Publication of Rutul fairy tales gives chance to preserve language of Dagestani minor nation

Members of a small indigenous people in Dagestan and Azerbaijan – the Rutuls – have treated the publication of a collection of fairy tales in their mother tongue with interest; parents want to read this book to their children. The publication of the collection guarantees that the Rutul language will not disappear in the next half century, says Svetlana Makhmudova, a philologist the author of the book.

There is evidence that in ancient times Rutuls used the Albanian script, but until 1991 they were treated as an unwritten nation, Ms Makhmudova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

She has noted the originality of fairy tales. "Beautiful Rutul fairy tales glorify the good, courage, intelligence, and condemn envy, evil, like all the tales of the world nations," she has added, explaining that she collected fairy tales, fearing the disappearance of the Rutul language and folklore.

"Rutuls have an extensive literature that started with the name of the poetess Zeinab Khinavi, who lived at the turn of the 11th-12th centuries. One of the major Rutul poets is Ashug Kur-Rajab, known throughout the East in the 19th century, who was among the ten best Azerbaijani Ashugs, considered a classic of three literatures: Rutul, Azerbaijan and Lezgin," said the researcher.

Svetlana Makhmudova believes that original Rutuls' residence territory is split among Russia and Azerbaijan; in the two countries, there are now about 55,000 of these nationals.

Davud Suleimanov, an MP of the People's Assembly of Dagestan, who had provided assistance to the project, has noted that the collection of fairy tales aroused interest outside Dagestan too.