Turkmen in Ukraine


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Turkmen culture has been strongly influenced in the past by both Turkic conquerors, who imposed their language on them, and Arabs, who forced them to convert to Islam. They were nomadic for hundreds of years, making their living by raising livestock and selling Persian slaves they had captured. A common saying was that a Turkmen's home is where his horse is. They began to settle in the 19th century. At that point they became semi-nomadic, herding their sheep and camels during part of the year and growing crops in their homeland the other part of the year. In the 17th century, the Turkmen, or Trukhmens as they were called in Russia, migrated into the Caucasus, which has since become part of Russia. Their lack of unity made the Turkmen easy pickings for the expanding Russian Empire. Like the Ukrainians, Turkmen were forced onto collective farms when Turkmenistan became one of the "Soviet Socialist Republics," and their days as nomads came to an end. Turkmen tend to be physically strong and easily able to endure the harshness of the environment. They are characterized by their hospitality, sincerity, and trustworthiness; however, they are also known as being hot-headed and revengeful. The Turkmen are one of the many Central Asian ethnic groups that have a related Turkic language. These languages are not necessarily mutually intelligible, but they often understand part of the other languages. The Turkmen have their own nation, Turkmenistan, where most of them live. There is also a large population of Turkmen in Iran, where they make up about a third of the population, and Afghanistan. They also live in just about all Central Asian nations and there is even a very small number in India and Ukraine.


What Are Their Lives Like?

A small number of Turkmen have fled their home country to urban Ukraine to find work. Even those who are well educated often must settle for hard labor jobs with long hours and low pay. They send most of the money home to Turkmenistan. They work without permits or medical care. Many share small apartments with other migrant laborers. Like other Central Asian people, the Turkmen are often looked down upon by the Ukrainians.


Recent settlements and revivals heralded the return of a moderate form of Islam while secularism and atheism remain prominent for many Turkmen intellectuals.
What Are Their Beliefs?

Nestorian Christians entered Turkmenistan in the fourth century AD. ; by the beginning of the fourteenth century, though, any lingering trace of Christianity had been totally replaced by Islam. This transition gradually came to influence the political, civil, and economic lives of the people. Today, despite their outward conformity to Islam, mysticism and other past religious traditions are still prevalent among the Turkmen people. Yet a Turkmen in Ukraine would identify himself as a Muslim even if he does not practice his religious duties.


What Are Their Needs?

There are almost no Christian believers among the Turkmen people in Ukraine. The vast majority of the Turkmen live without the abundant life offered by Jesus, the one who wants to give them joy and salvation.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Holy Spirit to give the Turkmen people in Ukraine teachable and understanding hearts. Pray that a strong movement of the Holy Spirit will bring entire Turkmen families into a rich experience of God's blessing. Pray for Turkmen families to be drawn by the Holy Spirit to seek forgiveness, and to understand the adequacy of Christ's work on the cross. Pray for teams of Ukrainian believers to do sustained, focused prayer for the Lord to open the hearts of Turkmen leaders to experience God's blessing through a movement of family-based discovery Bible studies.


Scripture Prayers for the Turkmen in Ukraine.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Turkmen
People Name in Country Turkmen
Pronunciation TERK-men
Alternate Names Anauli; Chaghatai; Esari; Goklen; Jagarta; Trukhmeny; Turkoman; Yomud; टर्कमेन
Population this Country 2,800
Population all Countries 8,693,000
Total Countries 12
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 15654
ROP3 Code 110306
ROP25 Code 308379
ROP25 Name Turkmen (Turkmenistan)
Country Ukraine
Region Europe, Eastern and Eurasia
Continent Europe
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Country Ukraine
Region Europe, Eastern and Eurasia
Continent Europe
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked

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Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
95.00 %
Non-Religious
5.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Turkmen (2,800 speakers)
Language Code tuk   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Turkmen (2,800 speakers)
Language Code tuk   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Turkmen

Primary Language:  Turkmen

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1880-1994)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1880-2005)
Bible-Complete Yes  (2016-2017)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Turkmen Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Turkmen YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Turkmen YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Bible: Comic Book Version Super Bible / Comic Bible Society
Text / Printed Matter IBT, Russia - resources Institute for Bible Translation - Russia
Photo Source Anonymous 
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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