The Udi People

Udi people are aborigines of Caucasus. There are approximately 10000 Udis. Nowadays, the Udis live on small territories in Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other countries. They speak the Udi language which is one of the languages of Caucasian Albania family.
History
The Udis are native people of Caucasian Albania. According to the written materials of famous ancient historians, the Udi lived on the area of the eastern Caucasus along the coast of the Caspian Sea, between the Kura River and the province of Utik. Udi folk traditions and the material culture was strongly influenced by Turk and Persian societies, because they live with the Udis.
The first document in which the Udi were mentioned is Herodotus' Histories (5th

Moreover, term "Udi" was mentioned in the Natural History of Pliny the Elder (1st century) and the books of Ptolemy (2nd century). The Udi were considered creators of Caucasian Albania.
Kabalak (today's Qabala) and Partav (today's Barda) were located in the historical territory of the Udi and were capitals of Caucasian Albania at different periodes. The Udi occupied enormous territories from the bank of the Caspian Sea to the Caucasian Mountains and both banks of the Kura River. After the Caucasian Albania were completely conquered by Arabs, the Udi`s territories were reduced. The western Udi had to leave Nagorno-Karabakh and settle in the village of Nij to resist conquerors.
Currently, the Udi population concentrate in the villages of Nij and Oguz in Azerbaijan, and the village of Zinobiani in Georgia. Despite the fact that the Udi people lived in Nuha, Mirzabeily, Soltan, Yenigkend, Jourlu, Kirzan, Mihlikuvah at the outset of the last centure, they have been assimilated with the people of

The major factors for that are: 1) Udins are indigenous people of Azerbaijan; 2) the ethnos was not a subject of assimilation and de-ethnization; 3) the only Udinian community is in Azerbaijan.
Currently 5,744 Udis live in the town of Nij which is located forty kilometers south west of Qabala (Azerbaijan). It is interesting to note that it is the world's only settlement of the Udi. From all ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan the Udi are the only one who are Christians.
Nij is a unique district, with its unusual planning, transport systems, lay out and its public, private and religious buildings. At this town various ethnic and religious groups lived together throughout the centuries. The family relationships of its residents is the main criteria of dividing the settlement of Nij into several quarters. The names of these quarters are: Hajibayli, Abdall, Melikli, Darabag, Vazirli, Malbe, Farimll, Agdamekli, Manjyly, Delekli, Falshyly, Chirmakhli and Daramahla.
The first Udi School was opened in Nij in 1854. It was the first Russian rural school. Udis could receive education on their own language only for two years from 1931 to 1933. In 1937 they began to receive education in the Azerbaijani language. Nowadays, there are 2 kindergartens, 3 cinema clubs, 2 sport clubs, and 5 schools in the village of