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Peoples of Russia
Lezgins
Their self-definition is Lezgi or Lezgiyar. This is one of the Caucasian peoples historically living in the neighboring regions of Dagestan and Azerbaijan. They have also settled in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and other countries.
Language
They speak the Lezgin language belonging to the Lezgin subgroup of the Nakh-Dagestan branch of the Northern Caucasus language family. Three groups of dialects can be distinguished: Qure (Gyuney, Yarka, Kurakh dialects, Giliyar and Gelhen subdialects), Samur (Dokuz-Para and Akhty dialects, Phiy and Kurush subdialects); Quba (Quba dialect). The standard language is based on the Gyunei dialect. The language is widespread in the south of the Republic of Dagestan and in the northern regions of Azerbaijan. The number of people speaking it is about 1.5 million people in the whole world. A similar language was spoken in the Caucasian Albania. The Russian and Azerbaijani languages are also widespread. Before 1927, the Lezgins, like the majority of the peoples of Dagestan, used Arabic script. In 1928, a Latin-based alphabet was created, and in 1938 - a Russian-based one.
Society
The basis of the social organization is the village community (jamaat). The nuclear family prevails; before the 20th century, large patriarchal families and patronymies (tukhum) were widespread.
Dwellings
The traditional dwelling is made from stone (on the plains also from adobe); it is ground-based, rectangular in plan, with flat dirt roof and an internal courtyard, in the mountains two- or multi-storey, on the plains one- or two-storey. The lower storey is occupied by a barn or a covered yard, the upper one by residential rooms looking out onto the gallery to which an outside staircase from the courtyard leads. For interior decoration, wall niches and carpets are typical.
Food
The food is mostly plant-based (grain, beans), meat- and dairy-based. The main everyday dish is khinkal, festive dishes include pilafs, layered pies, etc.
Occupations
Plough agriculture (barley, wheat, millet, rye, corn, rice, legumes) and animal breeding, on the plains mostly on pastures/in stalls, in the mountains on distant pastures (mostly sheep, also goats, cattle, etc.); winter pastures were mostly in the North Azerbaijan. Traditional crafts and businesses are developed – spinning, weaving, making carpets, woolen cloth and felt, leatherwork, smithing (Akhty village), weaponsmithing and jewelry (Ikra village), etc.
