group among which there
is no indigenous community of
believing Christians with adequate
numbers and resources to evangelize
this people group.
Abaza of Russia
Population: 43,341
Locations:
• Karachay-Cherkessia: 36,919
• Stavropol Krai: 3,300
• Kabardino-Balkaria: 514
The Abaza are a steadfast
and
hospitable
people.
Missions work among the
Karachay-Cherkessia
Stavropol Krai
Kabardino-Balkaria
Abaza will be difficult because of the current turmoil
in the Caucasus region where they live. Although
they embraced Christianity in the 6th century, only
a very few Abaza today have become Christians.
Islam has had a strong hold on them since they
gradually accepted this religion from the 16th to the
19th centuries. Since there are so many Christian
people groups in their area, they are familiar with
Christianity. However, they have no real knowledge
of the saving power of Christ.
www.joshuaproject.net
Photo source: Lawrence Jatker
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers to the
Abaza of Russia.
• Pray that God will give the small number of Abaza believers
boldness to share Christ with their own people.
• Ask the Lord to raise up an army of intercessors who will
stand in the gap for the Abaza of Russia.
• Ask the Lord to soften the hearts of the Abaza so that they
will be receptive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Pray that loving Christians from other ethnic groups will begin
to reach out and share the love of Jesus with the Abaza.
• Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the
Abaza of Russia.
Adyghe of Russia
Population: 124,835
Locations:
• Republic of Adygea: 107,048
• Krasnodar territory: 15,821
• City of Moscow: 648
Moscow
Krasnodar territory
Republic of Adygea
Christianity was brought
to the Adyghe between the sixth and twelfth
centuries, but they have been Muslims for the past
three or four hundred years. Nevertheless, many
pagan relics and some forms of Eastern Orthodox
Christianity still exist in their oral traditions and
Photo source: MIR - Muslims in Russia
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to send long-term missionaries
to the Adyghe of Russia.
• Pray that God will use Christians in Russia to reach out to
the Adyghe.
religious practices. The Adyghe of Russia need
• Ask the Lord to save key leaders among the Circassians
who will boldly declare the Gospel.
Christian laborers to live and work among them.
• Pray for Christian media to be translated into Adyghey.
Like many ethnic groups, they are searching for
• Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking
up the soil through worship and intercession.
national identity.
• Pray that strong local churches will be raised up among the
Adyghe.
Aghul of Russia
Population: 34,160
Locations:
• Dagestan: 28,054
• Stavropol territory: 1,476
• Krasnodar territory: 357
The Agul were converted to
Krasnodar territory
Stavropol territory
Dagestan
Islam after the Arab conquest of
the eighth century. Today, the Agul are virtually all
Muslim, and each village has a central square with
a mosque. While Dagestan is the most solid bastion
of conservative Islam in the former USSR, some
Photo source: Bethany World Prayer Center
© 1999.Used with permission from Globalroar.org
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to go to Russia
and share Christ with the Agul.
• Pray that the doors of Russia will remain open to the
preaching of the Gospel.
pre-Islamic traditions are still practiced. Currently,
• Ask God to use the small number of Agul Christians to share
the message of salvation with their friends and families.
no missions agencies are working among the Agul.
Agul.
Presently, there are only a handful of Agul believers
in Dagestan.
• Pray for completion of Bible translation in this people
group’s primary language.
• Pray for Gospel messages to become available in audio
format for this people group.
Akkin (Chechen) of Russia
Population: 100,000
Locations:
The Akkin people speak Dagestan
a dialect of the Chechen language, and live among 12
mountainous village clusters in the Novolakskoye
region of Dagestan. In 1944, cited along with the
Chechens as Nazi collaborators, the Akkin people
were deported to Central Asia, by order of Joseph
Stalin and the Communist regime. Traditionally,
the Akkin practice Sufi Islam (in the Sunni order of
Islam), but external, missional Salafist (Wahhabi)
movements have attempted to “stamp out” Sufi
practices of Islam throughout Dagestan.
Photo Source: powerofpeace.com
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that the Akkin will come to know the truth of Jesus
Christ.
• Ask the Lord to tear down barriers to the Gospel so that
those Christian workers who live and work among the
Akkin Chechens will see fruit.
• Ask for Christians in Russia to have a burden to share the
Gospel with the Akkin Chechens living in their country.
• Pray that God will establish missionaries among them who
are committed to their needs.
• Pray that God’s Word in print and audio will go forth in
power among the Chechens to bring forth a harvest of
believers.
Andi (Avar) of Russia
Population: 11,789
Locations:
• Kalmykia: 311
Prior to their conversion to Kalmykia
Islam, the Andi regularly visited
Dagestan
a cultic center on the peak
of one of the mountains. This
cult declined after the spread of Islam, but did not
entirely disappear. Even now, in times of summer
drought, men and women ascend the mountain to
perform rainmaking rituals. Today, the spiritual life
of the Andi continues to include various elements of
superstition. According to popular belief, each person
has an invisible doppelgänger (a ghostly counterpart
of a living person). The Andi believe that the events in
people’s lives are thought to be a repetition of what
has happened to their doubles.
© 1999.Used with permission from Globalroar.org
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to supernaturally call Christians who will go to
live and work among the Andi of Russia.
• Ask the Lord to soften the hearts of the Andi so that they
will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Pray that God will increase the very small number of Andi
believers.
• Ask the Lord to bring forth a triumphant Andi church to the
glory of His name!
Arab of Russia
Population: 9,583
Locations:
• City of Moscow: 3,663
• St. Petersburg: 1,115
• Krasnodar Territory: 665
St. Petersburg
Moscow
Being Arab may not be
Krasnodar Territory
one’s primary identity, for
often it tends to compete with
country, religion or sect. But
if the diverse Arab pan-ethnicity is regarded as a
single ethnic group, then it constitutes one of the
world’s largest after the Han Chinese. From the time
of the Arab conquest of the Caucasus in Russia in
the 7th and 8th centuries, many of the small-scale
immigrants from the Arab world had a large part
in influencing and shaping the culture of the local
peoples in Dagestan, which included bringing Islam
to the area. Islam still has a large hold on the Arab
peoples, as well as on the people they influenced.
green.prophet.com
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to soften the hearts of the Arab so that they will
be receptive to the Gospel and that His church will be built
among them.
• Pray that God will increase the very small number of Arab
believers and enable them to share Christ boldly with their
family and friends.
• Pray that God’s Word in Arabic will go forth in power and
might to bring forth a harvest of believers.
• Ask God to break down the barriers and strongholds of Islam
in the lives of the Arab people.
• Pray that, whereas at one time the Arabs influenced many
peoples with the Islam religion, by the Holy Spirit’s power
they would now influence many peoples in the Arabic world
with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Avar of Russia
Population: 912,090
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Dagestan: 850,011
Stavropol Territory: 7,167
City of Moscow: 4,950
Chechnya: 4,864
Moscow
Stavropol Territory
Chechnya
Dagestan
Between the fifth and
twelfth centuries, Georgian
Orthodox Christianity was introduced to the
Avar. However, the influence of Islam was more
lasting, and today the Avar are almost completely
Muslim. The Avar are an extremely devoted people.
They hold fast to their religion, and tradition seems
to keep them from being receptive to the Gospel.
It is important that the Avar know that Jesus loves
them and that accepting Him will help to build up
their entire community.
Photo source: COMIBAM / Sepal
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that Lord will break down the walls of tradition that
are keeping the Avar from receiving the truth of the Gospel.
• Pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal the grace and mercy of
Jesus to the Avar.
• Ask God to raise up laborers who understand the Muslim
culture and can effectively take the Gospel to the Avar.
• Pray that God will grant wisdom and favor to the missions
agency that is focusing on the Avar.
• Pray that loving Russian Christians will have a burden to
share Christ with the Avar.
• Ask God to raise up strong local churches among the Russian Avar.
Avar Subgroups in Russia
People Group Population
Archin
Akhvakh
Bagvalal
Bezhta (Kapuchi)
Botlikh
Ginukh
Godoberin
Gunzib
Karata
Tindal
Khvarshin
Chamalal
2,000
7,930
6,500
9,000
7,200
600
3,000
2,400
6,400
10,000
4,000
9,500
These people groups are part of the Avar-AndiDido (Tsez) world from Dagestan. They live in villages
nestled in the foothills of the mountain slopes of
southwestern Dagestan.
They are Sunni Muslims, but they still practice
animism and live by many superstitions.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for missionaries working in Southwest Dagestan
among these peoples and others on the mountain slopes,
and their protection from fundamentalist religionists
and nationalists.
• Pray for access to the society through their celebrations
and customs.
• Pray that those who go into the marketplace will have
divine encounters with Christians, and be open to
hearing the Gospel.
• Pray for translation of the Bible to begin in these people
• Pray for the availability of the Jesus Film in the primary
language of these people.
• Pray for church planting teams to be sent to pioneer
work among the people in the Caucasus.
Azerbaijani of Russia
Population: 603,070
Locations:
•
•
•
•
•
Dagestan: 130,919
Tyumen region: 42,359
Khanty-Mansijsk: 25,088
Saint Petersburg: 16,613
Saint Petersburg
Khanty-Mansijsk
Moscow
Tyumen region
Dagestan
Russia’s Azeri are primarily Muslims of the
Ithna Ashari tradition, but there are some Hanafite
Muslims as well. Twenty percent of the Azeri in Russia
do not practice any form of religion. Traditionally,
their identity as Muslims was more important to the
Azeri than even their national identity. They believe
that being a «spiritual community of Islam” is much
more important than being a nation. While there is
more freedom to share the Gospel in Russia than in
Azerbaijan, the Azeri remain very resistant. Progress
has been very slow.
Photo source: Azerbaijani Partnership
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to send long-term Christian workers to Russia to
share Christ with the Azeri.
• Pray for God to bring vision for outreach to Russian believers
who are currently living among the Azeri.
• Pray that God will open doors for Christian businessmen to
share Christ with the Azeri.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften their hearts towards Christians
so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Pray for God to give wisdom, favor, and strategies to the
missions agencies that are focusing on the Azeri.
• Ask the Lord to raise strong local churches among the Azeri.
Balkar of Russia
Population: 112,924
Locations:
• Kabardino-Balkaria: 108,577
• Stavropol Territory: 783
Stavropol Territory
The Balkar are exclusively Kabardino-Balkaria
Muslim, following the teachings
of the Koran. Yet, traces of their traditional beliefs
can still be seen. For instance, when drought is
evident, the villagers say prayers and pour water on
each other. Horseshoes are nailed over the doors
of their houses for good luck, and horse skulls are
thought to protect homes from the «evil eye» (curse
caused by an intense gaze). During an eclipse, the
Balkar make noises with metal objects so that the
«sun monster» will not eat the moon.
Photo source: Anonymous
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to thrust forth many missionaries into Russia to share Christ with the Balkar.
• Ask the Lord to send loving Russian Christians to minister
Life to their Muslim neighbors.
• Pray that the Holy Spirit will soften the hearts of Russia’s
governmental leaders toward the Gospel.
• Ask God to call forth teams of intercessors who will rise up
and faithfully stand in the gap for the Balkar.
• Pray for the salvation of key Balkar leaders who will boldly
proclaim the Gospel.
• Ask the Lord to raise strong local churches among the Karachay.
Baluch (Pakistani) of Russia
Population: 507
The Baluch are a seminomadic people, traditionally
from
Turkmenistan,
which
borders Pakistan & Iran. They have
been isolated for many years due to Turkmenistan’s
harsh climate, the difficulty of communicating in
mountainous terrain, and their reputation as bandits.
Illiteracy among them is very high. They are Muslim
by religion, although they don’t support the idea of a
religious nation that underlies national policies, and
believe that their religious practices should remain
private. There is very little Christian witness among
the Baluch.
Photo source: Ahsan Ali
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to call those who are willing to go to Russia
and share Christ with the Baluch.
• Pray that God will give missions agencies favor and
strategies for reaching these Muslims.
• Ask God to open doors for Christian businessmen, teachers,
and other tentmakers to share the Gospel with them.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Western
Baluch towards Christians so that they will be receptive to
the Gospel.
• Ask the Lord to raise up a strong local church among the
Western Baluch.
Bosniak of Russia
Population: 256
Today many of the
Bosniaks are war refugees
living in Western countries.
They still speak Bosnian,
and maintain a cultural and
religious community and visit
their mother country regularly.
Most Bosniaks are Sunni Muslim, although
historically Sufism has also played a significant role
among them. For many Bosniaks, Islamic identity has
more to do with cultural roots than with religious
beliefs. Even among most religious Bosniaks,
there is a disdain for religious leaders exercising
any influence over day-to-day life. Bosniaks are
no different than other Muslims in that they view
Islam from the foundation that is their culture.
The Bosnians are one of Europe’s least evangelized
peoples.
Photo source: Kud Lola
Cultural-Artistic Association
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of Bosnians toward
Christians so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
agencies that are currently working among Bosnians.
• Ask God to encourage the few known Bosnian believers in
this region.
• Pray that God will meet the physical, spiritual, and emotional
needs of Bosnians.
• Ask the Lord to raise strong local churches among Bosnians.
• Ask God to raise prayer teams who will begin breaking up the
soil through worship and intercession.
Buryat of Russia
Population: 462,000
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Republic of Buryatia: 272,900
Irkutsk: 80,565
Chita: 70,460
Ust-Ordyn: 53,650
The Buryats are the largest
unreached people group of
Southern Siberia. They are originally nomadic herdsman
who are descendants of the Mongols. They have
incorporated Mongolian, Tibetan & Chinese elements into
their culture, and have been influenced by the Russians
after living together with them over 350 years. Most of
the Buryats are no longer nomads, but settled into villages
or cities. They highly value education, the arts and sports
like archery and wrestling. The Buryats practice Tibetan
Buddhism and Shamanism, both of which delve deeply into
the spirit world. The New Testament has been translated
into the Buryat language, but the Old Testament has yet
to be completed. The Buryats are a very kind and polite
people, but are generally resistant to the Gospel.
Irkutsk
Ust-Ordyn
Republic of Buryatia
Chita
Photo source: Asia Harvest
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to break down the walls that keep the Buryats
from accepting the Gospel.
• Pray for God to raise up Buryat believers to take the Gospel
to the many villages where Buryats have never heard the
name of Jesus.
• Pray for the completion of the translation of the Bible in the
Buryat language.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Buryat toward
• Pray that Buryats will see and understand the great power
and eternal victory of the One True God over the evil spirits.
• Ask the Lord to raise up strong indigenous Buryat churches.
Chechen of Russia
Population: 1,431,360
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Chechnya: 1,206,551
Dagestan: 93,658
Ingushetia: 18,765
Moscow
Ingushetia
Chechnya
Dagestan
The Chechen are a strong,
determined people with a long history of fighting for
their independence. They have been referred to as
the “Mafia of Russia”, and they are generally feared
and despised by other Russian groups. Chechens are
among the most devout Muslims in the former Soviet
Union. Their strong Islamic faith is very difficult to influence. In recent years the rise in Chechen nationalism has strengthened their Islamic beliefs; however, it
has also brought devastation upon them in the form
of Russian military invasion. The resistance to Christianity by the Chechens is severe, with the possibility
of torture or death. There is little Christian witness
amongst them.
Photo source: A Nitzsche.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for the endurance and protection of the few known
Chechen believers.
• Pray for political stability in the area where the Chechens and
Ingush live.
• Ask the Lord to tear down barriers to the Gospel so that
those Christian workers who live and work among the Chechens will see fruit.
• Pray for freedom from war and destruction.
• Ask for Christians in Russia to have a burden to share the
Gospel with the Chechens living in their country.
• Pray that God will establish missionaries among them who
are committed to their needs.
Chelkans (Altai) of Russia
Population: 1,181
Locations:
• Republic of Altai: 1,113
Traditional
religion
of
Republic of Altai
indigenous peoples of Altai
is paganism. From 50-70s of
the 18th century Christianity
began to spread there. It was especially active in
the second half of 19th century. According to the
Population Census of 1897, 34.5% of indigenous
people were orthodox. At the beginning of the 20th
century there began to extend Burkhanism (by the
name of the spirit of Altai mountains Burkhan), it’s
a form of Lamaism with elements of Shamanism.
And even after accepting Christianity, indigenous
peoples continue to worship rivers, mountains,
lakes.
Фото: D.A. Funk
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that Russian Bibles will be placed in the hands of the
Chelkan who understand the Russian language.
• Ask the Lord to bring forth a triumphant Chelkan church
for the glory of His name!
• Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send loving Christians
who are willing to live and serve among the Chelkan
peoples.
• Pray for translation of the Bible to begin in this people
• Pray that the Chelkens’ fear of the spirits and mountain
gods will be replaced by a love and fear of the one true
God.
Chulym of Russia
Population: 355
Locations:
• Tomsk Region: 254
• Krasnoyarsk Territory: 89
Krasnoyarsk Territory
Tomsk Region
The Chulym have lived in
the Chulym River Valley in
South Central Asia since the
late 1500’s when their ancestors were forced out of
Western Siberian Tatar territory. Once settled in the
Chulym River Valley, they intermingled with other
Turkic peoples and eventually become the group
known as the Chulym or Chulym Tatar. Although
most Russian Tatar are classified as Sunni Muslim,
the Chulym seem to be shamanists (they believe
in an unseen world of gods and demons), a belief
probably influenced by their close association with
the Khakass people.
Used with permission from Globalroar.org
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that Lord will send forth Christian medical teams and
health care workers to live among the Chulym of Russia.
• Ask God to grant wisdom and favor to missions agencies
ministering to the Chulym.
• Pray that Russian Bibles will be placed in the hands of the
Chulym who understand the Russian language.
• Ask the Lord to bring forth a triumphant Chulym church for
the glory of His name!
language of this people.
Crimean Tatar of Russia
Population: 2 449
Locations:
• Krasnodar: 1,109
Moscow
In the 1940’s, Soviet
dictator Josef Stalin accused Krasnodar
Kabardino-Balkaria
these Tatars of collaborating
with the Nazis, so he exiled them
to Siberia. 47% of them died on the long march or
in concentration camps. It wasn’t until 1989 that
they returned to their homeland. Today, they are a
minority group in the Ukraine and continue to face
discrimination. Despite the fact that Crimea became
a center for Islam in the 13th century, the majority of
the group today are not devout Muslims, and some
continue to hold onto ancient beliefs in animism.
Only 0.01% of the Crimean Tatar population is
Christian. The Crimean Tatars are still waiting for the
Bible to be translated into their language and for a
church to be planted among them.
Photo source: Foto Tamer
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to call full-time Christian workers who are willing
to go to Russia and share Christ with the Tatars.
• Ask God to strengthen, encourage, and protect the small
number of Crimean Tatar Christians.
Crimean Tatars.
• Pray that the Crimean Tatars will come to know Jesus as
God’s Son and Savior of mankind.
• Pray for the translation of the Bible into the Krym language
and for it to be widely distributed among the Tatars.
Dargin of Russia
Population: 589,386
Locations:
• Stavropol
Territory: 40,218
• Kalmykia: 7,295
Stavropol Territory
Kalmykia
Dagestan
The Islamic practices of the Dargin are strongly
syncretic; that is, it is mixed with a substantial
heritage of pre-Islamic traditional beliefs.
With the increasing popularity of Islam and the
growing power of Muslim politicians, thousands
of mosques and hundreds of Islamic schools have
been re-opened in the Muslim territories that are
still part of the Russian Federation. The Dargin need
to encounter Christians who will show them the
love of Jesus in practical ways.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth willing workers to
the Dargin of Russia.
• Pray that God will strengthen, encourage, and protect the
very small number of Dargin believers.
• Ask God to raise faithful intercessors who will stand in the
gap for the Dargin.
• Pray that the Jesus film will be used among the Dargin.
• Ask the Lord to bring forth a triumphant Dargin church to the
glory of His name!
• Pray for completion of Bible translation in this people group’s
primary language.
Dargin Subgroups
People Group Population
Kaitag
Kubachin
Muirin
Tsudakar
Chirag/Amuq
≈ 21,000
≈ 7,000
≈ 39,000
≈ 20,000
≈ 3,000
The Dargin groups are
originally from the central
part of southwestern
Dagestan
and
they
account for 16.5% of
the the Republic’s total
population. Historically,
they have been among
the most resistant of
the Dagestani peoples
to Russian oppression.
These groups all practice Islam, which has a strong
hold on them along with most of the other people
groups in the Dagestan Republic. The Jesus Film has
been translated into the Dargwa language, but the
complete Bible has yet to be fully translated.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to call people within and outside of Russia who
are willing to go and share the Gospel with the Dargin people
groups.
• Ask God to give the few Dargin believers opportunities to boldly
share the love and truth of Jesus with their own people.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Dargin people
groups so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Pray for physical & spiritual protection for the missionaries
working in Southwest Dagestan among these peoples.
• Pray for the complete translation of the Bible in Dargins’ heart
language.
• Pray for strong & healthy local churches to be raised up among
the Dargin people groups.
Dido (Tsez) of Russia
Population: 11,683
Locations:
The Dido (Tsez) live in
Dagestan and speak their
own language. The Tsez were
Dagestan
Photo Source: International Missions Board
evangelized by Georgian missionaries in the 4th
and 5th centuries. From the 15th century they were
forced to take Islam as their religion. In spite of
being Muslims, they have an animistic worldview
and celebrate nature holidays. They believe in
genies, evil spirits, witchcraft and demons. There
are no evangelical churches amongst the Dido and
there are no Christian audio or printed resources
available in their language.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that as they leave the mountains and move to more
easily accessible places and will be exposed to the Gospel.
• Pray that the Tsez would experience the power of the Holy
Spirit that is greater than their evil spirits.
• Pray that their eyes would be open to see that Jesus wants to
break the curses of the evil spirits. (Gal.3:13)
• Pray for translation of the Bible to begin in this people group’s
primary language.
format for this people group so that they can hear God’s
truth in their heart language.
Digor (Ossetian) of Russia
Population: 100,000
Locations:
• N. Ossetia-Alaina: 100,000
The Digor are a subgroup of
N. Ossetia-Alaina
the larger Ossetians, an Iranian
ethnic group of the Caucasus
Mountains. The Ossetians have
a long, rich history, but eventually divided into
two distinct ethnic groups, the Iron and the Digor,
marked by differences in dialect and territory.
Whereas a majority of the Iron became Eastern
Orthodox Christians as a result of the efforts of
Byzantine missionaries in the 10th century, most of
the Digor came under Islamic influence. Paganism is
still very widespread among both the Iron and the
Digor, with rich ritual traditions, sacrificing animals,
holy shrines, and worship in pagan temples.
Фото: ossetians.com
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that the Orthodox and Muslim Digor would come to
know the truth, love and saving power of Jesus Christ.
• Pray for the complete translation of the Bible in the Digor’s
heart language.
• Ask God to send workers who will share the love and
Gospel of Jesus with the Digor and with the Ossetians.
• Ask God to save key leaders among the Digor and Ossetians
who will boldly declare the Gospel.
Digor and Ossetians.
• Pray that God will prepare the hearts of the Digor to receive
the Gospel message.
Dungan of Russia
Population: 1,651
Locations:
• Dagestan: 209
• Saratov: 47
The
Dungan
have
a
mixture of Chinese, Muslim,
and Russian cultures. They
Saratov
Dagestan
are a hospitable, hard-working, nationalistic, and
Photo source: Copyright © Create International.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to send forth laborers to work among the Dungan.
Although they have completely cut their ties to
• Pray that the Scriptures will be distributed and that house
churches will be planted among the Dungan.
China, from where they originated, they refer to
• Ask God to save key leaders among the Dungan who will boldly
themselves as Hui-Zu, or «Chinese Muslims.” By
declare the Gospel.
and large, the younger Dungan are more indifferent
Dungan.
to Islam than the older generations, generally not
turning to religion until the age of 40.
primary language.
• Pray for Gospel messages to become available in audio format
for this people group.
conservative people and are very family-oriented.
Enets of Russia
Population: 227
Locations:
• Krasnoyarsk: 213
Krasnoyarsk
The Enets are traditionally
a tribal, nomadic people, but
life changed dramatically for
them under Soviet rule, when they were forced to
settle and the pastures for their herds were taken
away. Today the Enets are rapidly dying out due
to such forces as alcoholism, unemployment and
poverty. Their life expectancy is a mere 45 years.
Though possibly due to social or political pressures
they may be called nominal Christians, but in reality
they practice Animism. They worship tree spirits,
ancestral spirits, and the god, Numi-Torem.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask God to preserve the Enet people, culture & language,
and that the Enet will know God’s love & value for their people group.
• Pray that the Enet people can hear the Gospel in their own
language and that the seeds of the Truth will be planted
deeply in their hearts to bring them to saving faith.
• Pray that the Enet will know and experience the power of the
One True God, and that God will free them from their bondage to false gods.
• Ask God to send believers to the Enet people who will share
the love & truth of Christ with them.
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to raise disciples from among this
small but very precious ethne, and use them to give the Enet
people a purpose for life.
Ingush of Russia
Population: 444,833
Locations:
• Ingushetia: 385,537
• North Ossetia-Alania: 28,336
Moscow
North Ossetia-Alania
The vast majority of Ingush
Ingushetia
are located in the mountains and
plains of the beautiful Caucasus region and in the
southeastern portion of the former Soviet Union.
The Ingush are very committed to the beliefs of
Islam. They are traditionally a tribal people, who
have maintained their cultural identity through
their families and religion. The former lost much of
its importance because of intermarriage with nonIngush, while the latter became stronger through
the persecutions of the communists. www.joshuaproject.net
Photo source: Copyright © Bruno Stevens
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that God will prepare the hearts of the Ingush to receive
the Gospel message.
• Pray for the effective use of the Jesus film and other evangelistic tools in the Ingush language.
• Pray that God will give the Ingush believers boldness to share
Christ with their own people.
• Ask the Lord to bring forth a triumphant Ingush church for
the glory of His name!
primary language.
Japanese of Russia
Population: 888
Locations:
• Sakhalin: 333
Sakhalin
Moscow
Racially,
culturally,
and
ethnically, the Japanese are one
of the most homogenous people
groups in the world. They identify
themselves in terms of biological heritage, birth in
Japan, a shared culture, and a common language.
They traditionally practice Buddhism and Shintoism,
which has roots in animism (spirit-worship). Many
Japanese are indifferent and skeptical of established
religion. On the outside, they seem to have few
needs. However, many of them have become
obsessed with materialistic pleasures, careers, and
possessions.
Фото: EnricX.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that God would send Christians to reach out with the
Gospel to the Japanese in Russia.
• Pray that the Japanese would find the teachings of God’s
Word to be a treasure.
• Pray that God will remove the blinders from Japanese
eyes so that they will take their spiritual lives seriously and
abandon the patterns of sin that keep them from turning
to God.
• Ask the Lord to send Christian businessmen to minister life
to Japanese.
Jew (Georgian) of Russia
Population: 78
Locations:
• St. Petersburg: 6
St. Petersburg
Moscow
Jews have a very rich
culture and heritage. Since
the dissolution of the Soviet
empire, former Soviet Jews no longer live under
oppressive government rule. Anti-Semitism is still
a concern, but Jewish life has been revitalized
in countries of the former USSR. The Jews have a
wonderful understanding of their connection with
the Abrahamic covenant, and in their understanding
of God as Sovereign Creator & Judge. However,
they also have a history of rejecting Jesus Christ as
Messiah, the one who has fulfilled that covenant.
For a Jew to become a Christian is often viewed as
anti-Semitic.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth loving Christians to
work among the Jewish communities.
• Pray that the Jewish people will understand that Jesus is the
long-awaited Messiah.
• Ask the Lord to soften the hearts of the Jews towards
Christians so that they might hear and receive the message
of salvation.
• Pray that God will grant Jewish believers favor as they share
their faith in Christ with their own people.
• Pray that strong local churches will be raised up in each
Jewish community.
• Pray for translation of the Bible to begin in this people group’s
primary language.
Kalmyk-Oirat of Russia
Population: 183,372
Locations:
• Kalmykia: 162,740
• Astrakhan region: 7,162
• Volgograd region: 1,617
Volgograd region
Astrakhan region
In the late 1500’s, the Kalmyk
Kalmykia
adopted Tibetan Buddhism. The
people had looked to the lamas
& shamans for spiritual, medical and
political
guidance. In the mid 1900’s, the Soviet government
exiled most Kalmyk people from their homes and
sent them to Siberia. When they returned to
Kalmykia, many were forced to conform to Soviet
lifestyle, which included being forced to convert to
Russian Orthodoxy. Kalmyk Buddhism is a mixture
of ethnic beliefs and Shamanism (belief in unseen
gods, demons, and spirits). Occultism is very
prominent as Kalmyks have the custom of going to a
Buddhist temple and inviting the gods to live inside
them.
Photo source: Asia Harvest
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Kalmyk people
so that they will be receptive to the love of Jesus.
• Pray that God will free the Kalmyk from occultism and their
belief in evil spirits.
agencies that may be currently focusing on the Kalmyk.
• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to go to Russia and
share Christ with the Kalmyk.
• Pray that God will use the oral traditions of storytelling to
spread the fame of Jesus amongst the older and newer
Kalmyk generations.
Kalmyk.
Kamchadal (Ainu) of Russia
Koryak
Population: 1,927
Locations:
Magadan
Kamchatka
• Kamchatka: 1,400
• Magadan: 314
• Koryak: 132
After the Ainu made contact
with the Japanese in the 13th
century, the Ainu people became
increasingly dependent on them,
which ultimately led their land to being annexed. The
result was the loss of their autonomy and indigenous
standing. Their language is also on the endangered
language list. Their greatest need today, besides a
Savior, is the preservation of their traditions. Most
Ainus are animists in practice; they used to make
animal sacrifices and they worship the sacred bear,
but this people group also has a concept of a high
God who is above the sacred bear. The Ainu people
call this high God “Kami,” meaning “Ancient One.”
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that the Ainu language would be preserved and that
those who still speak the language would have the opportunity to hear the Gospel.
• Pray that those who still practice the Ainu religion would
come to know and worship the one, true God, the Ancient
of Days.
• Pray that God would raise up Ainu leaders who would help
preserve the traditions and at the same time introduce
Christ.
• Pray for the availability of the Jesus Film in the primary language of this people.
• Pray for Gospel messages to become available in audio format for this people group.
Karachay of Russia
Population: 218,403
Locations:
• Karachay-Cherkessia: 194,324
• Stavropol: 15,146
• Kabardino-Balkaria: 1,273
The
Karachay
people
are a Turkic people who are
Karachay-Cherkessia
Stavropol
Kabardino-Balkaria
ethnically, culturally, and linguistically related to
the Balkar. They are a hard-working and honorable
people. The Karachay are Muslim, and each village has
its own mosque. However, many of their traditional
pagan beliefs have been intermingled with Islam. The
people believe in evil spirits, and pagan sacrifices and
rituals are often performed.
Photo source: A Nitzsche.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for the completion of the Old Testament in the
Karachai’s primary language.
• Ask the Lord to send loving Russian Christians to minister
life to their Muslim neighbors.
• Ask God to call forth teams of intercessors who will rise up
and faithfully stand in the gap for the Karachai.
• Pray for the salvation of key Karachai leaders who will
boldly proclaim the Gospel.
Karachai.
• Pray that the Karachai would come to know the power of
the One True God and salvation in Jesus Christ.
Karaite of Russia
Population: 205
Locations:
• Dagestan: 26
St. Petersburg
Moscow
The Karaite form of Judaism
is so strange that Russian Tsars
Dagestan
categorized them as non-Jews.
They follow only the Tanach, the
Jewish
Bible,
rejecting rabbinic interpretations, yet allowing each
believer to make his/her own interpretation. They
are similar to mainstream Jews in that they practice
the Sabbath. They still practice total separation
from Gentiles and from ritual washings. In other
respects, Karaites tend to adopt the customs of
their host country and assimilate into mainstream
society.
Photo source: Daniel Downer
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that Messianic Jewish believers will see the Karaite
community in Israel as God sees them.
• Pray that the Karaite will understand that Jesus is the longawaited Messiah.
• Ask God to raise up Messianic Jews to go as His ambassadors to the Karaites.
• Pray for a complete translation of the Bible in the Karaim
language and that the truth of God’s Word will penetrate
the hearts of the Karaite people.
Karakalpak of Russia
Population: 1,466
Locations:
• Volgograd: 260
• Moscow Region: 105
Moscow
Volgograd
The
Karakalpaks
are
originally from Uzbekistan, and
are a patrilineal, agricultural society. Throughout
much of their history the Karakalpaks have battled
against poverty. Unemployment among them is
high, but people do what they can to make a living,
working on their vegetable plots and gardens,
fishing, selling at markets, etc. They maintain a
private, quiet, and tolerant attitude to their Islamic
faith.
Photo source: David and Sue Richardson
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that the Lord will send Christian medical teams to work
among the Karakalpaks.
• Pray for a clean water source for the Karakalpaks.
• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to go to Uzbekistan
and share Christ with the Karakalpaks.
• Pray that the Karakalpaks will begin searching for the Truth.
• Ask God to strengthen, encourage, and protect the few
known Christians and for the Lord to raise up strong local
churches among the Karakalpak.
• Pray that these believers will have opportunities to share the
Gospel with their own people.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Karakalpaks
towards Christians so that they will be receptive to the
Gospel.
Kazakh of Russia
Population: 647,732
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Astrakhan: 142,633
Orenburg: 125,568
Omsk: 81,618
Saratov: 78,320
Saratov
Omsk
Since the collapse of Soviet
Orenburg
communism,
the
Kazakh Astrakhan
have been searching for their
identity. Traditionally they worked as nomadic
shepherds, but their economy became dependent
on the Russians under Soviet rule, when much
of their land was seized and used for collective
farming. The Kazakh embraced Islam during the
16th century and still consider themselves Muslim
today. Changes in Kazakh society (mainly from a
nomadic to a settled lifestyle) and an attempt by
the Soviets to suppress religious freedoms have led
the people to adopt Islam more closely. However,
many of them typically blend Animism and ancestor
worship with their Islamic beliefs.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to send long term laborers to live among the
Kazakh and share the love of Christ with them.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to open the hearts of the Kazak towards
• Pray that God will raise up strong local churches among the
Kazakh.
• Ask God to grant favor and wisdom to the missions agencies
that may be now focusing on the Kazakh.
• Pray that Christian businessmen will have open doors to
share the Gospel with the Kazakh.
• Pray that the Kazakh will find their true identity in Jesus and
come to know the love He has for them and their culture.
Ket of Russia
Population: 1,219
Locations:
• Krasnoyarsk: 998
• Evenk: 211
Evenk
Krasnoyarsk
The Kets are among the
smallest people groups in
northern Siberia. During harsh
winters, they hunt for deer and elk, or trap
animals for their fur. They build winter shelters by
digging holes in the snow, and they travel on large
skis. They live along several tributaries of the Yenise
River. The Ket people are shamanistic, but have no
professional shamans. They believe in a supreme
being, Esi, the sky god, yet they also believe in
lesser gods, some who are good, some who are evil.
During their worship, they have a musical tradition
that includes improvisational singing along with an
assortment of wooden musical instruments.
Photo source: Agape Unlimited
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for the modern Kets to have a heart hunger to know the
One True God of all!
• Pray for missionaries to come to them living lives that
demonstrate God’s message of love and forgiveness and to
be able to find ways to present the Truth of God’s Word in an
understandable and compelling way.
• Pray for God to help the Kets receive Jesus as their Savior and
walk with Him as the Way, Truth and Life.
Kumandins of Russia
Population: 2,892
Locations:
• Altai Territory: 1,663
• Republic of Altai: 931
• Kemerovo Region: 294
Kemerovo Region
Republic of Altai
Altai Territory
The Kumandins are a Turkic,
Altaic people, who traditionally
Photo Source: www.Talish.info
make their living by hunting and fishing, working as
herders and nomads and living off the land. Their
language & culture are endangered, and there is real
concern for the continuing of the Kumandin people.
Many of them are facing unemployment, economic
problems, as well as a loss of their own traditions.
They practice spirit worship and Shamanism.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that the Kumandins will know the power of the One
True God over the spirits and that they will accept the salvation they can have by faith in Christ.
• Pray that God will saturate these people with His Word, His
truth and His guidance, so they will no longer be in bondage to the emptiness of spirit worship and shamanism.
• Pray that God will save Kumandin leaders who will share
the love of Jesus with their own people.
• Ask the Lord to bring forth a triumphant Kumandin church
for the glory of His name, and through the church preserve
the Kumandin people.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Kumandin so
that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
Kumyk of Russia
Population: 503,060
Locations:
• North Ossetia-Alania: 16,092
• Tyumen Region: 12,343
Tyumen Region
The Kumyk people are a very North Ossetia-Alania
Dagestan
artistic people and are famous
for their folklore. Traditionally
women alone carry the responsibility of rearing their
children, and fathers are very stoic towards their
children. The Kumyk have a Christian background,
some of them were even Jewish. Between the 8th
and 12th centuries, Sunni Islam slowly made inroads
among them, and since then they have not looked
back. Their Islam, however, includes a number of
pre-Islamic and even pre-Christian elements. Out
of some 300,000 Kumyk people, fewer than 40 are
followers of Christ.
PRAYER POINTS
and share Christ with the Kumyk.
• Ask God to anoint the few Kumyk believers to boldly share
the Gospel with their friends and families.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the father heart of God to
those Kumyk who have never known a father’s love.
• Pray for a complete translation of the Bible in the Kumyk
language.
Kumyk.
• Pray that portions of the Word of God already translated in
the Kumyk language will go forth with power to speak to
the hearts of the Kumyk.
• Ask God to open the hearts of the Kumyk to the love and
truth of Jesus Christ.
Kurd of Russia
Population: 23,232
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Krasnodar territory: 5,022
Adygeya: 3,631
Saratov Region: 2,268
Tambov Region
Stavropol
Saratov Region
Adygeya
territory: 1,259
Krasnodar territory
• Tambov Region: 688
Stavropol territory
The Kurds are made up of a number of clans, tribes,
and tribal confederations, many of which have been
in existence for thousands of years. They originated in
modern Turkey & Iran. Nearly all Kurds are Muslim,
most being Sunnis. They first embraced Islam after
the conquest of their homeland in the 7th century.
Today, Kurds primarily look to Islam as a basis for
social justice. However, despite being predominantly
Muslim, religion has created deep rifts among Kurds.
Because they have a strong sense of Islamic tradition
within their communities, they have been resistant to
the Gospel.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to call people within and outside of Russia
who are willing to go and share the Gospel with the Kurds.
• Ask God to give the Kurd believers opportunities to boldly
share the love and truth of Jesus with their own people.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Kurds so that
they will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Pray that God will raise up strong local churches among the
Kurds.
• Pray that the Kurd people will know the truth of God’s
Word and the power of Jesus Christ in giving salvation.
• Pray that God’s Word will go forth in power to plant seeds
of faith in the hearts of the Kurds as it is read and spoken
in the Kurmanji language.
Kyrgyz of Russia
Population: 103,422
Locations:
• Krasnoyarsk
Territory: 3,876
• Tyumen Region: 3,075
Krasnoyarsk
Territory
Moscow
Дагестан
Tyumen
Region
The Kyrgyz have clung to
their traditional way of life as
nomadic cattle breeders more than any other Central
Asian people. The Kyrgyz were first introduced to
Islam during the seventeenth century and within two
hundred years, they had been completely converted
to Islam. The rapid spread of Islam was aided by the
strong clan system of the people. Today Shamanistic
practices still exist with their Muslim beliefs. The Bible
has been translated in their language and the Jesus
Film and Christian radio and television broadcasts are
available in their language.
Photo source: Doc Kozzak
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into
Russia.
• Pray that God will raise up prayer teams to go and break up
the soil through worship and intercession.
• Ask God to grant favor and wisdom to missions agencies
focusing on the Kyrgyz.
• Pray for effectiveness of the Jesus film among the Kyrgyz.
• Ask God to anoint the Gospel as it goes forth via radio to
the Kyrgyz.
Kyrgyz.
Lak of Russia
Population: 178,630
Locations:
Moscow
Stavropol
The Lak are typically sheep
Dagestan
and goat herders and also
make many kinds of crafts to earn a living
by trading with neighboring peoples. This trade
has given them the motivation to learn Russian
and other languages. They have the distinction of
being the most multilingual peoples in the former
USSR. Devoutly Muslim, the Lak people enjoy the
prestige of being the first among the area peoples
who embraced Islam in the seventh century. When
Russia gave religious freedom to its people in
1990, Dagestan immediately started a strong reIslamization campaign. Today there are hundreds of
new mosques and Islamic schools.
Photo Source: Theapricity.com
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to call people and mission agencies to serve in
Russia and share Christ with the Lak people.
• Ask God to use the small number of Lak believers to share
• Pray that many Christian churches will be planted among
the Lak.
Lezgin of Russia
Population: 473,722
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Dagestan: 385,240
Tyumen Region: 10,631
Khanty-Mansijsk: 8,580
Stavropol: 6,558
Khanty-Mansijsk
Stavropol
Most Lezgin live in the high,
Dagestan
rugged mountain areas where
they raise sheep, goats & other animals. While
the Lezgin have been strongly influenced by Islam,
many of their former beliefs have been mingled
with their Islamic practices. For example, the names
of many pagan gods have become synonymous
with Allah and they practice ancient rituals during
harvest. Many of the younger Lezgin no longer
follow their parents’ religious traditions, making
them more open to the Gospel. However, they are
under a strong secular influence. The Bible and the
Jesus Film have not yet been translated into their
language.
Tyumen Region
PRAYER POINTS
share Christ with the Lezgin people.
• Pray that Christian broadcasts will soon be made available in
their language.
• Ask God to grant wisdom and favor to the missionaries who
are trying to reach the Lezgin for Christ.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Lezgin Muslims
Gospel.
• Pray that God will protect and encourage the small number
of Lezgin Christians.
Lezgin.
• Pray for the completion of Bible translation in the Lezgin’s
language.
Mansi of Russia
Population: 12,269
Locations:
• Tyumen: 10,561
• Sverdiovsk: 259
Sverdiovsk
The small Mansi tribe of
Siberia is related to the Khanti
tribe, both of which have FinnoUgric languages. There are six
different homelands for these two related people
groups. Their scattered homelands lie in a vast plain,
divided by many rivers and lakes. For these reasons,
outreach is very difficult. No Russian believers visit
their areas. The Mansis are a semi-nomadic people
who specialize in fishing, but as a result of pollution
and the oil industry, their way of life has changed
in recent years, and has threatened the survival of
the Mansi culture and language. They are seen as
nominal Orthodox Christian, but in practice they are
Animistic. They practice ancestor worship and believe
that every man has five souls. The Bible has yet to be
completely translated into their language.
Tyumen
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to call workers who are willing to live the
semi-nomadic lifestyle in order to reach out and share the
love of Christ with the Mansi.
• Pray for the complete translation of the Bible into the heart
language of the Mansi.
• Pray that growing and healthy Christian churches will be
planted among the Mansi people.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the the Mansi
people so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Pray that the Mansi may know the power and love of the
One True God.
• Ask God to preserve the language & culture of the Mansi .
• Pray for outreaches in every Mansi community.
Meskhetian Turk of Russia
Population: 4,825
Locations:
• Kabardino Balkaria: 2,283
• Rostov region: 327
• Krasnodar territory: 116
The Meskhetian Turks are a
Turkish-speaking people who
Rostov region
are originally from a part of Krasnodar territory
southern Georgia that borders Kabardino Balkaria
with Turkey. However, under
Stalin’s policies during the
Soviet Union, the Meskhetian Turks were forcefully
deported to Central Asia, where they experienced
discrimination and civil rights abuse. When they
were finally permitted to return to their homeland,
Georgia did not allow them to resettle there. Those
who remained in Russia also experienced severe
discrimination and harassment. The Meskhetian
Turks are Sunni Muslims, but as a result of their
perpetual exile and the influence of the Soviet
Union, many of them are not strict adherents of
Islam. Many of their traditions contain a mixture of
Muslim, Caucasian and Russian elements. Family
ties are very important to the Meskhetian Turks, and
has played a crucial role in preserving their culture
through their displacement.
Photo Source: International Missions Board
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for God to bring healing and hope to the hearts of the
Meskhetian Turks, who have been in physical and spiritual
exile.
• Ask God to raise up ambassadors for Christ who are both
trustworthy and loving to share Christ with the Meskhetian
Turks who are living in Russia.
• Pray that the Meskhetian Turks would know the truth and
saving power of Jesus Christ.
• Pray that the few Meskhetian Turk believers would be
a shining light for Christ to their family members and
relatives.
• Pray that the Meskhetian Turks’ citizenship would be in
heaven.
Mishar Tatar of Russia
Population: 786
Mishars are a Tatar
ethnic group inhabiting
Niznyi Novgorod
the right bank of the Volga
Ulyanovsk oblasts
river up to the right bank of
Penza
oblasts
the Oka river to the north in
Niznyi Novgorod, Penza, and
Ulyanovsk oblasts. The locals
refer to the area as Misharistan,
because it is the land of Mishar Tatar. They speak
PRAYER POINTS
a western dialect of the Tatar language. The Tatar
• Ask the Lord to call those who are willing to go to Russia and
are of the Hanafite branch of Sunni Islam. The
share Christ with the Mishar Tatar.
Tatar’s Volga area has been an Islamic stronghold
•
Pray that God will give missions agencies favor and strategies
since the ninth century. Nevertheless, the Tatar’s
for reaching these Muslims.
beliefs remain more liberal and intellectual than
• Ask God to open doors for Christian businessmen, teachers,
the beliefs held by the more Orthodox Muslims of
and other tentmakers to share the Gospel with them.
Central Asia or the Caucasus. For instance, in many
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Mishar Tatar
of their mosques, prayer times have been arranged
so as not to conflict with work schedules. Women
Gospel.
have also been encouraged to join the men at the
mosques instead of praying at home, as is the usual
Mishar Tatar.
custom.
Mongol (Khalka) of Russia
Population: 2,986
Locations:
• Irkutsk Region: 472
• Buryatia: 322
Moscow
Khalka Mongols are known
for their generous, kind and
hospitable nature. They keep
detailed genealogies to prove they are the direct
descendants of the famous Genghis Khan, founder
of the Mongolian Empire in the 13th Century. While
many became atheists in the mid 1900’s, today
many of them blend their traditional shamanistic
beliefs with Lamaism, which is Tibetan Buddhism,
led by the Dalai Lama. There are only a few Christfollowers among them, mainly Catholics. For the
Mongols, as in most Buddhist realms, to accept
Christianity would mean financial and material
ruin for them. The community and family ties are
so strong, that any Christian convert would be an
outcast with no means of support.
Irkutsk
Region
Buryatia
Photo source: Charles Keen
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for God to grant wisdom, strength and perseverance
to the missionaries who are trying to reach the Mongols for
Christ.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Mongols towards Christians so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Pray that God will protect and encourage the small number
of Mongol Christians, and enable them to share the Gospel
with their own people.
• Pray that Russian and Buryat believers will reach out to the
Mongols living in their area.
• Pray for the effective distribution and use of the Mongol Bible, the Jesus Film, and audio recordings, and for God’s Truth
to go forth in power among the Khalka Mongols.
Mountain Jews of Russia
Population: 2,200
Locations:
• Dagestan: 1,066
• Moscow: 979
Moscow
Kabardino-Balkaria
The Mountain Jews live in
Dagestan
the mountainous Caucasus
area of Russia, where they have lived peacefully
with their Muslim neighbors for many years. Their
culture contains a mixture of Caucasus and Jewish
elements and their language, which is in danger
of being lost, is a dialect of ancient Iranian that
integrates Hebrew elements. The Mountain Jews
celebrate Jewish holidays and the Sabbath, and
the synagogue is the center of Jewish community.
They have their own traditional music, dances and
foods, which portrays the mix of Caucasian and
Jewish culture. These traditions are what bind the
Mountain Jews together as they seek to preserve
their culture and religion.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that the Mountain Jews would know that Jesus is the
True Messiah and Savior of the world.
• Ask the Lord to soften the hearts of the Jews towards
Christians so that they might hear and receive the message
of Jesus Christ.
• Ask God to preserve the culture and language of the
Mountain Jews so that this people will worship the One
True God together.
• Pray that God will use the Mountain Jews’ friendly relations
with their Muslim neighbors for His good purposes so that
ultimately both peoples will together worship, serve, and
share Christ.
• Pray that God would open the hearts of the Mountain Jews
to Christians and to the Good News of Jesus.
Negidal of Russia
Population: 513
Locations:
• Khabarovsk Territory: 505
Khabarovsk Territory
The
history
and
ethnicity of the Negidal are
closely intertwined with
that of neighboring people
groups, such as Nivkhs and Evenks.
Most
Negidals run household farms, raising cattle,
pigs, and birds, and many work as hunters or
fishermen. The Negidal people of Russia are
very few in number, and it might not be long
before their language and culture disappears
without a trace. The absence of a written
language makes it difficult to bring the Word
of God to them in their language. As far as
we know, none of the Negidals have put their
faith in Jesus Christ. The majority hold to their
traditional animistic and shamanistic beliefs.
Some of the Negidals are also Muslim.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that God would raise up from among His people those
who would take the message of salvation through Christ to
this shamanistic people.
• Pray for believers to present the gospel to the Negidal people
in a way they can understand and respond to so that churches
may be planted and those who respond be discipled.
• Pray that there will soon be gospel recordings and Bible
portions available in their language.
• Ask God to preserve their culture & language so that there
will be Negidal people who will join in worshiping God
around His throne.
• Pray for open, receptive hearts to seek and accept the One
True God.
Nivkh of Russia
Population: 4,652
Locations:
Khabarovsk
• Khabarovsk: 2,352
• Sakhalin: 2,240
Sakhalin
The Nivkh are traditionally
a tribal people who once were
expert hunters and fisherman.
Their way of living changed
under Soviet rule when they
were forced into other occupations. The Nivkhs
are shamanist. The traditional religion was partially
based on animist beliefs before the Russians
encouraged them to convert to Eastern Orthodox
Christianity. They believed that the island of
Sakhalin, where they live, is a giant beast lying on its
belly and the hair was the trees of the island. They
have a variety of gods that rule over the mountains,
rivers, seas, and sky. Today, some of the Nivkhs have
transformed their religion to Russian Orthodoxy or
other religions; however there are still many that
practice the traditional beliefs.
Photo Source: Ensemblexxi.org
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for the Nivkhs’ hearts to be hungry for Truth and to be
searching for the One True Living God.
• Pray for messengers to go to the Nivkhs and to present the
Gospel in their heart language and that they would present
not only with words which can be understood, but with
their very lives.
• Pray for Nivkh believers to grow in their faith and to carry
the Good News to other groups living around them and
even those far away.
Nogai of Russia
Population: 103,660
Locations:
• KarachayCherkessia: 15,654
Karachay-Cherkessia
Stavropol
The Nogai Tatar are part
Dagestan
of a larger Turkic population
living in Russia. Traditionally, they are nomadic
cattle breeders and farmers. The pre-Islamic Nogai
word for god is “tengri”, a term associated with
the animistic religion of traditional nomadic Turks.
However, they were introduced to Islam in the
1500’s and today virtually all of the Nogai profess
to be Muslim. However, they have never been
known for being strongly religious; they claim Islam
mostly because their ancestors were Muslim. With
increased assimilation into the Russian culture, it is
doubtful if Islam will survive in Nogai society.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers to live
and work among the Nogai Tatar.
• Ask God to speed the completion of the Jesus film, and
other evangelistic literature and audio recordings into the
Nogai language.
• Pray that God will raise up qualified linguists to complete
the translation of the Bible into Nogai. Pray that the
already-completed NT will be read and used to powerfully
proclaim the Gospel of Jesus.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Nogai
towards Christians so they will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Ask the Lord to bring forth healthy, triumphant Nogai
churches for the glory of His name.
Orok of Russia
Population: 295
Locations:
Khabarovsk
• Sakhalin Region: 268
• Khabarovsk: 24
Sakhalin Region
The Oroks are pure
Mongoloids belonging to the
Baikal or Paleo-Siberian group,
but they are a dying people
group. Intermarriage has caused
their numbers to dwindle. Many of their
customs were lost during the Soviet era, when the
government forced them away from their nomadic
way of life and herding reindeer to move to new
villages on the coast in order to become fishermen.
Since the fall of Communism in 1991, the Oroks
had been allowed to return to their homeland, but
only a few have chosen to do so. The Orok language
has never been written down, and so this people
group has no Bible. Traditionally, they practiced
shamanism and pagan religion.
Photo source: Yulia Krupyanskaya
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask God to lead a mission agency to begin translating the Bible
into Orok.
• Pray that God would open doors for missionaries to work
amongst the Orok Russian laws often make it difficult for
foreign missionaries to reach out to people groups like the
Orok.
• Ask God to open the hearts of this people group to Christ’s
message of salvation.
• Ask God to preserve their culture and language.
• Pray that Russian Christians would share the Good News of
Jesus with the Orok people in an effective and powerful way.
• Pray that the Orak people will put their identity in Christ, giving
them a hope and joy they have never experienced.
Pashtun of Russia
Population: 5,350
Locations:
• Rostov: 771
St. Petersburg
Rostov
Дагестан
Moscow
The Pashtun are a race of
warriors who primarily come
from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
They are said to be hospitable, considerate,
honorable, fierce in hatred, yet kind in friendship.
Islam came to them as a great liberating and unifying
force, freeing them from the cult of Brahminism and
the harshness of Buddhism. For this reason, their
underlying faith and steadfast devotion to Islam
are very strong. Because change is very difficult to
bring into their culture and way of life, the Pashtun
present one of the strongest challenges to the
Christian Church today.
Photo source: George Gavrus
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask God to raise up prayer teams that will break up the soil
through worship and intercession.
• Ask God to grant wisdom and favor to the mission agencies
that are focusing on the Pashtuns.
• Ask God to encourage and protect the small number of
Pashtun believers and empower them to proclaim the
Gospel.
• Pray that God will provide greater peace and freedom to
live and work among the Pashtun.
Pashtun.
Persian of Russia
Population: 3,696
Locations:
• Dagestan: 719
Moscow
The Persians adopted and
radically adhere to Shi’ite Kabardino-Balkaria
Dagestan
Islam, a rival sect of the Sunni
Muslim Arabs who conquered
their nation in the 7th century. However, the brutal
Shi’ite Muslim-based revolution in 1979 drove many
out of their country, dispersing Persians all over the
world, and the exodus continues even today. The
Islamic regime has driven Iranians away not only
from their homeland, but also away from Shi’ite
Islam. Where will they turn? Some estimate that
close to a million Persians in Iran are now looking
to Jesus for answers to their spiritual lives. The New
Testament and other resources are available in Farsi,
the main language of the Persians.
Photo source: Hamed Saber
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to reach out and
share the love of Christ with the Persians.
• Pray that God will raise up faithful intercessors who will
stand in the gap for the Persians.
number of Muslim Persians who have converted to
Christianity.
• Pray that their traditional Muslim culture will soften,
creating open doors for the Gospel to be preached among
them.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to open the hearts of the Persian people
Gospel.
Persians.
Rutul of Russia
Population: 35,240
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Dagestan: 27,849
Stavropol: 937
Rostov: 914
Kalmykia: 628
Rostov
Stavropol
Kalmykia
The Rutuls live in 20 villages
Dagestan
of the Rutul District on the
upper reaches of the Samur River in Southern
Dagestan. Until the 8th century the Rutuls were
Christian, probably following the example of the
Georgians. Arab conquests then brought in Sunnite
Islam. Despite the considerable influence of Islam,
the traditions and customs of the Rutuls have
retained heathen elements mingled with their
Islamic practices. For example, fire is worshipped,
a pagan god bynysh is still recognized, and hunting
and fertility cults are practiced along with animal
worship.
Photo Source: Improtex-travel.com
PRAYER POINTS
share Christ with the Rutul.
• Ask God to use the small number of Rutul Christians to share
• Pray that God will raise up linguists to devise a written script
for the Rutul so that the Bible may be translated into their
native language.
• Pray that God will take authority over the spiritual
principalities and powers that are keeping the Rutul bound.
Rutul.
Shughni (Pamiri) of Russia
Population: 363
The Shughni primarily live
on both sides of the Tajikistan
and Afghanistan border,
mostly in the Pamir mountains
30 miles north of Ishkashim.
Since the eleventh century, the
Shughni have belonged to the
Ismaili sect of Islam. This religious group follows the
Aga Khan and is also known as the «Seveners.» They
believe that important cosmic and historical events
occur in series of seven. Their doctrine is very
secretive and private, understood by the «select
few.» Ismailis have no mosques or official clerics,
but private houses of prayer and itinerant clergy are
numerous. Overall, Ismailis actively labor to gain
followers and even send out missionaries to other
Islamic groups. The Shughni isolate themselves
from all Tajik and Pamirian who have adopted Sunni
Islam.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to send missionaries who will
know how to witness to the Shughni in culturally relevant
ways.
• Pray that Jesus will reveal Himself to the Shughni as the Lord
of Lords.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Shughni so they
will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up
the spiritual soil through worship and intercession.
primary language.
Siberian Tatar of Russia
Population: 9,611
Locations:
• Tyumen region: 7,890
• Kurgan region: 1,081
• Omsk region: 315
Tyumen region
The earliest government of
the Siberian Tatars was formed
Kurgan region
in the 14th century, where
they inhabited and dominated
Siberia for many years. It was
during this time that they converted to Islam. In
the 16th century, the Russians came to Siberia and
conquered the Tatars, who then became part of the
Russian state. Their language and cultural traditions
have distinct Arabic and Muslim elements, but over
the years, they became russified, taking on Russian
lifestyle and values. Even their Muslim faith is
blended with many superstitious and animistic
beliefs. In recent years they are trying to renew their
traditions and language. They are a hard-working,
artistic and athletic people, with very strong family
ties.
Omsk region
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that the Siberian Tatars will know the power and love
of the One Sovereign True God.
• Ask God to preserve the culture and language of the
Siberian Tatars so that they can worship God together.
• Ask God to send ambassadors who can proclaim the hope
and truth of Jesus to the Siberian Tatars, using artistic and
athletic means to share the Gospel.
• Pray that God will establish strong churches among the
Siberian Tatar.
• Pray that God will open the hearts of the Siberian Tatars so
that they will be hungry for and ready to receive the truth
of God’s Word.
Soyot of Russia
Population: 3,608
Locations:
• Buryatia: 3,509
The Soyot people were
once part of a cluster of
peoples that eventually split
into three groups. Then the
Soyots themselves were nearly
engulfed by
the much larger Buryat groups that migrated into
their homeland from Mongolia. One of their chief
occupations was reindeer breeding, but were forced
into other work under the Soviet Union. Now they
are trying to revive that part of their culture since
becoming a recognized people group after the fall
of communism. Although most practice Tibetan
Buddhism, they are trying to go back to their
Shamanistic roots in an effort to revive their dying
culture. Their language is close to extinction.
Buryatia
Photo source: Copyright © Create International.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for culturally sensitive workers to take Jesus to the
Soyot people in such a way that they realize that they can
embrace Him without jeopardizing their culture.
• Pray that the Soyot will know the great power of Jesus
Christ over the power of spirits.
• Pray that God would send Russian, Buryat & Mongolian
Christians to share the Good News of Jesus with the Soyot
people.
• Ask God to open the hearts of the Soyot to make them
receptive to the Gospel of Christ.
Soyot.
Tabasaran of Russia
Population: 146,360
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Dagestan: 118,848
Stavropol: 5,477
Rostov: 2,231
Krasnodar: 1,331
Rostov
Krasnodar
The
Tabasaran
people
Stavropol
of southern Dagestan are
Dagestan
considered the first indigenous
people
of
the
rugged, m o u n t a i n o u s
Caucasus region. They are a very united people,
having resisted pressure from foreign rulers for
centuries. They live in clan groups in small villages,
and are very skilled artisans. The Tabasaran have
been Sunni Muslim since the Arab conquests in
the 9th century. However, remnants of their preIslamic beliefs are still evident. Traces of earth, sun,
sky, and moon worship still exist, as well as beliefs
in protective deities and spirits. They participate
in practices that include worshipping the graves of
holy men, using magic, and rituals to bring sunshine
or rain.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into Russia
who will share the love of Christ with the Tabasaran.
• Ask God to raise up prayer warriors who will intercede for the
Tabasaran.
Tabasaran.
• Pray that God will open the hearts of the Tabassaran to hear
and be receptive to the Gospel.
• Ask the Lord to save key leaders among the Tabassaran who
will boldly declare the Gospel to their own people.
• Pray for the Bible to be translated into the Tabasarantsy language.
Tajik of Russia
Population: 200,303
Locations:
• Tyumen: 7,968
• Sverdiovsk: 6,125
Moscow
Sverdiovsk
Tyumen
The Tajiks are the oldest and
one of the largest people groups
in Central Asia. The Tajik of Russia have had little
contact with the true Gospel. Although they are
surrounded by professing Christians, the Russians,
they have no real knowledge of Christ’s work on the
cross. Islam plays a vital part in their ethnic identity,
and many fear to leave Islam because they equate
it with giving up their identity. While being open
to spiritual things, they are generally closed to the
Gospel, seeing Christianity as a foreign “Russian
religion.” Intercession is needed to break the power
Islam has over their lives.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to raise up loving Russian
Christians to share the Gospel with the Tajik.
• Ask God to anoint the Gospel as it goes forth via radio in
their area.
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Tajik so
that they will be receptive to the Gospel, and to help them
see that they don’t have to give up their ethnic identity to
live for Jesus.
• Ask the Lord to save key leaders among the Tajik who will
boldly declare the Gospel.
Talysh of Russia
Population: 2,529
Locations:
•
•
•
•
City of Moscow: 501
St. Petersburg: 312
Tyumen: 297
Khanty-Mansijsk: 133
St. Petersburg
Moscow
Khanty-Mansijsk
Tyumen
Originally from Iran and
Azerbaijan, the Talysh are
Muslim which, in spite of their
linguistic
differences, led to close ties with the Azerbaijanis.
Since Islam is a religion of works, they believe
that after death they will be judged by their good
deeds and by their knowledge of the Koran. Some
remnants of their pre-Islamic religion still remain.
For example, they have a great reverence for trees
and groves and they believe in the presence of both
good and evil spirits. The Talysh are in desperate
need of the Bible and other Christian resources in
their own language.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask God to strengthen and protect the small number of
Talysh believers and give them opportunities to share the
Gospel with their friends and families.
• Ask God to raise up people to faithfully stand in the gap for
the Talysh.
• Pray for the translation of the Bible, as well as other Christian
literature, in the heart language of the Talysh.
• Pray for Gospel messages to become available in audio format in the Talysh language so the seeds of God’s Truth can be
planted in their hearts & minds.
• Pray for God to open the hearts of this Muslim people group
to hear and accept the Gospel.
• Ask God to send local Russian believers to be salt and light to
the Talysh living in Russia.
Tat (Jewish) of Russia
Population: 3,394
Locations:
• Dagestan: 1,066
Moscow
Tat speaking peoples believe
Dagestan
themselves to be descended from Jews taken
during the Assyrian captivity and displaced to the
cities of the Medes, who spoke a dialect of Old
Persian. Formerly many Tat speaking Jews lived
in the Caucasus Mountains of the former Soviet
Union (FSU). Today most of these people, also
known as mountain Jews, have left the FSU. Many
are still scattered in southern Russia’s mountainous
Dagestan region and neighboring Azerbaijan.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for a spiritual hunger among the many Jewish Tats who
view their “Jewishness” as an ethnic identity but with no religious belief.
• Pray that the Jewish people will understand that Jesus is the
long-awaited Messiah.
primary language.
Tat (Muslim) of Russia
Population: 2,303
Locations:
• Dagestan: 825
• Stavropol: 253
Moscow
The Tats in the Caucasus
live mostly along the northeast
Stavropol
Caspian coastline of Azerbaijan
Dagestan
and the adjoining coastal area
of Dagestan. Culturally and according to their
everyday life, the Tats are almost indistinguishable
from the Azerbaijani, however, they have preserved
their national identity. Tats do not easily trust
outsiders or even one another, so they keep to
themselves. That provides an obstacle for those
who would take the Gospel to them. They speak a
number of dialects, and they must borrow the script
of another language in order to read or write. Thus,
they have no Scriptures available to them, and no
evangelistic materials are available in their heartlanguages.
Photo source: Bethany World Prayer CenterUsed with permission from Globalroar.org
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that God will speed up the completion of the JESUS
Film, gospel recordings and other materials in their
dialects.
• Ask God to to raise up ambassadors for Christ who are
both trustworthy and loving to go to the Tat peoples of
Azerbaijan.
• Pray that the Christian Tats would live a lifestyle that would
proclaim Jesus to their unsaved neighbors and families.
• Pray for God to soften and open the hearts of this Muslim
people group to hear and accept the Gospel.
• Ask God to strengthen, protect, and encourage the
Christian Mussulman Tats, and empower them to share
the Gospel with their family & friends.
• Pray that God will raise up intercessors who will faithfully
pray for the Tats.
Tatar of Russia
Population: 5,554,601
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Tatarstan: 2,012,571
Bashkortostan: 1,009,295
Udmurtia: 109,218
Moscow
Tatarstan
Udmurtia
Bashkortostan
The Tatar are a group of
Turkic people with sizable
colonies in virtually every republic
of the former Soviet Union. Established in 922, the
first Muslim state in Russia was Volga Bulgaria from
which the Tatars inherited Islam, and this area now
has a very strong Islamic hold. Although the Tatar
are primarily Islamic, many of them still honor saints
and holy places. Some beliefs in supernatural powers
such as the «evil eye” still exist from their pre-Islamic
days. Unfortunately, Tatars have a distorted view of
Christianity as a result of the forced conversions of
the Russian Orthodox church. Christian laborers are
needed to live and work among the Tatar of Russia.
Translation of the Bible began in the 1970’s. The New
Testament was completed in 2001.
Photo source: International Mission Board-SBC
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that the Word of God will be completed, welldistributed, read, and understood by the Tatar.
• Pray that the nominally Orthodox Tatars would come to
know Christ.
and share Christ with the Tatar.
• Ask God to use the Tatar believers to share the love of
Jesus with their friends and families.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of Russian Tatars
toward Christians so that they will be receptive to the
Gospel.
• Pray that God will open the hearts of Russia’s governmental
leaders to the Gospel.
Tatar.
Tsakhur of Russia
Population: 12,769
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Dagestan: 9,771
Tyumen: 243
Rostov: 239
Stavropol: 197
Rostov
Tyumen
Stavropol
The Tsakhurs are a Muslim
Dagestan
people group living in difficult to
reach rural areas in Azerbaijan
and Dagestan, which has helped to keep them
hidden from the Gospel of Jesus. Over 1,000 years
ago missionaries from Georgia won many Tsakhurs
to Christ. But they neglected to translate the Bible
into their language. Some centuries later Islam
arrived and the Tsakhurs embraced this religion.
In the 13th century, the city of Tsakhur was one
of the main centers of Islam. Despite the fact that
they are almost 100% Muslim, their ceremonies
and traditions retain many heathen peculiarities.
The fact that the Tsakhur language was not used
for writing for many years during the Soviet period
poses a big challenge to having the Bible translated
in their language.
Photo source: Bethany World Prayer Center Used
with permission from Globalroar.org
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to call missionaries to Dagestan
to work among the Tsakhur.
• Pray that Christian radio broadcasts, evangelical literature,
and the Jesus film will be made available to the Tsakhur.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Tsakhur to hear
and believe the Gospel and truth of Jesus Christ.
• Ask the Lord to strengthen, protect, and embolden the few
Tsakhur believers.
• Ask God to take authority over the spiritual principalities and
powers that are keeping the Tsakhur bound.
• Pray for the complete translation of the Bible into the Tsakhur
language.
Tsakhur.
Tubalars (Altai) of Russia
Population: 1,965
Locations:
• Altai: 1,891
Traditional religion of
indigenous peoples of Altai
is paganism. From 50-70s of
the 18th century Christianity
began to spread there. It was especially active
in the second half of 19th century. According to the
Population Census of 1897, 34.5% of indigenous
people were orthodox. At the beginning of the 20th
century there began to extend Burkhanism (by the
name of the spirit of Altai mountains Burkhan), it’s
a form of Lamaism with elements of Shamanism.
And even after accepting Christianity, indigenous
peoples continue to worship rivers, mountains,
lakes. The sacred tree of Tubalars is cedar, a symbol
of power, beauty, courage of taiga.
Altai
Photo source: David and Sue Richardson
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that the Tubalars will know the power and truth of the
One True God.
• Pray that Russian believers will reach out to their Tubalar
neighbors and share the Gospel with them.
• Ask God to open the hearts of the Tubalar people to hear and
accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Ask God to establish a strong, healthy church among the Tubalars.
• Pray that God would raise up prayer warriors on behalf of the
Tubalar people.
• Ask God to preserve the people, culture & language of the
Tubalars.
Turk of Russia
Population: 105,058
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Rostov: 28,285
Krasnodar: 13,496
Kabardino-Balkaria: 8,770
Stavropol: 7,484
Rostov
Krasnodar
Stavropol
Kabardino-Balkaria
Since the 1920s modern
Turkey has become a secular,
developed
nation
that
sits,
literally and symbolically, between the Christian West
and the Muslim world. The Turks represent a great
opportunity to create a «fulcrum» church movement
that could reach many other Muslim people groups.
Although the Turks have Christian resources (both
the Bible and the Jesus film have been translated
into Turkish) available to them in their language and
missions agencies have worked among them, Islam
has a strong hold over them. Prayer alone has the
power to break these strongholds.
Photo source: Paulo Avila
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to go to the
Turks in Russia and share Christ with them.
• Pray that churches and missions organizations will accept
the challenge of adopting and reaching the Turk.
• Pray for Turk believers to have boldness to share the Gospel with their own people.
• Ask the Lord to save key Turk leaders who will boldly declare the Gospel.
• Pray that God will establish strong healthy churches among
the Turks in Russia.
• Pray that many Turks living in Russia will be reached with
the Gospel and some of them will take it back to Turkey.
Turkmen of Russia
Population: 36,885
Locations:
• Astrakhan: 2,154
Moscow
Consisting of 5 or more
main tribes, the Turkmen live Stavropol
Astrakhan
in 5 Central Asian countries,
including
Turkmenistan.
Traditionally Turkmen tribes were
nomadic
cattlemen or farmers. There was, and still is,
tension between them concerning land rights.
Since Turkmenistan’s independence from the USSR
in 1991, a cultural revival has been taking place,
yet they endured many years of dictatorship even
after the USSR dissolved. Today Turkmenistan has
been widely criticized for human rights violations,
and their press knows almost no freedom. Most
Turkmen are culturally Muslims; however, there
are also segments of Turkmen society that are
secular and atheistic. By the 14th century Islam
had replaced Christianity which had been their
faith since the 4th Century. Today, there is little
awareness of Christianity among them.
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to live among the
Turkmen and share with them the love of Christ.
• Pray that Christian radio broadcasts and literature will be
made available to the Turkmen.
number of Turkmen believers and enable them to share the
• Pray that the Holy Spirit will soften the hearts of the Turkmen towards Christians so that they will be receptive to the
Gospel.
• Ask God to provide the Turkmen with a complete Bible. So far
only the New Testament has been translated.
• Pray for the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the
Turkmen.
Tuvans-Todzhans of Russia
Population: 1,858
Locations:
• Tuva: 1,835
Москва
The
Tuvans’
unique
specialty is khomeii, also
known as throat-singing. Tuvan
vocalists are capable of singing
two notes at the same time, one high-pitched
and one a low drone. Although they have been
traditionally shamanists, today some Tuvans are
Buddhist and a growing number are “non-religious.”
In times of trouble, however, most Tuvans will resort
to ancient shamanistic practices and rituals. Tuvans
believe that most of the spirits are evil and must
be appeased with animal sacrifices. Sometimes a
shaman may drum, chant and burn juniper incense
to help them enter a trance and communicate with
the spirits. The complete Bible and Jesus film have
been translated in the Tuvan language.
Tuva
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that the Tuvans will know the power and truth of the
One True God and the saving power of Jesus Christ.
• Pray that God will establish strong healthy churches in
Tuva.
• Ask God to send laborers into the harvest to live among
and share the Gospel with the Tuvan people.
number of Tuvan believers and enable them to share the
• Pray that the Holy Spirit will soften the hearts of the Tuvan
to hear and receive the Gospel, and for His Word to go
forth in power among the Tuvans.
• Pray that soon the Tuvin people will use their unique
musical abilities to express praise and worship of their
loving Creator.
Tuvinian of Russia
Population: 263,934
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Tuva: 249,299
Krasnoyarsk Region: 1,492
Novosibirsk: 526
Irkutsk: 513
Krasnoyarsk Region
Novosibirsk
Most Tuvinians reside in a
mountainous region of Russia
called the Tuva Republic, a very
beautiful land, unpolluted and rich with natural
resources. The Tuvinian people are united by
language and culture, yet very isolated. Traditionally
the Tuvinians were herders, living a nomadic lifestyle,
and those who haven’t been absorbed by Russian
culture still follow that lifestyle. Today, one third
are Tibetan Buddhists; one third are Shamanists
(a belief in an unseen world of gods, demons, and
ancestral spirits); and the remaining one third claim
to be non-religious. However Buddhism is growing
fast among this people group.
Irkutsk
Tuva
Photo source: Copyright © Operation China,
Paul Hattaway. Used with permission
PRAYER POINTS
share Christ with the Tuvinian.
• Ask God to use the Tuvinian believers to share the love of
Jesus with their own people.
• Pray that Christian radio and television broadcasts will be
made available to the Tuvinian.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Tuvinian toward Christians so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Pray that God will open the hearts of Russia’s governmental
leaders to the Gospel.
• Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the Tuvinian.
Udekhe of Russia
Population: 1,496
Locations:
Khabarovsk
• Primorsky Krai: 918
• Khabarovsk: 613
The Udekhs’ way of life is
closely connected with their
taiga forest and hunting. This
previously required a more
mobile lifestyle. However under Soviet
rule,
many of the Udekhe were resettled and now there
exist nine ethnically pure Udekhe settlements all
located some distance apart. With the threat of
industry & development, the Udekhe are fighting
for control over their traditional territories along
the Bikin River in an effort to save their land, their
culture and their language from becoming obsolete.
The Udekhe worship the Spirit of Taiga and practice
shamanism and animal worship. There is no
translation of the Bible in their language. www.joshuaproject.net
Primorsky Krai
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask God to preserve the language and culture of the Udekhe
people.
• Pray that God will send workers to live among the Udekhe
and share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.
• Ask God to open the hearts and minds of the Udekhe people
to believe and accept the Truth of Jesus Christ and to know
the power of the One True God.
• Ask God to establish a strong, healthy church in each of the 9
Udekhe settlements.
• Pray that God would raise up prayer warriors on behalf of the
Udekhe people.
• Pray that there will soon be gospel recordings and Bible portions available in the heart language of the Udekhe.
Uyghur of Russia
Population: 3,696
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Tyumen: 188
City of Moscow: 171
Altai: 167
Novosibirsk: 143
Moscow
Tyumen
The Uyghur are a Turkic
people located primarily in northwestern China.
Islam has been the dominant religion of the Uyghur
since the 10th century. In the past, they were Muslim
in name only; however, there is some renewal that is
currently taking place among them. Sadly, however,
there are no known converts. As Muslims, they
are taught that Christians are their enemies. The
Bible has already been translated into the Uyghur
language; Christian radio broadcasts and the Jesus
film are also available. Nevertheless, in spite of
these efforts, they remain basically untouched with
the Gospel.
Novosibirsk
Altai
Photo source: EnricX
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will break up the soil
through worship and intercession.
• Pray that the Lord will call missionaries to go to Russia and
China and share Christ with the Uyghur.
• Ask God to grant favor to missions agencies focusing on the
Uyghur.
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to anoint the Gospel as it goes forth
via radio.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Uyghur towards
• Pray that God’s Word will go forth in the power of the Holy
Spirit to bring the Uyghur to saving faith.
Uzbek of Russia
Population: 289,862
Locations:
• Tyumen: 7,730
• Samara: 5,438
Moscow
Samara
Tyumen
The Uzbeks are the largest
people group in Central Asia.
Since gaining independence
from the Soviet Union,
Uzbekistan did not gain freedom from tyranny
where freedom of speech or press aren’t allowed
and human rights are violated. While they are all
virtually Muslim by religion, they do not all practice
Orthodox Islam. Many traditional beliefs have been
mingled with their Islamic practices. Many of the
younger generation are either atheists or nonreligious. Today, Islamic fundamentalists living in
the former Soviet regions have begun calling for the
strict application of Islamic law, as is practiced in
Afghanistan. Now is the time to preach the Gospel to
the Uzbeks of this region. There is an unprecedented
opportunity to reach their communities with the
message of the Cross.
Photo source: Caleb Project
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray that Christian Uzbek leaders would be unified in evangelistic activities.
• Pray that new Uzbek Christians would understand God’s
Word quickly and commit themselves to a local church where
they will find strength.
• Praise God for the newly completed translation of the Bible
in the Uzbek language! Pray that God’s Word will go forth in
power among the Uzbek.
• Pray that the Holy Spirit will soften the hearts of the Uzbek
Muslims and atheists towards Christians and the message of
Jesus.
• Ask God to grant wisdom and favor to missions agencies focusing on the Uzbeks.
• Ask the Lord to send additional long term laborers to live
among the Uzbeks and share the love of Christ with them.
Yezidi of Russia
Population: 40,586
Locations:
•
•
•
•
Krasnodar: 4,441
Nizhni Novogorod: 3,076
Yaroslavi: 2,718
Stavropol: 2,417
Yaroslavi
Nizhni Novogorod
The Yezidis are a secretive Krasnodar
Stavropol
sect of the Kurdish people
group who practice an ancient,
syncretistic religion. Yazidism is a unique mixture
of a variety of religions, including folk religion,
Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Sufi Islam. Some
Kurdish Muslims and others in the Middle East
consider them to be devil worshipers. Because of
their religious rites the Yezidis were despised by
the rest of Kurds and therefore lived in isolation.
They believe in a supreme God who created the
world but who is remote and has delegated his rule
to seven angels, the chief of whom is the Peacock
Angel. This angel is also the devil in Yezidi belief and
is seen as an arbitrary Lord in whom good and evil
are combined.
Photo Source: Ken Zuk
PRAYER POINTS
• Ask God to call Christians to go and reach this community
where there is no know Christian witness.
• Pray that God would open the hearts of Yezidi people to hear
the Gospel and respond to follow Jesus.
• Pray that the Yezidi people would know the truth of who God
is and His love for them and that they would believe that He
desires to have a personal relationship with them.
• Ask God to raise up prayer warriors for the Yezidi people.
• Pray that God will raise up strong, healthy & growing churches
among the Yezidi people.
Yukaghir of Russia
Chukotka
Population: 1,603
Locations:
• Sakha: 1,281
• Chukotka: 185
Sakha
The Yukaghir are a
indigenous people group who,
like the Nivkh, are known as
the reindeer people. The main
traditional activity is nomadic and semi-nomadic
hunting of deer, moose, wild sheep, and sable,
as well as fishing. Reindeer are bred mostly for
transportation. Over the years with the decline of
their traditional economic activities, the dismal
environmental situation of the their lands, and the
decrease in the population of the Yukaghir people,
the Yukaghir people and their language are close
to being obsolete. Alongside Russian Orthodox
beliefs, Yukaghir still practice shamanism, and
animal worship, particularly the bear. They believe
the spirits can act as protectors and as enemies of
people.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for the Yukaghir’s hearts to be hungry for Truth and to
be searching for the One True Living God.
• Pray for messengers to go to the Yukaghir and to present
the Gospel in their heart language and that they would
present not only with words which can be understood, but
with their very lives.
• Pray that God will preserve the Yukaghir people; not only
their culture and language, but also their spiritual lives.
Index
1. Abaza
2. Adyghe
3. Aghul
4. Akhvakh
5. Akkin (Chechen)
6. Andi
7. Arab
8. Archin
9. Avar
10.Azerbaijani
11.Bagvalal
12.Balkar
13.Baluch (Pakistani)
14.Bezhta
15.Bosniak
16.Buryat
17.Botlikh
18.Chamalal
19.Chechen
20.Chelkans (Altai)
21.Chirag/Amuq
22.Chulym
23.Crimean Tatar
24.Dargin
25.Dido (Tsez)
26.Digor (Ossetian)
27.Dungan
28.Enets
29.Ghunzib
30.Ginukh
31.Godoberin
32.Ingush
33.Japanese
34.Jew, Georgian
35.Kaitag
36.Kalmyk-Oirat
37.Kamchadal (Ainu)
38.Karachay
39.Karaite
40.Karakalpak
41.Karata
42.Kazakh
43.Ket
44.Khvarshin
45.Kubachin
46.Kumandin
47.Kumyk
48.Kurd
49.Kyrgyz
50.Lak
51.Lezgin
52.Mansi
53.Meskhetian Turk
54.Mishari Tatar
55.Mongol (Khalka)
56.Mountain Jew
57.Muirin
58.Negidal
59.Nivkh
60.Nogai
61.Orok
62.Pashtun
63.Persian
64.Rutul
65.Shughni (Pamiri)
66.Siberian Tatar
67.Soyot
68.Tabasaran
69.Tajik
70.Talysh
71.Tat (Jewish)
72.Tat (Muslim)
73.Tatar
74.Tindal
75.Tsakhur
76.Tubalars
77.Turk
78.Turkmen
79.Tuvans-Todzhans
80.Tuvinian
81.Tsudakar
82.Udekhe
83.Uyghur
84.Uzbek
85.Yezidi
86.Yukaghir
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
[email protected]
Joshua Project is the source of the statistical data, photos,
and prayer points featured in this prayer guide.
Please visit their website at www.joshuaproject.net for further information on each of these people groups.

Unreached People of Russia

Transcription

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