In late 2024 IBT published the second edition of "Stories about Jesus Christ" by Ivan Shtygashev (1861-1915) in the Shor language. The Shors are a Turkic people living in the south of the Kemerovo region of the Russian Federation. Mountain Shoria, where most Shor speakers live, borders on Khakassia and the Altai Mountains. The administrative centre of Shoria is the town of Tashtagol.
In 1883, the book "The Sacred History in the Shor Language" was published in Kazan, containing passages from the Bible retold and translated into Shor by I.M. Shtygashev, the first Shor writer and priest. In 2012, the Foundation of the Venerable Makarii of Altai, together with the Institute for Bible Translation, prepared a modern edition, which includes some stories from the New Testament part of this book. The stories for the new edition were selected by Fr. Igor Kropochev, who served as an Orthodox priest in Shoria for many years. The editor of the Shor text was Gennady Kostochakov, a philologist, poet and translator. In order to make the book accessible to a wider audience, he prepared a Shor-Russian glossary at the end of the book, explaining Shor words and expressions, as well as some biblical terms, which are not clear to modern readers. In addition, the book was accompanied by colourful illustrations depicting key moments in the biblical story. The illustrations, produced by Shor artist and folklore scholar Lyubov Arbachakova, managed to convey the perception of New Testament events through the eyes of her people.
The book was printed with the blessing of Bishop Vladimir of Novokuznetsk and Tashtagol, at the request and with the support of the Novokuznetsk ROC Diocese. A special feature of the second edition is a parallel translation into Russian, added at the suggestion of the Novokuznetsk diocese, to help those who are not used to reading in their mother tongue. The new publication can play an important role in preserving the Shor language as part of the study of Shor culture in schools. It will be distributed to potential readers around Shoria, including the settlements of Sheregesh, Mundyban, Kaz, Temirtau and the town of Tashtagol, in the first week of the New Year, making it a great Christmas gift for Shor believers.
The electronic version of ‘Stories about Jesus Christ’ in Shor with a parallel translation into Russian is available on our website.