Kist in Russia


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Kist people belong to the larger Caucasian ethnic group called Vainakh. All three peoples, Chechens, Ingush and Kists, are Vainakh people and share similar cultural features. The term "Kist" refers to ethnic Chechens who came from Chechnya to settle in Pankisi Gorge in the 18th century. It is the name that the Georgians originally gave them. The Kist speak Georgian and bear Georgian surnames. The Kist can be considered a subgroup of the Chechen people. During the second half of the 19th century, the Russian government pressured the Kist to convert to Russian Orthodoxy. Some were forcibly baptized. The larger population of Kist people live in Georgia. A smaller group lives in Russian Chechnya near the border with Georgia. The Kist speak the Chechen and Georgian languages. Many also speak Russian which allows them to converse with outsiders.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Kist community has managed to preserve its original Chechen dialect, culture and traditions. Most members of the community are bicultural and bilingual, and a large number have also lived in Chechnya at some point. Kist people are Caucasian mountaineers. They are proud people, honest and fair, with a hard, austere cold character. They don't like expressing their feelings. They know the value of friendship. They are even able to give their life for the other if they are a true friend. They are also very hospitable, and they respect their elders and traditions. Throughout time and until now, traditions like hospitality, friendship, mutual help and blood feud have remained. Kist people are proud to show how they can still respect them while coping with modernity. The Kist live in the valleys of the Caucasus Mountains. Their main ways of making a living are agriculture and taking care of cattle, goats and sheep. The Kist grow barley, wheat, potatoes, fruits, and vegetables for themselves and to trade to others.


They are a very small Muslim minority group in western Russia.
What Are Their Beliefs?

The majority of the Kist claim to be Sunni Muslims. Their brand of Islam is heavily mixed with a pre-Islamic animistic folk religion. They believe in natural spirits and perform rituals in sacred places. The Islamic world has sent wandering mullahs or missionaries into Kist areas trying to influence the Kist to a purer form of Islam. Some "Christian" Kist have been reconverted back to Islam from the words and actions of these mullahs. A smaller group of Kist are Russian Orthodox believers. Their Christianity is also mixed with animism and folk religion. A complete Bible in Chechen became available in 2012.


What Are Their Needs?

The Kist need to hear a presentation of the good news of Jesus Christ in a way they can understand. Kist believers must learn and apply the Bible if they are to grow in the faith. They must forsake their belief in spirits and begin to follow the Lord wholeheartedly. Medical and agricultural teams of Christian workers can visit the Kist and help them with their physical needs.


Prayer Points

Pray for a spiritual hunger among the Kist leaders and a dissatisfaction with the old spiritual answers. Pray that Kist believers would be taught the Bible and live Christlike lives before their families and neighbors. Pray that the Chechen Bibles reaches the right Kist people. Ask the Lord to raise up a Disciple Making Movement among the Kist people of Georgia and Russia.


Scripture Prayers for the Kist in Russia.


References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kist_people https://www.refworld.org/docid/5beacbb94.html


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Kist
People Name in Country Kist
Pronunciation kist
Alternate Names
Population this Country 700
Population all Countries 10,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 21359
ROP3 Code 117344
ROP25 Code 304069
ROP25 Name Kistin
Country Russia
Region Europe, Eastern and Eurasia
Continent Asia
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Chechnya, Ingushetia, Rostov Oblast, Tyumen Oblast   Source:  Census 2010
Country Russia
Region Europe, Eastern and Eurasia
Continent Asia
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Chechnya, Ingushetia, Rostov Oblast, Tyumen Oblast.   Source:  Census 2010

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Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
70.00 %
Non-Religious
30.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Chechen (700 speakers)
Language Code che   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Chechen (700 speakers)
Language Code che   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Chechen
Photo Source manothegreek 
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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