People group profile · PG024411
The Avar of the Russian Federation
The Avar of the Russian Federation, numbering about 912,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are the largest indigenous people of Dagestan in Russia's North Caucasus, whose Avar Khanate ruled the region's mountains from its capital at Khunzakh from the 1200s until Russian authority replaced it in the early 1800s, abolished after the Caucasian War.
They are an indigenous people in the Caucasus people cluster of the Eurasian Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Avaric.
Fast facts
- Country
- Russian Federation
- Population
- 912,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Caucasus
- Primary language
- Avaric (ava)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Eastern Europe, Europe
Where they live
Gospel status
The Avar are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Avar
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
99% adherents
Primary language
Avaric · Nakh-Daghestanian family
78% speak Avaric
Gospel resources in Avaric
- Bible available, published 2008
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Bibles
- 2008 Institute for Bible Translation, Moscow · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Avar
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
Avar in other countries
The same people (ROP3 100633) is reported in 1 other country.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avar | Azerbaijan | 45,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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