Bezhta people
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 6,198 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Russia | 5,958[1] |
| Languages | |
| Bezhta language, Avar, Russian | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
The Bezhta (also Kapuchi) are an Andi–Dido people living in the Tsuntinsky region in southwestern Dagestan. In the 1930s along with the rest of the Andi-Dido peoples they were classified as Avars. However, some people identified themselves as Bezhta in the 2002 census of Russia. They speak the Bezhta language, but many of them also speak Avar, Russian or other Tsezic languages of their region.
The Bezhta are primarily Sunni Muslims. They numbered 1,448 in 1926. According to the Russian census in 2002, there were 6184 self-identified "Bezhtins", though the real number is probably higher.
References
- Wixman, Ron. The Peoples of the USSR, p. 28
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