Sulumbek of Sagopshi

Sulumbek was born in c. 1878 to a peasant family[2][3] in the village of Sagopshi, Vladikavkazsky okrug of the Terek Oblast. He was Ingush by ethnicity.[lower-alpha 2] Due to a conflict with a Cossack officer, the future abrek ended up in prison.[4]

In prison, Sulumbek met Zelimkhan Gushmazukaev (the future Chechen Abrek). Archival documents testify that Zelimkhan and Sulumbek escaped from prison together. Then they became friends, took part in raids together. Sulumbek at the same time chose the most dangerous area. He repeatedly participated in daring raids together with Zelimkhan.[5]

In 1910 Sulumbek with an group consisting of 15 Ingush,[6] together with the Chechen abreks Zelimkhan and Ayub robbed the Kizlyar Bank.[6][7][8] During the robbery, they managed to kill 4 Russian officiers and 7 rankers.[6] Prior to his surrender, he also made series of raids in Nalchiksky and Vladikavkazsky okrugs together with his crew, during which he engaged in skirmishes with the Cossacks and Military units.[9]

Sulumbek was described as:

"(...) the fearless and courageous abrek who produced a magical effect on the gang, under which the abreks went almost to certain death, to the very center of the city, surrendering to the hands of the troops. Salambek was also distinguished by extraordinary willpower, the ability not to get lost in moments of danger and, most importantly, ruthlessness. The insane courage of Salambek is an ideal that every abrek would like to achieve. In a word, Zelimkhan and Salambek complemented each other."[10]

His bank, train and shop robberies, on the other hand, were seen as part of a violent struggle with the Russian authorities.[11][12] It is said that he kept the tsarist administration of the Groznensky okrug in terror during the period of 1901 to 1911.[13]

After the devastation of the Ingush villages of Kek, Nelkh and Ersh and the repressions against their inhabitants for harboring Zelimkhan, the authorities also demanded the inhabitants of the village of Sagopshi to extradite Sulumbek. Sulumbek was given a choice to either surrender to the Russian authorities or his native village will be destroyed and its inhabitants will be evicted to Siberia. Sulumbek not wanting to endanger people, decided to surrender to the authorities, on the condition that he would be shot and not hanged. He was detained on October 21, 1910, and the authorities did not keep their promise to him. Sulumbek was executed by hanging on August 9, 1911.[14] Eyewitnesses of the execution testified that until the very end he retained a rare outward calmness and self-control and that he himself kicked out the chair on which he stood.[1][lower-alpha 3]

Grave of Sulumbek Gandaloev

Sulumbek is considered a national hero to the Ingush people,[15] as well as one of the most famous Caucasian outlaws.[16][17]

There's many works which mention Sulumbek, such as the book "Asir-Abrek. Chechen song", published in 1924.[18] In 2011, the Ingush writer Issa Kodzoev wrote a book titled "Sulumbek Sagopshinsky".[19] In 2019, director Leyla Gagieva shot the documentary film "Ingush Papakha", the first part of which is called "Abrek Sulumbek" and, among other things, describes the life and work of the abrek.[4] In the same year, A. Sakharov's published collection "Legends and Tales of the Ingush Mountains" included a poem by the author dedicated to Sulumbek.[20] In 2020, the poet I. Aprelsky dedicated a poem to Sulumbek.[21]

Streets in Nazran and Sagopshi were named in honor of Sulumbek and a commemorative plaque about him was also installed.[25] On September 28, 2019, the All-Russian tournament in professional combat sambo in memory of Sulumbek Sagopshinsky was held in Ingushetia.[26]

• Неустрашимость и безумная отвага