More than 142 million people from more than 100 ethnic groups live in Russia. One of these groups—the Bashkirs—has resided in the country since the 9th century. Today, more than 1.5 million Bashkirs inhabit Russia, clinging to a language system and culture that has evolved over 1,100 years.
In partnership with American Bible Society, the Bible Society in Russia is working to translate the Bible into Bashkir, equipping one of the country’s largest people groups to encounter Christ in the pages of Scripture.
Opportunity
The first Bible translation in Bashkir began in the early 1900s, when translators completed the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But over the past 100 years, these translations have become obsolete, leaving Bashkir-speaking people without access to God’s Word. In order to equip the Bashkir people to engage with Scripture, translators must finish translation of the Bashkir Bible.
Transformation
With support from American Bible Society’s financial partners, the Bible Society in Russia is working to translate the Bible into Bashkir. Once complete, the Bible will enable churches to host liturgical services—a form of worship that appeals to the Bashkir people—and allow teachers to offer instruction on the basics of Christianity.