The dynamic young Lezgin, imitating an eagle, knelt down on his knees, then jumped up and spun round with quick movements of his legs, waving his wide-spread arms above him. Nearby, without touching him, a graceful lezginka, moving her hands with restraint and gracefully shuffling her feet, seemed to float on the stage, symmetrically responding to the man's dance. Celebrating a village wedding, they were dancing the lezginka, a world-famous dance originating from the Lezgian people of the eastern Caucasus. Or perhaps they performed the lezginka on the stage of a crowded theatre in front of thousands of spectators in London, Munich or Paris. This ancient folk dance expresses the proud history and cultural dynamism of the proud Lezgin people of southern Dagestan and northern Azerbaijan.
In more than 50 Lezgin towns and villages in Azerbaijan, Lezgins raise sheep and goats, combining this with subsistence agriculture, leather crafts and weaving the famous handmade carpets. The Lezgin language is still alive and actively used today - with a well-developed oral tradition in villages, homes and schools, and a huge legacy of Lezgin literature and music. Many Lezgins have also migrated from rural areas to the cities of Dagestan and Azerbaijan, mainly for economic reasons. The patriarchal social structure among Lezgins remains strong, especially in rural life and in isolated urban communities.
Islamic influence came to the Caspian region of Lezghin habitation already in the VII-VIII centuries and for the last 1000 years has had a huge impact on the Lezghin society. By the end of the 18th century, the Lezgin people were considered 100% Muslim. Spiritism and animistic practices are also widespread in Lezgin culture. On sacred trees or near holy graves they tie scraps of cloth, asking for spiritual help for health, marriage or material well-being. Fortune-tellers are often consulted.
Like the majestic Lezginka, the ancient Lezgian culture has nobility. However, this, as elsewhere in the world, does not make the people immune to the consequences of sinful human nature. And neither spiritualism nor Islam offers the cleansing forgiveness of Jesus or the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. Over the past two decades, more than 75 Lezgin followers of Jesus have emerged in Dagestan, and more than 100 Lezgin believers in Azerbaijan. Also of particular importance is the progress in translating the Bible into the Lezghin language. Four Gospels, Acts and the Children's Bible have already been published in Lezghin, sixteen more books of the New Testament are in the process of translation. From the Old Testament, the books of Ruth, Esther and Jonah have been published, and ten more books are in the works. There is a strong team of Bible translators, including Lezgin believers. This work goes to the heart of the Lezgin language and culture. An ancient text in one of the Lezgin tribal languages from the pre-Islamic period even contains fragments of the Bible translation.
Location in Azerbaijan: Gusar, Khachmaz, Gabala and Guba districts