Rutulians, also known as the Rutul people or simply Rutuls, a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group native to Dagestan and adjacent parts of Azerbaijan. According to the 2021 Russian census, there were 34,259 Rutuls in Russia. The Rutul language is a member of the Northeast Caucasian language family; its speakers often have a good command of Azeri and Russian. The Rutulian culture is close to that of the Tsakhur and other peoples who inhabit the basin of the upper reaches of the Samur River. Most of the Rutuls are engaged in cattle breeding, farming, and gardening.