(Courtesy Larry A. Ewashen)
In 1785, Archbishop Ambrosius of the Russian Orthodox Church referred to a group of Russian religious dissidents as "Doukho-bortsi". The term means Spirit Wrestlers - he intended it as a derogatory label suggesting that these dissidents were struggling against the Spirit of God.
They adopted the name, saying: "We are Spirit Wrestlers because we wrestle with and for the Spirit of God against those things which are evil." In struggling for a better life they would use only the spiritual power of love rather than any form of violence, noting the scriptural admonishment: Resist not evil.
The Doukhobors base their religious philosophy on two commandments: "Recognize and love God with all thy heart, mind and soul;" and, "Love thy neighbour as thyself."
"What is God?" they are asked: "God is a word, God is spirit, God is love. Where there is love, there is God."
"What is a soul?" "The soul is the reflection of God's spirit in that person, it returns to its source after earthly life is over."
How was Jesus resurrected? The Doukhobors understand Jesus Christ to have been born and to have lived and died in the flesh. Jesus was resurrected in the hearts of righteous people and continues to be resurrected in those who follow his teachings
Inspired by the high ideals and dynamic leadership of Peter V. Verigin the Doukhobors made a decisive stand against militarism and all forms of violence. "War", they said, "was incompatible with Christianity". On June 29, 1895, about 7000 Doukhobors destroyed all of their weapons in a decisive demonstration of pacifism - to kill another being is to kill God since the spirit dwells within that person.
The Doukhobor stand against killing met with harsh oppression by the Czarist State and Orthodox Church authorities. This persecution attracted world wide attention as well as humanitarians such as Lev Tolstoy, his publisher, Vladimir Chertkov and their colleagues.
Through their contacts and arrangements with Clifford Sifton; Canadian Minister of the Interior, roughly 7,500 Doukhobors were invited to immigrate to Canada in 1899, to the area known as Assiniboia.
Their agrarian communal society was a glowing tribute to their slogan "Toil and Peaceful Life." The sudden, violent death of their leader, Peter V. Verigin, in 1924, the great economic depression as well as reversals in government policy based on assimilation made it difficult to maintain their high ideals communally and contributed to the collapse of their collective life style.
Today, Doukhobors actively maintain activities such as Sunday Prayer meetings, Russian language classes, various publications and Internet sites, youth activity groups and festivals such as the annual Youth Festival now held for over fifty years; Peter's Day commemoration now observed annually for 107 years and the Day of Love as well as other special events, talent shows, fund raisers for worthy causes, special dinners and active participation in peace groups and other benevolent endeavors based on the theme of pacifism and harmonious interaction with the environment.
In 1908, leaving the basically
arid plains of Saskatchewan, the Doukhobors embarked on a massive trek
by foot, wagon, and finally train to a new 'Promised Land'.
Under the leadership of Peter Verigin, 5,000 people settled in the
Kootenay area purchasing over 14,000 acres of land near the confluence
of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers. When they saw the Columbia River,
they knew that this would be their new base, and that the life-giving
waters would provide the vital ingredient for this agricultural,
land-based group of settlers. The Doukhobors proceeded to set up
agricultural communities and developed communal villages, since as
owners, they were not subject to the oath and settlement regulations.
The day-to-day life of living and working together for everyone's
benefit in their communal agrarian society was the living embodiment
of their slogan, "Toil & Peaceful Life". They created
large commercial enterprises such as brickyards, jam factories and
sawmills. Their jam labels were created with the Columbia River in
mind, bearing the initials KC, for the Kootenay-Columbia rivers.
The name Brilliant came from the Russian word, Brillyant, which means approximately the same in both languages; sparkling. Peter Verigin, as he supervised the first buildings being constructed on the site in 1908, said that the waters of the Columbia sparkled like diamonds, and "we will call this settlement Brillyant". While it provided the life-giving waters for the developing orchards as forests were cleared, the river also posed challenges. Within a short while after the arrival of the 5000, eight miles of wooden pipe irrigation were servicing orchards and gardens, first for home sustenance, later for export in the form of truck garden and preserved goods.
In 1913, after an early history of ferrying livestock and supplies on barges and boats, a major construction enterprise took place when the first suspension bridge in Western Canada was constructed. A ferry continued to serve as a link to both sides down river at Waterloo near the later town of Kinnaird, now part of Castlegar, as well as further up river near Robson. To the Doukhobors, the river was the source of life as irrigation was necessary for the fruit growing. In relatively later years, the early thirties, the young people of the colony carried water in pails to start the new orchard in Robson. Remnants of these trees, as elsewhere, remain.
The sudden, violent, assassination death of their leader, Peter Verigin, the great economic depression and an unwarranted foreclosure on their properties by trust companies in collusion with government policy led to the collapse of their communal life style. As a result, the Doukhobors economic prosperity, independence and communal life style came to an end.
Just before Peter P. Verigin II died in 1939, he had created a new organization, the Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ (USCC). Also known as the orthodox Doukhobors, this group has actively maintained the thread of Doukhobor cultural activities. Youth projects, in particular, have gained new prominence with the introduction of Sunday prayer meetings, Russian language classes, a publication house, and youth activity groups. Annual Youth Festivals in the spring have been the focal point activity for nearly 50 years. John J. Verigin, its Honorary Chairman, has led the efforts of the membership to achieve a relationship of mutual understanding, respect, and friendship with the society around them; so as not to assimilate into cultural oblivion, but to integrate and live in harmony as part of Canada's multi cultural mosaic.
The Columbia River was the vital link for the survival of the Doukhobor pioneers, a survival which, at the time of foreclosure in 1939, was the largest communal enterprise in Western Canada, consisting of 71,600 acres of land and 90 villages such as the present museum.
Today Doukhobors actively maintain activities such as maintenance of the Village, Sunday Prayer meetings, Russian language and heritage classes, Russian singing, a publication house, and youth activity groups . The youth groups stage such events as annual Youth Festivals which have been held each spring for over 50 years. 1999 marked a century of Doukhobor life in Canada. The Kootenays are steeped in the rich heritage of Doukhobor Culture and various festivals and cultural activities took place to celebrate their presence in this new and favoured, and now native, land.