IBT has published an important new book in the Nenets language: the Four Gospels together with the Acts of the Apostles.
The edition opens with a welcoming address by Orthodox Archbishop Nicholas of Salekhard and Novy Urengoy. He emphasizes that reading the New Testament is indispensable spiritual nourishment for believers and contributes to a person's moral transformation. He also notes that this translation is not merely a linguistic project, but the fruit of immense labor requiring deep theological and language knowledge, as well as love for the Word of God and for the Nenets people.
The Nenets are the most numerous of the Samoyedic peoples (about 45,000 people, of whom 24,487 are native speakers of the language). They live in north Siberia and also inhabit the islands of the Arctic Ocean.
Christianity came to the Nenets in the 18th century through missionaries of the Russian Orthodox Church. Currently, there are Nenets believers in Orthodox and Evangelical churches in Salekhard and some Nenets settlements such as Seyakha, Novy Port, Yar-Sale, as well as in the tundra.
The edition of the Four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles incorporates folk ornamentation and is supplemented with auxiliary materials: footnotes, a glossary of key terms, and maps helping to understand the geography of biblical events (Ancient Israel, Jerusalem, and the travel routes of the Apostle Paul described in Acts).
This long-awaited book was produced by a team of specialists in the Nenets language and experts in biblical studies. Over the years, the team has included: Nenets language experts and textbook authors Maria Barmich and Elena Susoy; performer of the Nenets folk epic Tatiana Lar; biblical consultant Dr. Marijke de Lang (United Bible Societies); as well as Olga Kodygina and Olga Khorolya.
A constant participant and driving force behind the project was Eun Sub Song, an exegetical advisor from South Korea who has lived among the Nenets for the past quarter-century and mastered both Russian and Nenets. Her efforts ensured the accuracy and high quality of the text. Particularly valuable was the feedback from native speakers which she collected, including during the celebration of the Reindeer Herder Days – when Nenets from the most remote corners of the tundra could familiarize themselves with the translation and offer their comments. The translation has already received positive feedback from readers, confirming its clarity and naturalness.
Previously IBT had published individual Scripture texts in Nenets, including each of the Gospels, a collection of Gospel Parables, and the book of Jonah. IBT has also developed several mobile apps: "Num' Padar" (Bible App), "Jesus' nyamna ngeda lakharyo" ("Stories about Jesus"), "Yona' padvy padar" (Book of Jonah), and "Tet khara yavna ngeda lakharyo" ("Gospel Parables"). Work is currently underway on the translation of the Epistles and the book of Ruth.
The new edition and previously published translations can be accessed in various formats on the IBT website.