Moscow, October 17, 2025
Photo: ibt.org.ru
The Institute for Bible Translation has released a new edition in the Nenets language containing the Four Gospels and the Acts of the Holy Apostles.
The publication was issued with the support of the Salekhard Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. In his foreword, Archbishop Nikolai of Salekhard emphasizes that reading the New Testament is irreplaceable spiritual nourishment for believers and contributes to the moral transformation of man. He notes that this translation is not simply a linguistic project, but the fruit of tremendous labor requiring deep theological and linguistic knowledge, as well as love for the Word of God and the Nenets people, the Institute reports.
The Nenets are the most numerous of the Samoyedic peoples, with approximately 45,000 members. They live in northern Western and Eastern Siberia and also inhabit islands in the Arctic Ocean. Christianity came to the Nenets in the 18th century through Russian missionaries.
The new edition features thoughtful design incorporating national ornamentation and is equipped with supplementary materials: commentaries, a glossary of key terms, and maps to help understand the geography of biblical events.
The book is the result of work by a team of specialists in the Nenets language and experts in Biblical studies. The constant participant and driving force of the project was theological editor from South Korea Eun Sub Song, who lived in Yamal among the Nenets for 25 years and mastered the Nenets language. She collected feedback from native speakers, and the translation received positive reviews from readers, confirming its comprehensibility and naturalness.
The Institute for Bible Translation had previously published individual Biblical texts in Nenets, including the Gospels, a collection of Gospel parables, and the Book of the Prophet Jonah. Work is currently underway on translating the epistles of John, Timothy, Titus, Philippians, Thessalonians, Philemon, James, Jude, and the Book of Ruth.
On October 15, the Four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles in Nenets was presented at the Shemanovsky Museum and Exhibition Complex in Salekhard. Among the participants were Archbishop Nikolai, Bishop Feodosy of Noyabrsk, government representatives, and cultural workers.
The new edition and previous translations are available in various formats on the IBT website.
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