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.

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
- 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.
- 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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