Introduction / History

The Greeks are the descendants of the migrants from the Balkan Peninsula who came to Russia partly in the eighteenth century, but mostly in the nineteenth century. This migration was the result of the political situation from the Balkans and Russian-Turkish wars, leading to considerable movement of the population. The Christian population, oppressed and mercilessly robbed by the government of the Osman empire, saw in Russia their liberator from the centuries-old Turkish oppression. They left their homes and followed the Russian army in masses.

In the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, the Greek rebels from Greece fought on the Russian side and, after the war, a considerable part of them settled in the Crimea. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Greek settlements had lost their military importance. The Greeks who lived in the steppe districts in the Crimea and on the coast, used the Tatar language (they were called Greeks-Tatars). The other part, which lived in the mountain regions, preserved their own language which was a dialect of the modern Greek language. This group was called "Greeks-Hellens."

What Are Their Beliefs?

Their religion is Christian Orthodoxy.

Prayer Points

They are religious, but lack understanding of the Gospel and a close relationship with the living God.
* Pray that there is a way to really communicate the living God of today.
* Pray for a release of workers, finances and resources that are needed.