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People group profile · PG024413

The Bagvalal of the Russian Federation

The Bagvalal of the Russian Federation, numbering about 6,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are an Avar-Andi-Dido people of Dagestan's Tsumadinsky District, historically tied to the Avar Khanate and adopting Sunni Islam by the sixteenth century through Sufi missionaries, with many resettling in Astrakhan province between 1950 and 1970.

They are an indigenous people in the Caucasus people cluster of the Eurasian Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Bagvalal.

Pray for the BagvalalPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Bagvalal people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: Bagvalal

Fast facts

Country
Russian Federation
Population
6,500
Affinity group
Central Asian Peoples
People cluster
Caucasus
Primary language
Bagvalal (kva)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
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 Bagvalal are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. 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 Bagvalal

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Sunni Islam · Islam

100% adherents

Primary language

Bagvalal · Nakh-Daghestanian family

83% speak Bagvalal

Gospel resources in Bagvalal

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Bagvalal

  1. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  2. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  3. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  4. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.

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