Ingush, Galgai in Russia

Map Source:  Withheld by request Copyrighted © 2024 Used with permission
People Name: Ingush, Galgai
Country: Russia
10/40 Window: No
Population: 517,000
World Population: 535,800
Primary Language: Ingush
Primary Religion: Islam
Christian Adherents: 0.00 %
Evangelicals: 0.00 %
Scripture: Portions
Online Audio NT: No
Jesus Film: Yes
Audio Recordings: Yes
People Cluster: Caucasus
Affinity Bloc: Eurasian Peoples
Progress Level:

Introduction / History

Note: The following story gives an example of one man's life of the Ingush people living in 20th century Russia.
Imran stood over the fresh grave, enduring the cold winds of the mountain valley that leads to Magas, the capital of the province of Ingushetia in southern Russia. Stalin's KGB gathered the family of his seven year old grandfather and the whole Ingush nation into rail cars on February 23, 1944. His grandpa survived the three-week rail journey to the Central Asian steppe of Kazakhstan with no heat, no food, and only melted snow for water. Finally, in 1957, the Russians allowed his grandfather to return to his home region of Ingushetia. Sadly, Ossetian families had resettled his village home, where Stalin had sent them to take over Ingush lands. Imran, whose own father died in the 1992 war between the Ingush and Ossetians, now couldn't bury his grandfather in the centuries-old family cemetery. Mercifully, Imran's new boss in a Russian construction firm happened to be a Protestant Christian. His new boss was very helpful to Imran in his search to find a location to bury his grandfather. His boss even helped pay for the burial plot! Imran was left with a lot of questions, the foremost being, "where does such love and compassion come from?"

What Are Their Lives Like?

From their six villages, the Ingush practice animal husbandry.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Ingush practice Sunni Islam. There are about 30 scattered Ingush followers of Christ.

What Are Their Needs?

The Ingush people need these few believers to shine with the light of the Holy Spirit and take Christ's great name to every Ingush village.

Prayer Points

Pray for open Ingush hearts to hear the gospel.
Pray for more of Christ's ambassadors to go to the Ingush people and practice audacious love such as the Christian boss we read about earlier.
Pray for workers to go to the Ingush to distribute the Ingush JESUS Film and to translate the Bible and other resources into the Ingush language.
Pray for the establishment of a viable, indigenous and reproducing Ingush church.

Text Source:   Joshua Project