This is a partial list of notable Kumyk people.
Artists and architects Murad al-Daghistani — pioneering Iraqi photographer, achieved international recognition for the quality of his photographs which recorded scenes of every-day life and people Nasreddin Murat-Khan — Pakistani architect and civil engineer. He is remembered most for designing the national monument, the Minar-e-Pakistan Adil-Gerey Daidbekov - Kumyk noble (ozden), engineer and a public figure from Temirkhan-Shura, designed roads and bridges for Daghestan and North-Ossetia.
Politicians Ahmed-Saib bey Kaplan — one of the prominent members of Young Turks movement, dissident of Sultan Abdülhamid II and his absolute rule and one of the writers and historians of the Late Ottoman Empire — politician, one of the ideologists and Foreign Minister of the Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus, who officially proclaimed its independence on 11 May 1918, author of "Visages de l'Islam", Afghanistan's diplomatic appointee in Switzerland. Rashid Khan Kaplanov — politician, one of the founders and Minister of Internal Affairs of the Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus, then Minister of Education and Religious Affairs in the fifth and fourth cabinets of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic Djelal ed-Din Korkmasov — de facto founder of the Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, its first First Secretary Roza Eldarova — the first woman to hold the highest political office in Dagestan, elected chairwoman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in March 1962
Religious figures Shaykh Jemaleddin Gazikumuki - Imam Shamil's guide (murshid) and father-in-law.
Scholars and writers — prominent French-Afghan writer, linguist, and Islamic scholar İzzet Kantemir — prominent Turkish writer, translator, public figure and medical professor — Turkish historian and writer
Scientists — radio communication engineer, Chief Constructor of Molniya communication satellite systems, which was developed in Sergei Korolev's design centre
Statesmen and military 16-17th centuries — prominent leader and ruler, Shamkhal, who defeated Russian invasion of the Eastern Caucasus at the Battle of Karaman, stopping it for a few decades.
18-19th centuries Tashaw-Hadji — political, military, and spiritual leader of Caucasian resistance in the 1800s, second to Imam Shamil Uchar-hadji — 19th century mulla and elderman, who killed two Russian generals at once
20th century Abdulhakim Ismailov — USSR World War II soldier, he was photographed by Yevgeny Khaldei raising the USSR flag over the Reichstag in Berlin on 2 May 1945, days before Nazi Germany's surrender
Sports Wrestling Edge of 19-20th centuries — six-time world wrestling champion
20th century Saypulla Absaidov – 1980 Moscow Olympics wrestling champion in Lightweight category Magomedgasan Abushev — 1980 Moscow Olympics wrestling champion in 62 kg category, 1980 Prievidza European champion
21st century Marid Mutalimov — 2008 Summer Olympics wrestling bronze medalist in 120 kg category Bakhtiyar Akhmedov — 2008 Summer Olympics wrestling champion in 120 kg category Nariman Israpilov — 2009 Vilnius wrestling European champion in 55 kg category, 2013 Budapest world championship bronze medalist in 55 kg category Zaur Uguev — 2020 Summer Olympics wrestling champion in 57 kg freestyle category, 2018 Budapest and 2019 Nur-Sultan wrestling world champion in 57 kg category Milana Dadasheva — bronze medalist of two wrestling European Championships Ibragim Kadiev — 2x U23 world champion in freestyle wrestling. 2026 European Champion at 86kg. Dinislam Bammatov — 1x U23 world vice-champion in greco-roman wrestling. Abubakar Khaslakhanau — Olympian, Bronze medalist at the 2024 European Championship in greco-roman wrestling.
Martial arts — wushu star and actor, 12-time European and 1-time world wushu championThe 2nd World Taijiquan Championships Event Results Bozigit Ataev — many-time Wushu Sanda world champion. Muslim Salikhov — many-time Wushu Sanda world champion, "King of King-fu", often acknowledged as one of the best Wushu Sanda competitors in history Marat Gafurov — world pankration (2010), jiu-jitsu (2013) champion and former ONE FC featherweight champion. Rustam Khabilov — Combat Sambo World Champion, MMA fighter Muhammad Mokaev — UK-based MMA fighter, IMMAF junior bantamweight world champion, UFC member. Nassourdine Imavov — France based - UFC middleweight fighter. — France based - two division ARES FC champion. Daguir Imavov — France based - ARES FC lightweight. — Germany based - UFC middleweight fighter. Uzair Abdurakov — ACA fighter
MuayThai/Kickboxing Islam Murtazaev - ONE FC kickboxer, who challengend for the Lightweight title. Beybulat Isaev — ONE FC kickboxer. — ONE FC fighter. Abdulla Dayakaev — former Muay Thai Factory champion and current ONE FC fighter. Salimsoltan Aminov — Muay Thai Factory champion.
Boxing — light heavyweight titleholder among professionals under version WBC USNBC Arslanbek Makhmudov — Heavyweight WBC-NABF champion Arthur Biyarslanov — of Kumyk father and Chechen mother, olympian at 2016 Olympics Games representing Canada. Sharabutdin Ataev — gold medalist at 2023 Tachkent boxing world championship in the cruiserweight division. Dzhambulat Bizhamov — silver medalist at 2021 world championship, many time Russian national champion at middleweight. Artur Akavov — challenged once for the WBO world title.
Judo Murad Chopanov — many-time Grand Slam's winner. Malik Manatov — Russian U-18 Champion, Master of Sports.
Football Arsen Akayev — professional football player and coach Murad Magomedov — professional football player Alibek Aliev — professional Swedish football player Islamnur Abdulavov — professional football player Tymerlan Huseynov — first scorer, who made 100 goals in the Ukrainian Football League Tamerlan Musayev — CSKA Moscow player.
References