The Rutul speak Rutuly, which belongs to the Dagestanian group of the Northeast Caucasian language family. Knowledge of Russian is widespread, and some of the older people also speak Azerbaijani. The Arabic script was used for Rutuly until the 1930's. However, Rutuly has not been a written language throughout the Soviet period. Today, the Rutul use Azerbaijani, Russian, and Lezgian for written communication.

What Are Their Lives Like
Traditional Rutul settlements consisted of several quarters, each belonging to one tukhum, or clan. Each tukhum was composed of families who had descended from a common male ancestor. In the past, the center of the settlement was a mosque and a neighboring teahouse or clubhouse, where the men of one tukhum would gather. In the Soviet period, new settlements were built. Sometimes whole settlements were relocated to agricultural areas or to the Caspian plain. Today, a club or "house of culture" is located in the center of the settlement.

Until the early 1900's, most Rutul lived in two-room, one- or two-storied stone houses. Instead of windows, the houses had light holes. Most modern buildings now have windows and are decorated with thick wool or felt carpets.

Sheep and cattle breeding is the main occupation of the Rutul. Techniques for raising sheep have improved over the years, with better care administered during the long winter months. The herdsmen also grow spring and winter wheat, rye, barley, millet, and spelt (a hardy wheat). Traditional crafts include making pottery, leather footwear, and wool-based items such as cloth, felt, carpets, and ornamented socks. Their beautiful wool carpets and ornamented socks are produced commercially.

The Rutul traditionally eat meat, dairy products, and flour-based dishes. Meat is eaten fresh, dried, and as sausages. Milk is often preserved as butter and cottage cheese. Their diet is enriched with fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Formerly, marriages were arranged by the parents, primarily the fathers. A matchmaker often mediated between the families. Choice of a groom was determined by the wealth of his family, the social status of his tukhum (clan), his diligence, and his health. Today, nuclear families are the norm, though some tukhums still existed in the early 1900's. Families are patriarchal (male dominated); women are fully subordinate to men. All of the family members are submitted to the male head of the household.

What Are Their Belief?
Islam became widespread among the Rutul during the tenth and eleventh centuries. Each settlement had a mosque and Muslim religious leaders. However, mingled with their Islamic practices were various ancient beliefs: a nature cult, hunting and fertility cults, animal worship, and occult rituals connected to family life and labor activities. Magic rites were performed to summon sunshine or rain, and worshippers flocked to sacred groves, mountains, springs, tombs, and other sites connected with Muslim saints. Magical remedies were popular, including talismans (objects believed to confer supernatural powers or protection), "holy" water, earth from saints' tombs, and all kinds of invocations to false gods. Today, the Rutul are virtually 100% Shafi'ite Muslim.

What Are Their Needs?
Most of the Rutul have not heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. Because their language, Rutuly, has no written script, the people do not have access to evangelistic materials in their language. Christian broadcasts, the Jesus film, and church planting efforts are desperately needed to penetrate the Rutul with the Light of the Gospel.

• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to go to Russia and share Christ with the Rutul.
• Pray that Jesus will begin revealing Himself to the Rutul through dreams and visions.
• Pray that the doors of Russia will remain open to the preaching of the Gospel.
• Ask God to use the small number of Rutul Christians to share the message of salvation with their friends and families.
• Pray that God will raise up linguists to devise a written script for the Rutul so that the Bible may be translated into their native language.
• Pray that Christian broadcasts and the Jesus film will soon be made available in the Rutuly language.
• Take authority over the spiritual principalities and powers that are keeping the Rutul bound.
• Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the Rutul by the year 2000.

THE PEOPLE

• People name: Rutul
• Country: Russia
• Their language: Rutuly
• Population: (1990) 19,600
  (1995) 19,500
  (2000) 19,300
• Largest religion: Muslim (Shafiite) 99.9%
• Christian: <1%
• Church members: 6
• Scriptures in their own language: None
• Jesus Film in their own language: None
• Christian broadcasts in their own language: None
• Mission agencies working among this people: 0
• Persons who have heard the Gospel: 800 (5%) Those evangelized by local Christians: 600(4%)
  Those evangelized from the outside: 200 (1%)
• Persons who have never heard the Gospel: 18,700 (95%)

• Country: Russia
• Population: (1990) 147,913,000
  (1995) 146,999,800
  (2000) 145,551,500
• Major peoples in size order: Russian 79.4%
  Tatar 3.7%
  Ukranian 2.9%
  Chuvash 1.2%
  Bashkir 0.9%
• Major religions: Christian 58.1%
  Nonreligious 18%
  Atheist 12.6%
• Number of denominations: 50