Akkin in Russia

Joshua Project has identified the Akkin only in Russia







Largest Religion

Main Language


Profile Source: Anonymous

Introduction / History

The Akkin people speak a dialect of the Chechen language, and live among 12 mountainous village clusters in the Novolakskoye region of Dagestan, in the areas surrounding the major city of Khasavyurt, which borders Chechnya and Dagestan. The Akkin originated from village lands inside of Chechnya, but migrated East towards Dagestan at various stages in their pre-Soviet history. In 1944, cited along with the Chechens as Nazi collaborators, the Akkin people were deported to Central Asia, by order of Joseph Stalin and the Communist regime. Subsequently, Dagestani Laks and Dagestani Avars were resettled in the Aukhov (renamed into Novolak) district where the Akkin used to live. In 1957 under the Soviet Union leadership of Leonid Brezhnev, the Akkin, the Chechen, the Balkar were exonerated of Nazi collaboration and Stalin's resettlement tactics were condemned as genocidal and barbaric. The Soviet Union undertook a program they called "rehabilitation" allowing people groups to return to their homelands. Many Akkin communities returned to Dagestan. The Akkin desired to move back to their native villages, but came into conflict with the Laks and Avars who were placed there. This land rights conflict between Laks, Avars and Akkin especially escalated in 1991–2. Since then, several Lak communities actually agreed to resettle in other parts of Dagestan.

What are Their Lives Like?

The Akkin have a strong self-identity, in spite of historically being buried under official census statistics as "Chechen". To Chechens, Akkin are Akkin. To Russians, Akkin are Chechen.

The Akkin live along a transport corridor between the Capital City of Dagestan and the Capital city of Chechnya. One "export" along this corridor are competitions for factions of extremist Islamists. Traditionally, the Akkin practice Sufi Islam (in the Sunni order of Islam), but external, missional Salafist (Wahhabi) movements have attempted to "stamp out" Sufi practices of Islam throughout Dagestan. This religious conflict mixes in with an active islamist insurgency against the Russian State, thus a war of attrition carries on even now, 2013. The Akkin are affected by this insurgency, as young men get recruited and enticed (Extorted) towards participation with militants, or battles are fought in their neighborhoods.

Akkin refugees can be found in Asylum corridors of Europe, along with Chechen and Ingush and Dagestani.

Prayer Points

* Thank God for at least one church in USA, who has "Taken the Akkin Into Their Hearts" for Long-Term Prayer until there is a Christ-following community among them.
* Pray for the Right People to be in the Right Places at the Right times.
* Pray for Caucasus house churches to have the courage and capacity to reach out within Akkin communities.
* Pray for Chechen believers to have courage to reach out to Akkin.
* Pray for Churches from the Russian Speaking World to grow in their missional understanding of God's Love for all Peoples and to equip laborers to minister among all peoples, even Muslims Peoples, in the Russian Speaking World.
* Pray for Azeri churches to grow in compassion and love for fellow Caucasus nations who live without the hope available in the Good News of Isa (Jesus).

Profile Source: Anonymous
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Country Russia
Continent Asia
Region Eastern Europe and Eurasia
10/40 Window No
Location in Country North Caucasus mountain region
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People Name General Akkin
People Name in Country Akkin
ROP3 Code 116039
Joshua Project People ID 20318
Indigenous Yes
Population in Russia 100,000
Least-Reached Yes
Alternate Names for People Group
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Chechen: Akkin 100,000
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Affinity Bloc Eurasian Peoples
People Cluster Caucasus
People Name General Akkin
Ethnic Code CEW17d
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Largest Religion Islam
0.00%    ( Evangelical  0.00% )
Ethnic Religions
Other / Small
Christian Segments
Other Christian
Roman Catholic
Map Source: Joshua Project
Profile Source:
Data Sources: Data is compiled from various sources. Read more
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