{{Short description|North Caucasian term for a lone warrior who fights for a righteous cause}} [[file:Zelimxan.jpg|thumb|221x221px|Zelimkhan (1872-1913), the most famous Chechen abrek]] [[File:Ingush abrek Sulumbek.jpg|thumb|217x217px|Sulumbek of Sagopshi (1878-1911), one of the most famous Caucasian abreks.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Греков |first1=Б. Д. |author2=Институт Истории СССР |year=2001 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kt9oAAAAMAAJ&q=%D0%90%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BA+%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%BA |title=Исторические записки|trans-title=Historical notes|language=ru|journal=Istoricheskie Zapiski |location=Москва |publisher=Наука |issue=122 |page=183}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |editor-last1=Burbank |editor-first1=Jane |editor-last2=Hagen |editor-first2=Mark von |editor-last3=Anatolyi |editor-first3=Remnev |year=2007 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NmzT3q0k5XMC&q=Salambek+Garavodzhev&pg=PA259 |title=Russian Empire: Space, People, Power, 1700-1930 |location=Bloomington |publisher=Indiana University Press |page=258 |isbn=9780253219114}}</ref>]]
The word "'''abrek'''" {{efn|{{Langx|ady|Абрэдж|Abredzh}}; {{Langx|ce|Обарг|Obarg}}; {{Langx|lez|ГъабрекI|Abrek}}; {{Langx|inh|Эба́рг|Ebarg}}; {{Langx|os|Абырæг|Abyräg}}; {{langx|ru|Абрек}}}}, a term of Caucasian origin, designates a lone Caucasian warrior living in partisan style outside power and law and fighting for a just cause. An abrek would renounce any contact with friends and relatives, and then dedicate his life to praying and to fighting for justice.
Before and even after the establishment of Soviet power in the North Caucasus in the 1920s, abreks continued to resist, for the most part in Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan, many of them also in Georgia after the Soviet conquest of that country in 1921. During the deportation of the Chechens and Ingush in 1944 several local guerilla groups formed to fight against Stalinist repression. The most prominent abrek during this period was the Ingush guerilla fighter Akhmed Khuchbarov (1894-1956). The last anti-Soviet Chechen abrek, {{ill|Khasukha Magomadov|ru|Магомадов, Хасуха}} (born in 1905<ref> {{cite book |last1 = Perović |first1 = Jeronim |date = 1 June 2018 |title = From Conquest to Deportation: The North Caucasus under Russian Rule |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZCxhDwAAQBAJ |publication-place = New York |publisher = Oxford University Press |page = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZCxhDwAAQBAJ&pg=RA2-PT106 |isbn = 9780190934897 |access-date = 28 February 2026 |quote = [...] Khasukha Magomadov (1905-76), who was a comrade of Israilov's during the Second World War (and would go down in Chechen history as the 'last of the ''abreks''', hiding in the Chechen mountains until 1976). }} </ref>or in May 1907<ref> [https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Файл:Справка_Хасуха_Магомадов.jpg Справка Хасуха Магомадов] </ref>), was killed on 28 March 1976 at about the age of 70.<ref>{{in lang|ru}} ('''Link flagged by anti-virus protection''', 8/19/2021) [http://www.chechen.org/content.php?catID=7&content=335 Khasukha Magomadov bio] {{webarchive |url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070928013636/http://www.chechen.org/content.php?catID=7&content=335 |date= September 28, 2007 }} </ref>{{dead link|date=February 2026}}
== Etymology == The etymology of the word "''abrek''" currently remains unclear, despite numerous versions. According to one version, the word may originate from Lezgin language, specifically from two words — ''"ab"'' ({{langx|lez|гъаб|}}) and ''"rek"'' ({{langx|lez|рикI|}}), which can be translated as "brave man" or "brave heart".<ref>{{cite book|author=М.М.Гаджиев |date=1950 |editor=Г.А.Аликберов |language=ru |location=Махачкала |publisher=Издательство Дагестанского Филиала Академии Наук Союза ССР |title=РУССКО - ЛЕЗГИНСКИЙ СЛОВАРЬ}}<!-- auto-translated from Russian by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> As a borrowing into Russian if can have derogatory connotations of banditry.<ref> [https://povto.ru/russkie/slovari/tolkovie/ushakova/tom-1/ushakov-tom-1_0040.htm Абрек] </ref> In the Russian , this word appeared in 1743, it was borrowed by the Cossacks from the Kabardian, then entered the literary language through South Russian dialects, and has been found in fiction since the 1830s.
== History == A person who became an abrek was usually a Caucasian, having taken a vow of revenge due to grief, shame or resentment. The newly appeared abrek abandoned his native society and wandered on his own without any companions. From that moment on, there were no more laws for him, and even his own life was not valuable to him, he dedicated his entire existence to fighting for a specific purpose. Therefore, coming across an abrek was considered dangerous. In addition, abreks almost never surrendered, preferring to fight to the death or instead commit suicide if there were no other options left. The primary targets of abreks usually were Cossacks who occupied their lowlands, Russian trade, banking, and mail services, because of the proximity of the Georgian Military Road, a major artery connecting Russia and Georgia.
Russian caucasologist N. Yakovlev, described how the occupation of the native lands by Cossack colonisers and oppression of the Ingush, ''"turned kind and gentle people into the first abreks of the Caucasus, fighting for their place in the Sun"''.{{sfn|Yakovlev|1925|pages=6-7}} The Russian view on the ''abreks'' is that they were simply mountain bandits and outlaws; however, they were depicted as men of honor by some Russian authors. The locals view is that they were heroes of valor, much like Robin Hood. As Moshe Gammer points out in his book ''Lone Wolf and Bear'', Soviet ideology fell somewhere in between the two views―and notably, one such ''abrek'', Zelimkhan, was made a Chechen hero.<ref>Gammer, Moshe. ''Lone Wolf and Bear''. Page 117.</ref>
== Famous abreks == {| class="sortable wikitable" width="100%" style="text-align: center;" ! width="15%;" style="background: #e3e3e3;" |Name ! style="background: #e3e3e3;" |Origin ! style="background: #e3e3e3;" |Years ! style="background: #e3e3e3;" |Location of activity
|- |{{ill|Abdullah Kirivi|ru|Кири Буба}} |Lezgin
|1890–1913 |Derbent, Makhachkala, Baku |-
|Zelimkhan Kharachoevsky |Chechen
|1901–1913 |Grozny, Kizlyar |-
|{{ill|Ali Hilivi|ru|Али Хильский}} |Lezgin
|1837–1839 |Qusar, Derbent |-
|Sulumbek Sagopshinsky |Ingush |1909–1911
|Karabulak |- |Taymas Gubdenskiy |Dargin
|1817–1859 |Gubden, Gunib |- |{{ill|Haddam Chakarvi|lez|Хьаддам ЧIакIарви}} |Lezgin |1871–1922 |Qusar |- |{{ill|Khasukha Magomadov|ce|Хасуха}} |Chechen |1907–1976 |Chechnya |- |{{ill|Mahmud Shtulvi|lez|Махьмуд Штулви}} |Lezgin |1875–192? |Derbent, Qusar |- |Akhmed Khuchbarov |Ingush |1894–1956 |Galashkinsky District |}
== See also == *Laysat Baysarova – Ingush woman-sniper who is alleged to have killed many NKVD officers 1944-1957
== Notes == {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
== Bibliography == * {{Cite book|last=Yakovlev|first=Nikolai|year=1925|url=https://dzurdzuki.com/download/yakovlev-n-f-ingushi-1925/|title=Ингуши|trans-title=The Ingush|language=ru|location=Moscow|publisher=Типография Госиздата „Красный Пролетарий“|pages=3–134}}
== External links == {{wiktionary | Abrek}} *Rebecca Ruth Gould: [https://web.archive.org/web/20070717072310/http://www.caucasology.com/XIV-XV/Rebeca.pdf The Abrek in Chechen Folklore]
Category:History of the North Caucasus Category:Resistance to the Russian Empire