Udis: the oldest Christian people in the North Caucasus. Udini

Udini(უდიები) - an ancient Caucasian people, related to the Lezgins, who lived in the valley of the Kura River and made up the majority in the state of Caucasian Albania.

Modern Udis are actually descendants of those same ancient Albanians. There are about 10,000 of them in the world, of which 4,000 live in the Gabala region of Azerbaijan, 3,700 in Russia, and little by little in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Armenia. In Georgia there is one Udi village in the Kvareli region.

The Udins (in the form of "ougia") are mentioned twice by Herodotus: when listing the tax-paying population of the 14th satrapy (Book III, No. 93), which included Drangiana and Karmania - the lands of internal Iran, and when describing the Persian army, already among the Caucasian peoples (Bk. VII, No. 68).

Kura. Pliny the Elder. (1st century AD) calls the Udin a Scythian tribe and also mentions the so-called Utidors (Aor-Sarmatians, apparently a mixed tribe).

In this regard, the drift of the ethnonym or more complex ethnogenetic processes are likely (for example, the settlement of some Iranian-speaking or, less likely, Finno-Ugric people and their perception of the language of the local Caucasian population).

The neighbors of the other Udins were the Albanians, whose original territory, according to the same and other Greco-Roman sources of the 2nd century. BC e., - II century. n. e. was between the Kura and Araks rivers. At different times, they also included multi-tribal groups, mostly Iranian-speaking. Strabo counts 26 separate nationalities in Albania with their own languages. In the second half of the 1st millennium BC. e. Urban centers appeared on the territory of Albania, by the 2nd century. BC e.

united under the rule of one king.

Armenian medieval sources (for example, "Ashkharatsuyts") define the area of ​​Udin settlement - nahang Utik, consisting of 8 gavars (districts): Gardaman, Tuskatak, Shakashen, Ardanrot, Uti Arandznak, Rot-i-baz-Kura. North of the Kura is Agvank, i.e. Albania with its center in Kabalak (now the village of Chukhur-Kabala of the Kutkashensky / Kabalinsky district).

Utik became part of Armenia under Artashes I (189 - 160).

BC e.). Agvank remained independent. After the division of Armenia between Rome and Iran (387 AD), Utik (as well as Artsakh and part of Paytakaran) was annexed to Aghvank, from which a special Persian marzpanate (governorship) was formed. Since then, an expanded understanding of Albania has been established (parth., Arab.

Arran, cargo. Er-Ran), which includes most of the territory of the modern Republic of Azerbaijan. Before 510 AD e. in Albania, royal power was preserved (the local branch of the Parthian dynasty - the Arsacids, who also ruled in Armenia: Vachagan I, Vache, Urnair, Iavchagan, Merhavan, Sato, Asai, Esvalen, Vache, Vachagan III), after the abolition of which the Persian marzpans (governors) ruled ) and the Albanian Mikhranid princes, who recognized the supremacy of Sasanian Iran.

In the VI - VII centuries. Utik was already largely Armenianized.

At the beginning of the 8th century. the territory of Albania - Arran falls under the rule of the Arabs (in 705 they occupy the city of Partav), an active process of Muslimization of the Udins and a reduction in their numbers begins.

In 866, the Albanian prince Hamama made a brief attempt to restore the Albanian kingdom. With the massive resettlement of the Oghuz Turks (starting in the 11th century), Turkization began.

By the time the Russians arrived in the Caucasus, villages whose population continued to identify themselves as Udins were concentrated mainly within the Sheki Khanate (entered Russia in 1805).

as Nukha district of Elisavetpol province: p. Vartashen, Vardanly, Bayan (now Oguz district), village. Nij (now Kabala district), village. Kish (Sheki district). In the village Boom, Soltanu-kha, Mirza-beyli and Mukhluguvak (modern Kabala district) lived families of Muslims who already recognized themselves as Azerbaijanis, but still remembered the Udi language. These villages are located on the territory of ancient Agvank.

In addition, individual villages of the Udins or their descendants remained on the lands of ancient Utik (the village of Kyrzan, modern Tauz district) and Artsakh (Karabakh, the village of

Seysulla, Hasankala).

At the end of the 19th century. There was a gathering of everyone who still recognized themselves as Udins in two large villages: Vartashen and Nij. This is especially true of the latter (there is an opinion that the traditional division of Nij into quarters is the result of the settlement of Udins from different places: from the Tauz region and Karabakh). The first resettlement of the Udins outside the ethnic territory dates back to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict at the beginning of the century.

In 1922, part of the Orthodox Udins of Vartashen fled to Georgia, where they formed the village of Okbomberi, later renamed Zinobiani.

During the period of collectivization and dispossession, individual Udin families were evicted or fled to Baku, Yevlakh, Sheki, Mingachevir (during passporting they were registered as Armenians).

In the Russian Federation, Udins appeared for the first time in the 1970s. Mass resettlement, however, began immediately after 1988, during the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Currently, in Vartashen (about 7,000 people), there are less than 20 Udin houses left (until the 1950s, they and the Armenians were the absolute majority, in 1975 - about 40% of the population), almost all the youth have left Nij.

modernity

language

The UDI language belongs to the North Caucasian family, the Nakh-Dagestan (East Caucasian) subfamily, the Lezgin (Lezgin-Dargin) branch, the Lezgin group, the Udi subgroup.

Udins: who are they, nationality, way of life, where did they come from?

It has two dialects: Nij and Vartashen (Vartashen-Oktomber). The Nij dialect has its own sub-dialects, divided into 3 subgroups - lower, intermediate and upper. According to one version, these sub-dialects were historically separate dialects, corresponding to different groups of Udins from Karabakh, Tauz region, who moved to Nij. The Vartashen dialect includes two dialects: Vartashen proper and Octomberian.

texts in Udi language

After research by A.

Shanidze, J. Dumezil and others are generally considered to be the language of other Agvans (Caucasian Albanians). It is not surprising that the language of the population of Utik, which served as a conduit for the influence of the Christian cultural world coming from Armenia, at some point became commonly used among other peoples of Albania.

Less commonly, Tsakhur and other languages ​​of the Lezgin group, widespread in the territory of modern Azerbaijan, are brought together with Agvan. According to tradition (Koryun, Movses Kalankatuysky) around 430.

n. e. A writing system was created for the Agvan language by Mesrop Mashtots; the chronicle mentions books and writing boards made in this script, which were set on fire by the Khazars in the 7th century. etc.

In 1937, I.V. Abuladze found the Agvan alphabet (52 letters, many reminiscent of Armenian and Georgian - Khutsuri) in an Armenian manuscript of the 15th century.

(Matenadaran, Etchmiadzin Fund No. 7117). In 1948-1952. During excavations in Mingachevir, several more epigraphic finds were made. In 1956, A. Kurdian (USA) discovered the second copy of the alphabet (rewritten in the 16th century).

Hardly readable Armenian epigraphic monuments are often declared Agvan. In fact, no more than 7-8 of them have been found so far (separate writing, writing from left to right, vocal).

All monuments date back to the V-VIII centuries.

(info collected from different parts of the Internet)

The word udin

The word udin

The word udin in English letters (translit) - udin

The word udin consists of 4 letters: d and n u

Meanings of the word udin.

What is Udin?

Udine (Italian Udine, Ven. Ùdine, Friulian Udin) is a city in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the administrative center of the province of the same name. Located in northeastern Italy, between the Adriatic coast and the Alps, less than 40 km.

en.wikipedia.org

Udine (city) - main.

Who is the culprit of the problems?

Italian Prov. of the same name, under the Rogia canal. Romanesque cathedral, several churches with beautiful paintings; Archbishop's Palace (with paintings by Giovanni da U.

and Tiepole on the walls and ceiling)…

Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron. — 1890-1907

Udins (self-name - Udi, Uti), a nationality in the USSR (about 6 thousand people, according to the 1970 census).

They live in the village of Nij, Kutkashensky district and in the regional center of Vartashen, Azerbaijan SSR, as well as in the village of Oktomberi, Kvareli district, Georgian SSR.

TSB. - 1969-1978

UDINS (self-named Udi, Uti) are a small people. They live in the village. Nij Kutkashen district and in the regional center Vartashen Azerb. SSR, as well as in the village. Oktomberi, Kvareli district, Gruz.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. — 1973-1982

UDINS (self-name - Udi) - people in Azerbaijan (6 thousand people). There are 1 thousand people in the Russian Federation. The language is Udin. Udin believers are Christians (Monophysites and Orthodox).

Large encyclopedic dictionary

The Udins (self-name Udi, Uti) are one of the most ancient peoples of the Eastern Caucasus.

Historic place of residence is the territory of modern Azerbaijan. Currently they also live in Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan...

en.wikipedia.org

The Udins are one of the tribes of the Caucasian highlanders of the southern Dagestan group (according to Erkert - the Lezgin tribe of the Kyurin or southeastern linguistic group). They have lived in the Caucasus since ancient times and once formed the Agvan kingdom, and then, according to legend...

Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A.

Brockhaus and I.A. Efron. — 1890-1907

Udine Giovanni

Udine Giovanni (da Udine, 1487-1564) is the nickname by which the Italian is known, after his place of birth. painter J. Nanni. He was a student first of Giorgione, in Venice, and then of Raphael, in Rome...

Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron.

Malaya Udina

Malaya Udina is a stratovolcano. It is located in the central part of the Kamchatka Peninsula near the Bolshaya Udina volcano. Located in the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes. Included in the eastern volcanic belt.

en.wikipedia.org

Udine (province)

Udine (Italian: Provincia di Udine, Ven: Provincia de Ùdine, Friulian: provincie di Udin) is a province in Italy, in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

en.wikipedia.org

Greater Udina

Bolshaya Udina is a stratovolcano with a two-tier structure.

Located in the central part of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Located in the Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes. Included in the eastern volcanic belt.

en.wikipedia.org

Pavia di Udine

Pavia di Udine (Italian: Pavia di Udine) is a commune in Italy, located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, subordinate to the administrative center of Udine. The population is 5772 people (2008), the population density is 162 people/km².

en.wikipedia.org

Archdiocese of Udine

Archdiocese of Udine (lat.

Archidioecesis Utinensis, Italian. Arcidiocesi di Udine) is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church, part of the ecclesiastical region of Triveneto.

The Udins (self-name Udi, Uti) are one of the most ancient indigenous peoples of the Caucasus. Historical place of residence: Azerbaijan. Currently, the total number of Udis is estimated at more than 10,000 people. Of these, more than 4,000 live in Azerbaijan - compactly in the village of Nij, Kabala region and dispersed in the city. Oguz (formerly Vartashen) and Baku. According to the 2010 population census, 4,267 Udin live in Russia - in the Rostov region (Shakhty, Taganrog, Rostov-on-Don, Azov, Alekasndrovka village), in the Krasnodar Territory (Krasnodar, Dinskaya, Leningradsky, Kushchevsky districts ), in the Stavropol Territory (Minvody, Pyatigorsk), in the Volgograd region (Volgograd, Dubovyi Ovrag village), as well as in the Sverdlovsk, Ivanovo, Kaluga regions, in the city. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Astrakhan. A small number of Udins live in Georgia (according to various estimates, from 300 to 800 people). In Georgia, the Udins live compactly in the village. Zinobiani and dispersedly in the city. Tbilisi, Poti, Rustavi. There is a small Udin diaspora (about 800 people) in Kazakhstan - Aktau, as well as in Ukraine (Kharkiv region) - more than 100 families.

They speak the Udi language of the Lezgin group of Nakh-Dagestan languages. Dialects are Nij and Oghuz (Vartashen). Azerbaijani, Russian, and Georgian languages ​​are also common. The Udins are mostly bilingual, often even trilingual.

Believers are Christians of orthodox denominations. Currently, the Albano-Uda Church is being revived.

The history of the Udi people goes back to ancient times. Despite the scarcity of historical information and the remaining written sources, as well as their insufficient study, today, nevertheless, much is known about the past of the Udis.

Speaking about the formation of the Udin ethnic group, it should be noted that some researchers believe that the Uti (the classical name of the Udin) could have been related to the Kuti tribe, who lived in the 23rd-21st centuries. BC. in the territories of Southern Azerbaijan and known from Akkadian and Sumerian sources. However, the first reliable information about the ancestors of the Udins, the Uti, is found in the ancient Greek historian Herodotus in his famous “History” (5th century BC). Describing the Battle of Marathon (Greco-Persian War, 490 BC), the author points out that Utian soldiers also fought as part of the XIV satrapy of the Persian army. We also find mentions of the Udins in other sources of that time. Thus, the Udins are mentioned in the “Geography” of the ancient Greek writer Strabo (1st century BC) when describing the Caspian Sea and Caucasian Albania. The ethnic term “udi” was first mentioned in the “Natural History” of the Roman author Pliny (1st century BC). Some fragmentary information about the Udins is available from Gaius Pliny Secundus (1st century), Claudius Ptolemy (2nd century), Asinius Quadratus and many other ancient authors. In the Middle Ages, starting from the 5th century, Armenian-language sources often mention the Udins. More extensive information is available in the “History of the Albans” by Moses Kalankatuysky (Movses Kalankatuatsi).

According to the information of these authors, the Udins were part of the tribal union of the ancient state of Caucasian Albania (Armenian: Agvank; Ancient Greek: Albania; Arab: Arran) and played a leading role in it. It is no coincidence that both capitals of Caucasian Albania - Kabala and Partav (Barda) were located on the lands of historical residence of the Udis. The Udins were settled over fairly vast territories, from the shores of the Caspian Sea to the Caucasus Mountains, along the left and right banks of the river. Chickens. One of the regions of Caucasian Albania was called Uti of the same name (ancient Greek - Otena; Armenian - Utik). The territory of settlement of the Udins is confirmed by archaeological data. The area of ​​the famous Yaloylutepa archaeological culture (IV century BC – 1st century AD), first discovered in the Kabala region near the village of Nij in 1926, suggests that it was the Udins who were its bearers.

As already noted, the Udins were one of the creator peoples of Caucasian Albania, therefore the history of the Udins is inextricably linked with this state. Caucasian Albania as a single state, based on the unification of various tribes, and under the rule of one king, had already emerged by the 2nd century. BC. Since the 1st century. BC. she was forced to repel constant attacks from Rome. In 65 BC. The Roman commander Pompey defeated the army of the Albanian king Oroz, who decided to be the first to attack the Romans. As a result, King Oroz was forced to conclude a treaty of peace and alliance. The Albanians later rebelled against Rome, but in 36 BC. Roman protectorate over Caucasian Albania was restored. However, later she occupied a fairly independent position. At the beginning of the 3rd century, Transcaucasia was conquered by Iran (in 226, the Sassanid dynasty came to power in Iran. The Shahinshah (king of kings) became the head of the state, Zoroastrianism, i.e. fire worship, became the state religion). Caucasian Albania, along with Armenia and Iberia, became part of the Sassanid state. The Roman Empire also sought to capture Transcaucasia. Long wars broke out between Sasanian Iran and Rome for the conquest of Transcaucasia. As a result, in 387, left-bank Albania, united with the right-bank regions of Uti and Artsakh, which were at that time part of Armenia, was finally subordinated to the Persian power. Subsequently, Caucasian Albania began to be subjected to increasingly strong pressure from Sasanian Iran, both political and religious. The Iranian Shah Yazdegerd forcibly implanted Zoroastrianism, demanding that local authorities promote the spread of this religion. As a result, in 450, the Albanians took part in the anti-Sasanian uprising, which was led by the Armenian commander Vardan Mamikonyan and which the Iberians also joined. The first major victory of the rebels was won precisely in Albania, near the city of Khalkhal, which then served as the summer capital of the Albanian kings. Later, however, the rebels were defeated. In 457, a new uprising broke out in Caucasian Albania, led by the Albanian king Vache. In an effort to completely eliminate the independence of Albania, the Sassanids in 461 abolished royal power here and transferred control of the country to marzpans (governors). In 481-484. A new anti-Sasanian uprising occurred, sweeping the entire Transcaucasus. Under the influence of ongoing popular unrest, the Sassanids were forced to make some concessions. Royal power in Caucasian Albania was restored, and Vachagan III (487-510) was declared king. ). Having achieved recognition of the independence of Albania by the Sasanian state, Vachagan III began to strengthen the independent royal power in every possible way. However, in 510, the Sassanids finally liquidated the dynasty of Albanian kings, replacing them with Persian marzpans (governors). All administrative, military and judicial power was concentrated in the hands of marzpans. And only towards the end of the 6th and early 7th centuries, as a result of the ongoing struggle against the oppression of the Sasanian Shahinshahs, the independence of Caucasian Albania was relatively restored. Albanian princes from the Mikhranid dynasties became the head of the state. Through the efforts of Prince Varaz-Grigor and with the support of the Albanian Catholicos Viro, it was actually possible to restore the independent Albanian kingdom, after more than a century of marzpan regime. One of the famous rulers from the Mikhranid dynasties was Prince Jevanshir, the son of Varaz-Grigor, who inherited his throne. Under him, culture flourished in the country, Albanian writing spread widely, temples were built, and it was under him that the “History of the Albanians” by Moses of Kalankatuy was compiled. Javanshir was a skilled ruler, a valiant warrior and a deft diplomat; he fought against the Sassanids, Byzantium, Khazars and Arabs, concluding tactical alliances against the conquerors with one or the other of his opponents. However, despite all the successes of Javanshir, Albania was soon conquered by the Arabs. Under the threat of Arab invasions from the south and constant raids by the Khazars from the north, Javanshir was forced to recognize himself as a vassal of the Arab Caliphate. At the beginning of the 8th century, Caucasian Albania was completely conquered by the Arabs, and the power of the Mikhranids was abolished.

With the conquest of Caucasian Albania by the Arabs, the unity of the state was put to an end and the normal course of its development was interrupted. In fact, this became a turning point in its history, which turned out to be disastrous for the country and the peoples who inhabited it. The Arabs, in order to reduce the resistance of the local population, like the Persians, had previously been intensively engaged in the deportation of the most active part of the population. The process of de-ethnicization of local tribes has begun, including the Udis, whose territory of residence and whose numbers are gradually beginning to decline. Part of the population is Islamizing, and the Arabs pursued a special policy towards the Christian population. Understanding the strategic importance of Albania, in particular, and the Transcaucasian countries in general, as a springboard in the fight against Byzantium, the caliphate pursued a policy of ideological separation between them and Byzantium. As a result, in 705, by decision of the Arab Caliph and under pressure from the Armenian Church, the Albanian Church was deprived of autocephaly and became subordinate to the Monophysite Armenian Church. In such a situation, Christian Udins, who have fallen under the cultural pressure of the Armenian Church and are deprived of the opportunity to unite around the national Church, begin to lose their identity. The Armenianization process was particularly intense in the eastern regions of Albania, i.e. on the right bank of the Kura, where cultural and political ties with Armenia had previously been close. In the north of Albania, Georgia (Kartli) and the Georgian Church have a strong ethnic and religious influence. Despite all these processes, back in the 10th century in Barda (Partav), in the main city of Arran, the local population spoke the Arran (i.e., Udi) language, and in Sheki the majority of the population remained Christian. During the 9th-10th centuries. The Albanian princes managed to restore royal power for some time, but all attempts were unsuccessful. Starting from the 11th century, the migration of various nomadic Turkic tribes intensified. The constant raids of the Seljuk Turks, and then the Tatar-Mongols, dramatically changed the ethnic composition of the Albanian territories. Local indigenous peoples cease to dominate. Timur's campaigns in Transcaucasia turned out to be truly destructive. Timur's army thoroughly destroyed Kabala, after which the city lost its original significance. After the death of Timur, the countries of Transcaucasia came under the rule or sphere of influence first of the Kara Koyunlu ("Black Sheep") powers, and then of the Ak Koyunlu ("White Sheep"). Both were dominated by the nobility of nomadic Turkic tribes, mainly the so-called Turkmen.

In Udi historiography, the period from the 11th to the 17th centuries has not yet been fully studied. One of the reasons for this is the scarcity of information about the events of this time. In addition, there is also the problem of perceiving the Udin population as Armenian, due to the fact that most of the Udins belong to Gregorianism. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, religious affiliation took precedence over national affiliation, which is why in many historical documents the Udins are mistakenly called Armenians. However, some sources contain references to individual Udin individuals. Thus, we know about a certain Udin from Ganja, nicknamed Mekhlu Baba, the leader of a peasant uprising at the beginning of the 17th century. It is impossible not to say about the Melik-Beglyarov (Beglaryan) family, immigrants from Nij, rulers of Gulistan in Karabakh, etc.

The beginning of the 18th century was marked by a new wave of Turkization of the Udi population, this time by the Ottoman Empire. This is a time of growing struggle between regional powers for dominance over Transcaucasia, which tragically affected the Udi people. A letter from the Udins to Peter I, dated 1724, from the elders of seven Udin villages (Nidzh, Soltan-Nukha, Jourlu, Tosik, Bum, Mirzabeyli, Mykhlukovag, Seid-Tala) has been preserved, in which they describe their plight and call for help. As a result of the tragic events of the 17th-18th centuries, most of the Udins who inhabited the Sheki-Kabala zone and partly the right bank of the Kura at that time were either Turkified or physically exterminated by force of the sword. The events of that time are described by the historian Kazar Hovsepyan (Udin from Jourlu) in “Essays on the Udins and Muslim Armenians.” He bitterly lists the Turkified Udi villages - Vandam, Vardanly, Armanat, Mukhas, Orovan, Bideiz, Kungyut, Kokhmukh, Kutkashen, Kurmukh, Zeyzit, Kish, Jourlu, Sultan-Nukha, Mirzabeyli, Bum, etc. Back in 1892 M Bezhanov (Udin from Vartashen) in “Brief information about the village of Vartashen and its inhabitants” indicated: “The Udins have lived in the Caucasus for a long time and once formed a special Agvan kingdom. Tradition says that many Udins moved to different places in Asia, that they previously lived in all the villages of the Nukha district; Not very long ago, in different villages there were old people who knew Udin. The Udins have long adopted Christianity and in almost all Tatar (Azerbaijani) villages of the Nukha district there are ruins of ancient churches.”

With the annexation of northern Azerbaijan to the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 19th century, a new stage in the history of the Udins began, already associated with Russia and entry into the zone of Russian culture. In the remaining Udin villages of Vartashen and Nij, a gathering of everyone who still recognizes themselves as Udin begins. This is especially true for the latter. This is a time of relative calm and general uplift. In Vartashen and Nij, schools are opened, churches are built, including Orthodox ones, factories are opened, agriculture, gardening, and crafts are developed. Vartashen and Nij were one of the most prosperous villages in the area.

The 20th century was no less tragic for the Udis. By the beginning of the century, there were about 10,000 Udins in the Russian Empire, according to various sources, and already according to the 1926 census in the USSR there were 2,500, i.e. the number of Udins has decreased significantly in a short period of time. Such figures were the result of the crimes committed by the Turkish army and the atrocities of local gangster groups in 1918-1920. The Turkish army, which invaded Transcaucasia in 1918 and was heading to Baku to seize power, ravaged all the Christian settlements in the region on its way. In the summer of 1918, the entire Nukhi-Aresh region was subjected to massacres, including the villages where the Udins lived. But the Udi villages miraculously survived, although they were plundered, and the population hid in the forests. The irreparable happened in 1920, when local bandit groups with the remnants of the Turkish army devastated Udi villages, including Nij and Vartashen. Archival documents testify to murders, abductions of women and children, and the destruction of the best part of the youth. Some of the Vartashens (Orthodox Udins), fleeing, moved to Georgia, where they founded the village of Zinobiani, later renamed Oktomberi by the Bolsheviks. The resettlement was led by the Udi priest Zinoviy Silikov (Zinobi Silikashvili), after whom the village was named. From that time on, Vartashen ceased to be the center of the Udi settlement.

With the establishment of Soviet power and the announcement of the official policy of internationalism, conflicts on national and religious grounds became a thing of the past. During the Soviet period, the infrastructure in Nij was updated - roads, schools, a hospital, a club, an automatic telephone exchange, and a nut processing plant (later a cannery), one of the largest in the area, were built, which provided work for most of the Nij residents. Vartashen is also transformed, receives the status of a city and becomes a regional center. Great demographic damage was caused during the Great Patriotic War, in which the Udins actively participated. However, by the end of the 20th century, the number of Udins was increasing. The main place of residence continues to be Nij, partially Vartashen, Mirzabeyli, Soltan-Nukha and Oktomberi in Georgia. However, in the late 80s - early 90s. Fate again presents difficult trials to the lot of the Udi people. With the beginning of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in Karabakh and the subsequent beginning of the collapse of the USSR, nationalist forces in Azerbaijan are strengthening. Due to ignorance of their history and ignorance, many once again mistake the Udins for Armenians. As a result, the Udins of Vartashen, fearing pogroms by nationalists, are forced to leave their homes for centuries. The Udins living in Mirzabeyli and Soltan-Nukhi were also under constant fear of local nationalists, and, in the end, leaving their homes, moved to Nij. However, Nij was constantly blocked, and Nij residents were attacked and threatened by radical representatives of the Popular Front. In such a situation, the Udis were forced to turn to Moscow for help. At this time, the famous Azerbaijani historian Ziya Buniyatov appears on television several times, calling not to touch the Udis, since they belong to the indigenous ethnic groups of Azerbaijan. In 1992, the President of Azerbaijan issued a decree “On the protection of rights and freedoms, state support for the development of the language and culture of national minorities, small peoples and ethnic groups living in the Republic of Azerbaijan.” But the consequences of the authorities’ mistakes and the surge of nationalist ideas in the country were not easy to correct. The events of that time and the subsequent deterioration of the socio-economic situation forced many to leave the country in search of a better life. Currently, the only place of compact residence of Udins remains Nij, where about 4,000 thousand Udins live. Most of the Udins live outside Azerbaijan, continuing to maintain contact with their historical homeland and preserving their native language, culture and identity.

The Udin language (self-name: Udin Muz, udin muz) is part of the Lezgin group of Nakh-Dagestan languages, divided into two dialects - Nij and Oguz (Vartashen). The degree of their divergence does not prevent their mutual understanding, although each dialect develops independently. The Udi language is spoken by about 10,000 people. However, it is considered unwritten, although recently efforts have been made to create a written language. The Udi language is used only in everyday life. As the official language, the Udins use the language of the country in which they live: in Azerbaijan - Azerbaijani, in Russia Russian, in Kazakhstan Russian and Kazakh, in Georgia Georgian, etc. Most Udins are bilingual, often trilingual. According to most experts, the Udi language in the past was one of the widespread languages ​​of Caucasian Albania, on the basis of which Albanian writing appeared in the 4th century, and a literary language was formed.

Udin folklore is quite interesting. These are all kinds of fairy tales, legends, parables, songs, games, proverbs. Many of them are still popular among people today.The first attempts to collect folklore were made at the end of the 19th century. Thus, M. Bezhanov, a Udin from Vartashen, collected Udin tales, proverbs, and songs. Some of them were published in the yearbook “SMOMPC”, published at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Several Udin tales were published in the works of the German linguist A. Dirr. Folklore was published in the form of a separate book in the recent past. Much credit goes to G. Kechaari, a local educator from Nidzhi. He prepared the books “ORAYIN” in the Udi language. These books contained Udin fairy tales, legends, traditions, proverbs, beliefs, as well as Udin parables and anecdotes.

The Udins (self-name - Udi, Uti) were one of the dominant tribes - the creators of the Agvan kingdom (Caucasian Albania). The Udins (in the form of “utins”) were first mentioned by Herodotus in his famous “History” (5th century BC). Since the 5th century AD. e. Armenian sources often mention the Udins, among which more extensive information is available in the “History of the Country of Aluank” by Movses Kagankatvatsi (VII century). At the end of the 19th century, all those still aware of themselves as Udins were gathered into two large villages - Vartashen (Vardashen) and Nij of the Nukha district (in 1886 there were 7,031 Udins living in the district) of the Elisavetpol province of the Russian Empire.

Tradition associates the spread of Christianity in the territory of Utik (an Armenian region located on the right bank of the Kura River, which became part of the Agvan kingdom in 387 AD), inhabited by Armenians and Udins, with the events of the 2nd century AD. e., when the Apostle Elisha (Egishe), ordained by the Apostle James, the first Patriarch of Jerusalem, built a church in Gis. The two subsequent churches - in the Gavars (provinces) of Amaras and Tsri (Utik) - were founded, respectively, by the enlightener of Armenia Grigor Lusavorich (c. 252 - 326) - the first Supreme Patriarch of all Armenians and his grandson Grigoris, ordained bishop at the insistence of the Agvan king Uriair. Initially, the language of writing and worship in Caucasian Albania was Armenian: in the 5th century, Saint Mesrop Mashtots (the founder of the Armenian alphabet) created the Albanian written language, laying the foundations of the literary language Udin.

The Church of Caucasian Albania (Agvan Catholicosate of the Armenian Church - from the 5th century) has been an autonomous Christian church since 703, which was in canonical unity with the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC). Played the role of the special Albanian Patriarchate of the Armenian Church, which formed the connection between the territories on the right and left banks of the Kura. With the cessation of the existence of the state of Caucasian Albania, its church in fact became an autonomous Catholicosate of the AAC. In 1815, the Albanian Catholicosate (with a throne in Nagorno-Karabakh, in the Gandzasar monastery) was transformed into a metropolis with subordination to the Catholicos and Supreme Patriarch of the AAC, and then divided into two dioceses: Karabakh and Shamakhi (the metropolis existed until the end of the 19th century).

The caretaker of the Vartashen two-year school (Ministry of Public Education), Udin Mikhail Stepanovich Bezhanov, in 1892 left records about the village of Vartashen (now Oguz) and its inhabitants:

“In the east of the city of Nukha, 35 versts, is the village. Vartashen, located at an altitude of 2,500 feet at the foot of the southern slope of the Caucasus ridge... Along the eastern side of the village, making many bends, flows the Eldzhigan River, originating from the main ridge: its clean and fast waters, rich in trout, are used for watering gardens, vegetable gardens, and chattychny (rice) fields... In spring and autumn there is frequent rain, and in winter there is a lot of snow...

The population consists of Udins (Orthodox and Gregorians, they speak Udin among themselves), Armenians, Tatars (in 1936, the Caucasian Tatars or Turks of the Azerbaijan SSR were renamed Azerbaijanis. - M. and G.M.) and Jews... The village court consists of 5 persons: 1 each from Orthodox, Tatars, Jews and 2 from Gregorians. The written part is conducted by a clerk in Armenian.

The Udins and Tatars are engaged in arable farming, sericulture, gardening, vegetable gardening, cattle breeding and partly trade, the Armenians – trade, and the Jews – tobacco growing and trade...

One of the best buildings is the Orthodox Church, located in the center of the village, built in 1822 under my grandfather, the priest Joseph. The Armenian Church is not far from the Orthodox Church; quite shabby. The Jews have two synagogues."

Udins have a beautiful build, usually a round face, light or brown hair, and average height. They are hospitable, ready to help each other in everything, and respectful to their elders. The father is the head and ruler of the house; Everyone obeys him unquestioningly; when he leaves, all family members stand up. If there is a guest at home, then during dinner the son does not sit down, but stands at a distance and serves. Udin women, generally distinguished by good morality, lead a secluded life: they dine separately from men, and do not speak with strangers. The wife cannot go anywhere without her husband’s permission; she does housework, sericulture, drying fruits...

The entire inheritance is divided equally between the sons, and singles are given a special part, since a lot of money went to married people when they got married.

The Udin's main living room has holes in the walls instead of windows. In the middle on the floor is a fireplace, the smoke from which comes out into a hole made in the ceiling. An unquenchable fire burns in the hearth day and night. The door is not locked during the day to allow in light. At night, the home is illuminated by a clay lamp with a wick made of rags.

Traditional clothing for men is arkhaluk made of calico or silk, chokha made of local fabric or cloth, and trousers made of the same materials. Arkhaluk is girded around the poor with a leather belt, and among the rich - with a silver belt. Shoes in summer and winter are bast shoes, only the rich have ankle boots. Women wear long, red shirts, and on top of them are arkhaluks, decorated with silver buttons and coins. On holidays they wear velvet coats, slightly longer than the arkhaluk, with short sleeves. The headdress is decorated with silver balls, pearls, gold and silver coins, and silver hooks.

In their free time from classes, the Udins gather in groups and walk, and on holidays they dance, play, and perform horseback riding. Important holidays are: Palm Sunday, Easter, 2nd and 3rd days of Easter, Vartiver (Transfiguration of the Lord), Morots (Armenian holiday Khachverats).

On Palm Sunday (Zarazartar) all girls and brides come to church to confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries. Women who have had someone die in their home distribute fruit to small children at matins. This is the only day of the year when young people of both sexes come together in church.

On the eve of Easter, at sunset, young people gather in the church fence. Zurna is invited, dances and games are arranged, and all this continues until the start of the liturgy (until two in the morning), which ends at dawn. They buy lambs in advance and slaughter them at night in the church fence, boil them and, at the end of the liturgy, distribute a piece of meat and bread to everyone. One thigh from each slaughtered lamb is given to the priest.

The next day of Easter, everyone goes to the cemetery, bringing there pilaf, milk porridge, all kinds of fruits and sweets. Priests (Orthodox and Armenian-Gregorian) consecrate all graves. At two or three o'clock they sit down to dinner. Everything brought is eaten, and after dinner they disperse.

On the third day of Easter and on the holiday of Vartiver, all the Udins and Udinki go on pilgrimage to the monasteries, and here the young people choose their brides. The groom's parents, by agreement with the girl's maternal uncle, send the latter to the bride; for this the groom pays the customary one ruble (“hadiklug”, that is, the uncle’s share). If the bride's parents agree to give their daughter away, then negotiations begin regarding money and various things that the groom must give, according to custom, to the bride. The bride's parents collect from the groom: a) money for travel in the amount of ten to sixteen rubles, depending on the groom's condition; b) twelve rubles of the so-called “bribe”; c) silver women's belt; and d) various silver items for headdresses. The bride's uncle, at the end of the negotiations, gives her parents a silver ring, and this signifies the beginning of the betrothal or small betrothal called "baliga". If there are many grooms, then the choice is given to the bride: each groom’s matchmaker gives one thing - a ruble note, an apple, etc. These things are brought to the bride on a platter and they say: “This thing is from such and such a groom, and this is from such and such a groom.” ", then they ask who she wants to marry... And if there is only one groom, then the parents do not ask whether she wants to marry or not: in this case, she completely obeys the will of her parents. Then the official engagement takes place. The groom invites everyone, both his own and the bride’s, relatives and makes a big treat: they slaughter sheep, party all night, invite singers, zurna, jesters, local magicians, etc. During dinner, “tapak” is prepared on a wooden platter: various sweets are placed , delicacies, a loaf of sugar, a bottle of vodka, boiled capon... This “tapak” is presented to the bride’s brother, and if he is not there, then to her close relative; a brother or relative takes something from this “tapak” for himself, and distributes the rest to all the guests present. The bride's parents cannot attend this reception. In addition, the groom prepares a “tapak”, richer than the first, on three wooden dishes, where they put a large red silk scarf worth ten rubles, two silver rings, and send it, at the end of the feast, to the bride’s house at dawn; at the same time they send another live ram. “Tapak” and the ram are carried from the groom to the bride by her own relatives.

The bride remains engaged from one year to four years, and during all this time she prepares a dowry. Since after the betrothal they get married no earlier than a year, on all major holidays the groom sends various gifts to the bride, namely: a) in church on Palm Sunday the bride is given a silk scarf worth five rubles (“chiragun iallug”, i.e. a scarf with candle); b) on Easter day, the groom takes a small silk scarf, a pair of “kosh” (women’s shoes), wine, red eggs, various sweets and brings it to the bride and, congratulating her on the Holy Resurrection of Christ, says: “Gristeakadga”, i.e. "Christ is risen!" The bride covers her face with this silk scarf; c) on the third day of Easter, everyone goes to the Gala Hergets Monastery (St. Elisha Monastery) for a pilgrimage - to sacrifice a ram and have a nice walk; d) on the eve of the Vartiver holiday, the groom sends the bride paint to color her fingers, one pair of “cats”, stockings and various sweets; e) a month before the wedding, one of the groom’s close relatives goes to the bride to negotiate regarding the wedding dress; Usually the groom buys one pair of brocade dress and one pair of calico dress.

The bride's parents, both on the wedding day and on other days, cannot attend the feasts; without a special invitation they cannot go to the groom. The invitation comes on the eighth day after the wedding. The bride cannot go out to visit her parents, relatives and neighbors until the bride's parents invite her to their place. The bride, in the presence of her elder brother-in-law, father-in-law and strangers, closes down for ten to fifteen years, and does not speak until almost her old age.

In order not to be barren, at dusk neither the groom nor the bride should go for water or cross water; the bride does not fetch water from six months to three years.

* * *

After giving birth, the woman in labor is immediately given “hashim” (“hashim” consists of water and flour; flour is mixed with boiled water and ground for a long time; flour is added until a thick mass is formed; “hashim” is eaten with butter or honey ). Every Udin greets with triumph the birth of only a son. Some Udins even consider the birth of a girl a misfortune; many husbands beat their wives and scold them if a daughter is born. They begin to congratulate him on the birth of his son, drink, go for walks, order a prayer service, set the table, treat everyone, invite comedians and acrobats to entertain the people.

Before the child's baptism, the woman in labor is fed from special dishes, which are not mixed with others; she herself should not touch the dishes. After the birth of a boy for 40 days, and a girl for 48 days, the woman in labor does not perform all the work; So, she doesn’t knead dough, doesn’t bake bread, doesn’t wash cereals or dishes, doesn’t go outside the gate. The child is not taken out into the yard in the sun, but is kept in a room. These 40-48 days are observed very strictly.

Relatives and friends, congratulating the parents of the newborn, bring a whole dish of pilaf, milk porridge and “tunga” (1 “tunga” - 4 liters) of wine. And on fasting days - fasting pilaf.

Baptism is performed on the eighth day after birth, and if the child and mother are sick, then baptism is performed earlier, even on the next day. If the mother dies from childbirth, the baby is first baptized and then buried. Baptism is not performed on Wednesday or Friday. The godfather gives an arshin of calico and three arshins of calico, and if the godfather is rich, then he brings a piece (a piece or piece was the name for rolled fabric) of silk fabric and donates money in favor of the child. The godfather generally enjoys special respect: on New Year's Day, on the first day of Lent and on Easter day, various gifts are sent to him.

Children are fed by the mothers themselves for 7-8 months, and sometimes 7-8 years.

Children are bathed for the most part every day at about 10 a.m. until 40 or 48 days have passed. Then, up to three years of age, they bathe twice a week, then once a week, and children over seven years of age are bathed very rarely; they only wash their hair once a week and change their underwear. They are bathed in wooden troughs in warm water; The water temperature is determined by hand. Bathing lasts no more than five minutes. After bathing, the child is wrapped in a dry, clean sheet and dried. They dress in a cotton shirt and a vest on top; an eight-month-old child is already sewn an arkhaluk and trousers with a slit, and a three-year-old child already wears a full suit.

The child is placed in a wooden cradle, at the bottom of which a hole is made into which an urn is inserted for the child's waste. A small mattress stuffed with wool with a hole in the middle is placed in the cradle. For urine, use a reed with a hole, smear it with wax, and the other end of the reed goes into an urn. When placed in the cradle, the arms and legs are tied with a bandage so that the baby cannot move any part of the body. If the child is restless, screams and does not fall asleep, then he is given various sleeping pills.

Udin children spend most of their time in the clean air - the little ones playing, and the older ones at work. An eight-year-old child is already serving as an assistant to his father; his father takes him to field and other work. All children are good at climbing the tallest trees and the highest rocky mountains.

Childcare lasts until they are 14-15 years old, then they become independent and prepare for marriage. Old people are considered to be those whose age exceeds 60 years; many live 80-100 years or more.

If someone gets sick from fright, they give him water to drink, into which seven door hooks are first lowered; or they also treat it like this: while the patient is sleeping, a cotton wool cord is pulled over him in a cross shape so that the two ends of the lace are at the patient’s head, and the other two ends are at the feet, then these laces are lit at three ends. The burning of the cord ends with its fourth end at the patient’s feet; The resulting ash is soaked in water and smeared on the sole of the patient’s foot, while they say: “Come out of him, you fright!” In addition, they place a cup of water at the patient’s head, and then take a red-hot piece of iron and immediately lower it into the water: the hissing frightens the patient. This is repeated three times; the patient must recover.

In case of eye disease, on the clearest day, when there is not a single cloud in the sky, the healer gathers seven girls, puts them in a circle, and places the patient in the middle of the circle and places a dish of water in front of him; The girls take turns taking the cereal and smearing it on the sore eye, and the healer says: “There is no cloud in the sky, but why is there a thorn in the eye?” The girls repeat these words one by one.

For ear disease, pour vodka, pear juice, green wheat juice, ghee, etc. into the ear. For lung and heart disease, give water strained with ash, alum water, vodka, honey mixed with salt to drink. For worms, rub your back three times in the morning, on an empty stomach; on Wednesdays they give a mixture of honey and salt.

Those bitten by a mad dog are taken to the mill for forty days, and the patient must not cross or approach the water, and must not be afraid. If a person bitten by a rabid dog is not cured, but becomes enraged, then water is splashed on his face through a sieve so that he dies sooner.

As soon as the patient dies, relatives and friends immediately gather, wash the body, and mourn him; They put on a shroud and invite the priest to the funeral service. Before the funeral service, everyone present is given a snack, and after the funeral service, the deceased is taken out onto a mattress in the yard and placed on a specially prepared ladder called “salapa”, and the deceased is covered on top with a silk blanket - “Hopi”.

After the funeral service, the priest places a cross on the deceased, and everyone present comes up and venerates the cross and puts money; the priest takes the cross and money, and four people take the coffin with the deceased and carry it to the church. Along the way, close relatives stop the procession in several places, and a litiya is served (translated from Greek as “zealous prayer”: this is prayer outside the temple) for the deceased, they venerate the cross and give the priest money. Most often, the lithium is performed by a layman at home, in the cemetery, and upon returning home after burial.

The next day, all relatives and friends come to the liturgy, after which, before the funeral service, all the women gather, sit around the deceased and mourn him. The woman, more gifted, loudly praises the deeds of the deceased, and the rest cry in chorus without words. After about 20 minutes the priest comes and forces him to stop crying; The funeral service begins, during which one of the women gives the deceased a wax candle, seals his mouth with wax, wraps his chest and mouth in cotton wool, and then sews him into a shroud. After the funeral service, the body of the deceased is taken out into the church yard, here the priest again puts a cross on the deceased and everyone, coming up, kisses and puts money; then they carry it to the cemetery.

Women from church return to the house of the deceased, and men after the funeral go there and eat “patarak” (for Russians it’s a funeral feast). People are not invited to the “patarak”, but anyone who wants to comes; That’s why there are a lot of people at the “patarak”. The owners must feed everyone, otherwise it will be a sin. Diners squat in long rows. Poor and rich give the same food, namely: cheese, “yakhni” (boiled meat), “kourma” (roast liver and lungs), “shilahup” (porridge with meat broth), vodka and wine.

The wealthy arrange “patarak” from three to seven times. On the second “patarak” everyone brings a dish of pilaf or milk porridge with a “tunga” of wine. Before the “patarak” they serve a liturgy in advance, and after the liturgy they invite a priest to the cemetery to perform a lithium over the grave of the deceased, after which they go home to have dinner (eat “patarak”). On the eighth day, the priest is again invited to the cemetery to perform litia; they call all the relatives and immediately distribute the clothes of the deceased to those who washed the deceased; clothes are divided between two persons, since two people bathe the deceased.

The most reliable early information about the number of Udins dates back to 1880 - 10 thousand people, at the end of the 19th century - 8 thousand. In 1910 there were about 5,900 udins. According to the 2001 census, the number of Udins in Armenia was 200 people, and in the territory of the former Soviet Union - 11 thousand.

Vyacheslav Bezhanov is a descendant of M.S. Bezhanova (author of records about the village of Vartashen) says: “My parents were Udins, they lived in Vartashen (now Oguz), which is in the north of Azerbaijan. After the massacre in Sumgayit in February 1988, my family moved to Armenia. We've lived here for 29 years." The Udins of Vartashen moved mainly to Minvody, Pyatigorsk, Krasnodar and Saratov.

Originally from Vartashen, Russian and Armenian military leader of Udi origin, Lieutenant General Movses Mikhailovich Silikyan (Silikov; 1862 - 1937; victim of the Stalinist regime), who in May 1918, near Sardarapat, defeated the Turkish troops advancing on Yerevan.

The publication was prepared by Marina and Hamlet Mirzoyan

Well, we won’t be able to “earn” our dollar with the autograph of this computer scientist from Silicon Valley - in the age of Google, it’s not difficult to find out about one of the most ancient peoples of the Eastern Caucasus. However, we were talking about America...

And it is quite possible that the Pachikov family are the only Udis. In fact, these people mainly live in Russia (4267 people, in the Rostov and Volgograd regions, Krasnodar Territory and Stavropol Territory), Azerbaijan (3800, mainly in the Gabala region), Georgia (203 people), Armenia (200), Kazakhstan (247 , mainly in Mangistau, formerly Mangyshlak, region), Ukraine (592) and a number of other countries - with a total number of about 10,000 people.

Vladimir Pozner is absolutely right: the ancient Greeks, including Herodotus, mentioned the Udins. Describing in his famous “History” the Battle of Marathon of the Greco-Persian War (490 BC), the historian named the XIV satrapies of the Persian army and the soldiers of the Uti (the self-name of the Udin - Udi, Uti). Later authors (for example, the author of the “Argonautica” Apollonius of Rhodes, the historian and statesman Polybius) indicated the territory from the shores of the Caspian Sea to the Caucasus Mountains, along the coast of the Kura River, as the place of residence of the Udins.

Pliny the Elder in the 1st century AD e. called the Udin a Scythian tribe, but in fact they were one of the dominant Albanian tribes, the creators of Caucasian Albania. They have no relation to Albanians in the Balkans. Their related peoples are the Lezgins, Archins, Tabasarans and other peoples of Dagestan and Azerbaijan, who once inhabited Caucasian Albania, an ancient state of the late 2nd - mid-1st century. BC e., occupying part of the territory of modern Azerbaijan, Georgia and Dagestan. Alas, in a small newspaper article it is not possible to tell about the history of this state, rich in great and tragic events.

In everyday life, the Udins speak the Udi language, on the basis of which in the 5th century Mesrop Mashtots, the creator of the Armenian alphabet, the founder of Armenian literature and writing, created the writing of the Caucasian Albanians. Moreover, this language has two dialects, and there are also sub-dialects, divided into 3 subgroups! Most Udins are bilingual, and often trilingual - they use their native language, Russian (or Armenian) and the language of the country of residence. The traditional clothing and cuisine of the Udins are similar to the clothing and cuisine of the peoples of the Caucasus, although, of course, they have their own characteristics.

The Udins are Christians (Caucasian Albania adopted Christianity from Armenia in the 4th century). Those living in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, while in Azerbaijan they came under the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has its own diocese there. And they use the Julian calendar as a church calendar.

Despite the adoption of Christianity, the Udins retained a number of ancient rituals, various beliefs (for example, healers who treated not only diseases but also the evil eye had a great influence), customs (for example, the custom of keeping an unquenchable fire in the hearth) and traditions. Christian Udins often turned their prayers to the Moon.

By the time the Russians arrived in the Caucasus, Udi villages were concentrated mainly in the Sheki Khanate (a feudal state that existed from the mid-18th century in the north of modern Azerbaijan and became part of the Russian Empire in 1805 during the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict).

In Soviet times, these people experienced collectivization and dispossession, and attempts to translate the Udi language into Cyrillic writing.

By the way, over the centuries, due to historical reasons, the Udi writing ceased to be used and gradually disappeared. Today they are trying to revive it, both in Azerbaijan and in Russia.

The ancient Albanian alphabet (of 52 letters) was a Greekized version of one of the non-Semitic branches of the Aramaic base. But in the late 1990s, an alphabet was created in Azerbaijan, again of 52 letters, on a Latin basis.

The massive resettlement of Udins to Russian cities began after 1988, during the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. But the Udins of the Russian Federation do not have a special administrative-territorial status.

The Udins are the people of the Lezgin group of the Nakh-Dagestan language family, considered a direct descendant of the population of ancient Caucasian Albania. Since the 4th century AD, the Udins have professed Christianity, thus being one of the most ancient (after the Armenians and Georgians) Christian peoples of the Caucasus and the first baptized people living in Russia.

Origin

The origin of the Udins is lost in the mists of time. Some argue that the Udins, under the name “Utii,” were mentioned by Herodotus (5th century BC) among the peoples of the Persian state who participated in Darius’s campaign against the Persians. However, in the corresponding passage of Herodotus’s “History” we are talking about the peoples of the 14th Achaemenid satrapy, which roughly corresponded to present-day Baluchistan, very distant from the Caucasus.

The ancient Roman scientist Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) in his “Natural History” mentions the Udini people living on the shores of the Caspian Sea, next to Caucasian Albania. However, the place where Pliny places the Udins does not allow us to identify it with a real geographical object, since Pliny believed that the Caspian Sea was connected to the ocean in the north by a strait. It can be approximately assumed that the Udins lived in the coastal part of what is now Dagestan.

At the same time, Pliny calls the Udins a “Scythian tribe,” while the historically known Udins belong to the Nakh-Dagestan family. In the Udi language there is not a particularly large number of borrowings from Iranian languages, which could indicate that they are Scythians by origin, mixed with the tribes of Dagestan. It is quite possible that the Udins of Pliny and the later Udins are only coincidentally consonant, but not at all related.

The name of the region of Caucasian Albania - Utik, which is believed to be associated with the ethnonym Udi, appears only in the 5th century. Among Greco-Roman authors it was called Othena. However, it was not located in coastal Dagestan, but in the corner formed by the confluence of the Araks and Kura rivers and limited to the west by Nagorno-Karabakh. It can be assumed that the Udins moved from Dagestan to Transcaucasia, but again this will only be a hypothesis.

The Udi language reveals a close relationship with the language of some documents of Caucasian Albania, a state that arose in the 2nd-1st centuries. BC. in the territory of present-day Western Azerbaijan and Dagestan. There was no single spoken language in Albania. The Greco-Roman geographer Strabo (1st century BC - 1st century AD) wrote that the Albanians are divided into 26 peoples, each of which poorly understands the other. It is possible that the Udins already constituted one of the ethnic groups of Caucasian Albania.

The first sermon of Christianity

According to legend, the baptizer of Caucasian Albania was Elisha, a disciple of the apostle Thaddeus of the Seventy, who, like Jesus, was baptized by John in the Jordan. Elisha, after the death of Thaddeus around 50, was ordained bishop by the Apostle James himself. After which he went to preach the Gospel in the country of Uti (Utik) - that is, if the identifications mentioned above are correct, in the country of the Udis. There he built the first church in a certain city of Gis and somewhere there he accepted death at the hands of his tormentors.

Ghis is identified by researchers with the village of Kish in the Sheki region of Azerbaijan. Until recently, Kish was a Udi village. It preserves a Christian temple (now a museum), the building of which dates back to the 12th century. According to tradition, it is believed that this temple was built on the site of an ancient church founded by Equal-to-the-Apostles Elisha.

Elisha is a locally revered saint only in Udi church communities. He is not canonized even on the scale of the Armenian Gregorian Church, to which the Udis historically belong.

Conversion to Christianity

The historically reliable baptism of the Udins dates back to the end of the 4th century. By that time, Christianity had already become the state religion in neighboring Armenia and Georgia.

In 301 (according to church tradition) or 314 (as most historians believe) Saint Gregory the Illuminator converted Armenia to Christianity. According to the Armenian historian Moses Kagankatvatsi (VII century), Gregory also baptized the ruler of Albania, Urnair. However, this information does not agree with the news that back in 370 Urnair was a pagan. Most historians associate the spread of Christianity in Albania with the activities of the grandson of St. Gregory - Grigoris, who became the first bishop of Albania and was martyred by the Albanians in Derbent in 348.

Not earlier than 371, the ruling elite of Albania, however, adopted Christianity. Albania becomes an outpost of Christianity in the Eastern Caucasus. The center of the Albanian bishopric was in the city of Partav (present-day Barda, or Berdaa in Arabic sources), on the territory of modern Azerbaijan. Partav was located precisely in the Utik region, that is, on the land of the Udins.

The Albanian Church was autocephalous, like the Armenian and Kartli (Georgian). In 451, the IV Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon) condemned Monophysitism (the doctrine of the one - divine - nature of Christ), which was adhered to by the Caucasian churches, as a heresy. In 554, at the Second Council in the city of Dvin (Armenia), the Caucasian churches finally broke with the Byzantine one. The Georgian church subsequently turned to Orthodoxy, the Armenian and Albanian churches retained Monophysitism. At the beginning of the 8th century, the Albanian Church lost autocephaly and became part of the Armenian Church.

Udins in our time

Being Christians, the Udins preserved a number of interesting rituals from the pagan past. The custom of never extinguishing the fire in the home was associated with the traditions of Zoroastrianism. Udi prayers addressed to the moon went back to even more ancient cult rituals.

Until recently, the largest number of Udis lived in Azerbaijan. But in 1989, many of them, as Christians, and also Armenian-Gregorian by religion, became victims of ethnic cleansing in Azerbaijan. Most were forced to flee to Armenia, Georgia or Russia. Those who remain are subject to strict assimilation.

In 2009, there were 3,800 Udis in Azerbaijan. They live compactly there in the village of Nij, Gabala region in the north of the republic. According to the 2010 All-Russian Population Census, 4,127 Udis lived in the Russian Federation. They are scattered across different regions, mainly in the North Caucasus. Most of all - 1866 people - lived in the Rostov region. Udins also live in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Armenia. The total number in the world does not exceed 10 thousand.

In Caucasian Albania, their own writing was created based on the Armenian alphabet, but the Udins lost it. The Udi language has different variants of alphabets based on both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabet, created in the 19th-20th centuries. All Udins speak the languages ​​of the countries in which they live; over a third of Russian Udins do not know their native language. Almost all Udins belong to the Armenian-Gregorian Church and conduct services in the Armenian language. The religious unity of the Udis is the most important factor in their ethnicity.