Sulumbek Gorovozhev (Gandaloev) or Sulumbek of Sagopshi ( 1878 – 25 August 1911) was an Ingush outlaw (abrek) who was known for his spectacular bank, train and shop robberies, made together with his colleague and comrade Zelimkhan as part of a violent struggle with the Russian authorities. During his active years (1901–1911), Sulumbek was said to have kept the tsarist administration of the Groznensky okrug in terror and participated in the most high-profile incidents associated with Zelimkhan. Sulumbek is considered a national hero to the Ingush people, as well as one of the most famous Caucasian abreks.

Early life
Sulumbek was born in  1878 into a peasant family in the village of Sagopshi, Vladikavkazsky okrug of the Terek Oblast. He was Ingush by ethnicity. Due to a conflict with a Cossack officer, the future abrek ended up in prison.

Abrechestvo
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.

In 1910 Sulumbek with an group consisting of 15 Ingush, together with the Chechen abreks Zelimkhan and Ayub robbed the Kizlyar Bank. During the robbery, they managed to kill 4 Russian officiers and 7 rankers. 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.

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

Death
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. 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.

In culture
Sulumbek is considered a national hero to the Ingush people, as well as one of the most famous Caucasian outlaws.

There's many works which mention Sulumbek, such as the book "Asir-Abrek. Chechen song", published in 1924. In 2011, the Ingush writer Issa Kodzoev wrote a book titled "Sulumbek Sagopshinsky". 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. 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. In 2020, the poet I. Aprelsky dedicated a poem to Sulumbek.

Folksongs about Sulumbek
The Vainakhs have a tradition of composing heroic songs – "illi", dedicated to one or another glorious people of their past. For example, in one of the Ingush heroic illis, Salambek is sung about, like others, sings of the exploits of the Ingush abrek, but at the same time expresses hidden regret that the Ingush still do not have effective laws that make it possible to really judge the deeds of this or that person:

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

Notes

References

Bibliography

English sources

Russian sources

External links 
 Неустрашимость и безумная отвага

History of Ingushetia
Ingush people
History of the Caucasus
1878 births
1911 deaths
People from the Russian Empire