Bashkortostan, Russia Download Page
16 Aug 2008

The videos provide a variety of information concerning the people, their environment, and their culture as well as how you can become involved in reaching the peoples of Bashkortostan, Russia for Christ.  A brief summary of each of the chapters is provided below.  

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  CAUGHT IN BETWEEN: The Peoples of Bashkortostan

Hope for every heart, a church planting movement for every people of Bashkortostan
Filmed June 2003

The Peoples of Bashkortostan are caught in between the hope of the Gospel and the barriers of personal insecurity, lack of trust, and spiritual apathy caused by generations of suppression.  Most seldom think of matters of eternity or a personal relationship with God.

Introduction     4:51  ( mp4-S; mp4-L; Script)

Along the western slopes of the Ural Mountains some 700 miles east of Moscow in a land known as the Autonomous Republic of Bashkortostan, lives a people who are truly caught in between.  They are a people caught in between the continents of Europe and Asia, … a hybrid culture possessing a curious mix of eastern and western traditions. They are a people caught in between two monuments -- one commemorating one of the many bloody uprisings of the Bashkir indigenous people group against their Russian overseers and the other commemorating the oft times uneasy friendship that they forged with Moscow.

1  Asphalt or Mud?     11:10   ( mp4-S; mp4-L; Script)

The cities, all connected by ribbons of asphalt, appear as the future of Bashkortostan, but the past suddenly appears when one leaves the well-traveled highway. Driving becomes an art of dodging potholes and avoiding some of the muddy roads. In these rural areas, the variety of single-family homes is in stark contrast to the rows of cookie cutter concrete apartment complexes of the cities. A typical Bashkir village is the home of non-Russian minorities.

2  Living Day by Day in Ufa     9:48    ( mp4-S; mp4-L; Script)

For generations, the young and old of Ufa have shared common goals and aspirations but changes are rapidly taking place.  An ever-widening gap between the generations is occurring. As these changes come about, many are left behind.  The dichotomy between the old and the new, the antiquated and the modern, is everywhere one looks. There are the grayish soviet style apartment blocks built in the aftermath of World War II.  New apartments …

4  European or Asian?     7:16   ( mp4-S; mp4-L; Script)

Located between two continents, the Peoples of Bashkortstan are caught between a European and an Asian identity. Some 700 miles East of Moscow and a mere ninety miles to the west of the Ural Mountains lies Ufa, the capitol and administrative center of the Republic of Bashkortostan - a city between two rivers in a land between two continents. They are a people who are struggling to discover who they are.  For the first time in decades …

3  A White Volga or Bus 31?     5:57    ( mp4-S; mp4-L; Script)

Ivan earns about 5000 rubles per month - equivalent to $172 …barely enough for the rent, utilities, food and clothing.  As he trudges toward his bus stop, Ivan cannot help but think of those who have a car or those who have time to go to the ice-cream store with their family. The citizens of Ufa are a divided people caught in between the privileged and the masses, between riding in the comfort of a white Volga or with the mass of humanity on Bus 31.

5  Why Smile?     5:05   ( mp4-S; mp4-L; Script)

Breaking out of Communist rule has given the whole of Russian society new opportunities and new freedom.  Behind this cheerful mask, however, lies a country still burdened by its past -- a dark inheritance of poverty and corruption.  The intimidation of seventy years of state-sanctioned fear makes life hard.  People often say, “what is there to smile about?”   They wear an expressionless, unapproachable face. The Bashkir populace is a people …

6  A Mile Wide and an Inch Deep     8:16   ( mp4-S; mp4-L; Script)

Spirituality - for most of Russia’s history - has been defined by the desires of the ruling monarchs and dictators.  The choice of “proper worship” has been made on the basis of political, economic, and social advantages.  Little opportunity was given for the development of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Religion in Bashkortostan is largely determined by one’s ethnicity.  39% are Russian and Orthodox.  51% is either Bashkir or Tartar and Muslim. 

7  They Call Them  “Houses of Prayer”     1:40  ( mp4-S; mp4-L; All Scripts)

They call them “Dom Molitvii”…. In sturdy brick buildings in the middle of town. In the homes of people living in rural villages. In rented space in apartment buildings.  Excerpts from the Worship services of the Baptist Churches in Ufa (3:28;  ( mp4-S; mp4-L), Chernikovka (5:04; )( mp4-S; mp4-L),, Kumertau (2:58; (mp4-S; mp4-L),, Ermolaevo (2:56; ( mp4-S; mp4-L), Krivlya (7:34; ),( mp4-S; mp4-L), Neftekamsk (9:20; )( mp4-S; mp4-L), and Ishimbai (2:17; )(mp4-S; mp4-L), are included. The churches at Salavat and Beloretsk are also included (1:50; )( mp4-S; mp4-L),. 

8  Baptists in Bashkortostan     13:56  ( mp4-S; mp4-L; Script)

At the present time there are 18 Baptist churches in Bashkortostan with a total membership of approximately 1000. Before the ‘90s there were only 6 small Baptist churches in Bashkortostan. And only after the establishment of democratic liberty and openness there appeared possibilities for starting new Baptist churches. President Khrushchev said in the late 50’s that there would be no believers left in our country in 20 years. The persecution...

9  Hope for Every Heart     6:20  ( mp4-S; mp4-L; Script)

Centrally located in the capital city of Ufa, a small team of Southern Baptist missionaries is working alongside the Russian Baptist Union, independent Baptist churches, and other Great Commission churches. The strategy is to see hundreds of new house churches planted in Bashkortostan within the next few years by training and equipping nationals who will then be able to motivate and train their own people in the principles of church planting. 

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