Uzbek, Northern in Russia

Introduction / History

The earliest ancestors of the Uzbeks, the Central Asian Turks, aided Genghis Khan in his conquest of Eastern Europe in the 1300s. Eventually, as unity between the Turks and Mongols faded, there were numerous warring kingdoms that emerged. It was from several of these kingdoms that the Uzbeks descended. As time progressed, they developed their own language and culture, though it is like the others in Central Asia. By the mid-1800s, the Russians had conquered most of the Uzbeks. The Russians controlled much of Central Asia including what is now Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. They lived under czarist rule until the Bolshevik Revolution brought the communists to power in 1917. The new socialist government forced many of the Uzbek nomads and farmers to live on collective farms.

When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, the Central Asians controlled by Moscow became independent of Russian rule. In Azerbaijan and Afghanistan, Uzbeks speak the Southern Uzbek dialect which is mutually intelligible with Northern Uzbek. The main differences are about the grammar and certain loan words from other languages. Those in Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan speak Northern Uzbek.

There are large Uzbek communities in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, as well as small communities in many other nations, including Belarus, Turkey, Azerbaijan and even the United States. Some live in Russia, usually in urban centers like Moscow.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Uzbeks come to Russia for low-paying, migrant jobs and they are looked down upon by the Russian majority. In 2014 there was an anti-Uzbek riot in some of Russia’s cities leading to the death of some Uzbeks. Uzbeks are singled out more than other Central Asian migrants; they face discrimination, humiliation and sometimes violence. They remain in Russia because they desperately need jobs, which are hard to find in Uzbekistan. Some are recruited into crime networks. Their situation is desperate.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Most Uzbeks are Sunni Muslims of the conservative Hanafite branch. Like other Muslims, the Uzbeks believe that there is one God, Allah, whose will was revealed through the prophet Mohammed and then recorded in the Koran. They are generally not Orthodox Muslims since they usually mix traditional beliefs with their Islamic practices. Many of the younger generation are either atheists or non-religious. Uzbeks in Russia are seldom open to outside spiritual input.

What Are Their Needs?

The Uzbeks in Russia have an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel. Unfortunately, they are often at odds with the “Christian” Russians. Who will reach out to them with the kindness and love of the one, true savior?

Prayer Points

Pray for God’s protection for Uzbeks in Russia.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to give the Uzbek people teachable and understanding hearts.
Pray that a strong movement of the Holy Spirit will bring entire Uzbek families into a rich experience of God's blessing.
Pray for Uzbek 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 Uzbek family leaders to experience God's blessing through a movement of family-based discovery Bible studies.

Text Source:   Joshua Project