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A Message to Relatives
by
Alexei N. Chernoff
Towards
the end of his life, Doukhobor Alexei Nikolayevich Chernoff (1877-1967)
set to writing his experiences as a young military reservist during the "Burning
of Arms" in Russia 1895. Reproduced by permission from the pages of "The
Brothers Chernoff from Azerbaijan to Canada" (Winnipeg: December 1992)
this article is a wonderful example of our rich Doukhobor oral tradition,
now preserved in writing for future generations. Translated by Fred J. Chernoff.
I,
Alexei Nikolayevich Chernoff, had the desire to write to my relatives about
our past, that part that is still in my memory. My parents were Nikolai
Timofeyevich and Anna Semenovna Chernov. My mother's family were the Popovs.
In our family there were six sons: Aliosha (Alexei), Mikola (Nikolai),
Vanya (Ivan), Fedya (Feodor), Misha (Mikhail) and Andrusha (Andrei). The
parents were neither poor or rich. Their occupation was with farmland and
they owned cattle, horses, sheep, chickens, geese and ducks - all in small
numbers. There also lived with us two brothers of my father whose names
were Danilushka (Danila) and Mikisha (Mikifor). My father Nikolai was the
eldest brother. In total there were 23 people living together and all ate
at one table. At first we lived well and were happy. This was in Russia,
the Caucasus, the village of Slavyanka in the Elizavetpol province (present-day
Republic of Azerbaijan).
Alexei
Nikolaevich Chernoff (1877-1967)
As
children we grew up and soon started to help our parents with the work.
When I reached the age of 17, my parents decided to marry me off. They
had arranged for the daughter of a rich family by the name of Verigin,
whose name was Paranya (Praskovia) Nikolayevna. Both of our families were
happy about this arrangement. Our lives became happy and joyful. This happened
shortly after the death of the former leader of the Doukhobors, Lushechka
(Lukeria) Kalmykova. Her place was taken by Peter Vasilyevich Verigin. Not
all the Doukhobors accepted him as the new leader. In opposition a group
emerged and began to pass information to the government. Peter Verigin
was arrested, tried and exiled to Siberia.
At
this time, the young men from 21 of age were called by the government for
service in the army, and because of an error by my parents, I was one of
the people called. I was given a (reserve) document indicating that I had
to appear to serve when it was my turn. This came at the time the Doukhobors
started to refuse service in the army. As I was not yet 21 years of age,
by law I should not be called into the service. During the last census,
believing that they would save me from the army, my parents had added 3
years to my age. Because of this entry in the census, I was now called
into the military service. My father appealed to the military command to
nullify the call. The officer in command asked if there were any records
of the birth of your son. My father answered no. The officer then replied
that, the order to serve cannot be nullified, but he added not be afraid
that he would not be called for the time being. This is how the matter
ended. They didn't take me into the army, but my name was left on the list
for future call. In
1895, a call came from Siberia from Peter V. Verigin, that the Doukhobors
show by action their opposition to service in the army. He ordered all
of his followers to burn their arms and guns. The men who were drafted
for service went to the officials and turned in their call papers. They
informed the officials that they will no longer serve in the army.
On
June 29, 1895 was the celebration of Peters Day. On the night before, the
Doukhobors secretly collected all of their guns and burned them. This stirred
up the government officials, and they started an investigation as to why
this burning occurred. Next morning another event furthur antagonized the
government officials against the Doukhobors. The young draftees started
to hand in their call papers and advised that they will no longer take
part in serving in the army. I too, went to turn in my papers, along with
60 other draftees. We were all arrested and placed in jail cells. Our parents
were also arrested for influencing the young men. Without giving us an
opportunity for a farewell, we were marched to Elizavetpolski prison. That
ended our happy life. My dear relatives, it was difficult to part with
our family - my mother, my 5 brothers, and my dear wife and son Nikolai.
I was young, and God gave me strength to bear this sorrow. My father and
I stayed in jail for 5 months. Then along with others we were sent to Kozakh
prison. Our parents, the older people were sent to Siberia. Part of their
trip was by water and here my father got sick. The ship doctor was unable
to help him. Upon landing he was sent to hospital where he passed away.
The date was August 17, 1895. He had nobody with him when he died and the
news of his passing did not reach us for 6 months.
In
Kozakh prison were 65 draftees who had refused to serve and had turned
in their papers. In prison, life was not all that bad. We were allowed
to exercise, sing and pray to God. They gave us a kitchen, and we had 2
cooks amongst us to board ourselves. Life went well. One thing that bothered
us was fever, as the climate was favorable to this illness. Everyone was
sick from this except myself. We stayed in that prison for about a year
and one-half.
In
August 1897, the government decided to send us to the Yerevan region to
settle among the Tartars. We notified our relatives that we were being
exiled. Our relatives came to a meeting in prison, and the government permitted
this. We were glad to see them and they were glad to see us. After the
first meeting, we were allowed to meet with them the next day. Soon after,
we were all counted, put into a convoy and started on our journey. We called
to our people for the last time a good-bye and to forgive us. We marched
to Yerevan over a 7 day period. In the month of August, the weather was
warm and dry and we thanked God that we reached our destination safely.
Nobody was sick on the way. Again we were imprisoned, and due to the lack
of room inside, we were kept outside of the prison. They allowed us our
own kitchen and gave all that we required. They kept us here for 12 days.
Here some of our comrades were distributed to the Tartar villages and the
rest of us, about 13 people, were sent further to Nakhichevan.
Again,
we were marched through the valleys of the Caucasian mountains for 5 days.
On the way, we were given time to rest. The valleys were very hot and the
people in this area raised fruit. I was attracted by grapes growing so
I picked a bunch and ate them. Shortly after I became sick and became cold
and shivering. It appeared that I had the same malaria fever that attacked
the other comrades. Every day at the same time I got the shivers. We reached
Nakhichevan and were distributed 2 to a village. My partner was Nikolai
Fedorovich Salykin. He was much older than myself and had already served
in the army. But he was in prison because he turned in his military service
papers. Because he was older than myself, he took advantage of me and made
me serve him. The village was known a Karabahli. It was a large village
and the people were kind and courteous. They provided a well lit room and
slowly we got used to our surroundings. We knew their language and soon
found a job cutting hay. They paid us a fair wage and did not mistreat
us. Their women baked us bread which was very tasty. Here we lived for
a year.
One
day a Russian doctor visited our village, and I turned to him with my illness.
He examined me and told me to appear at the hospital in his village. He
ordered that I be released with a guard. We walked 50 verst (kilometers).
There he gave me a mixture of quinine and shortly thereafter the fever
left me completely. I got well, but the doctor kept me there for 2 weeks.
In that time I helped in the house and looked after his little girl. The
doctor asked me to stay with him, but I refused and went back to my friends.
Shortly
thereafter, our relatives decided to visit us. My Uncle Danilushka decided
to ride horseback to our place and invited a Tartar to accompany him. I
was very glad to see my Uncle Danilushka. He passed regards from my family,
told me how they lived and how they had safely traveled to see me. Thank
God. After supper my friend Salykin decided to invite a town official.
The official came and with him were 2 policemen. He asked my Uncle whether
he had a permit to travel. At that time, every person had to have permission
to travel from one place to another in Russia. Danilushka did not have
such a permit. The official did not say anything and went back to his room.
Shortly thereafter, the official arrested our guest Danilushka and took
him away. Next morning, he and his friend were marched to Nakhichevan prison.
The horses were left with us. This is how my Uncle visited me at this time.
I wondered what to do with the horses and discussed this with a regional
official. He sent me to the prison where my Uncle was held and he requested
that they not be sold. He wanted them sent back to his village. This request
was sent back to the official who became irrate, and sent me to see someone
else with authority. An order was given that the horses be given to the
local villagers. Nobody wanted them, so I kept the horses. Feed was obtained
for the horses till my Uncle Mikisha came and took them away. Later my
Uncle Danilushka and his friend had walked back to their village from which
they came. All this we lived through. The people here were good, gave us
feed for the horses, and helped us in many ways.
In
1899 we were freed. We hired a Molokan, and he drove us to the station
Astafoo. By this time we joined a group who were migrating to Canada and
were on their way to Batum. Our relatives were already at Batum, and met
us after 3 years of separation. I cannot describe this meeting. My mother
especially, thanked God that her son Aliosha came back safe and sound.
My relatives kissed me and could not believe that I was their Aliosha.
On
February 16, 1899 we started boarding the ship. The passage across the
ocean was difficult. The ocean was rough but we reached Canada, at Halifax,
on the 9th day of March, 1899. We unloaded on a large (quarantine) island.
There they gave us a bath and vaccinated us. We stayed there several days,
boarded a ship and reached St. John. Here we were loaded onto a train and
sent west to Manitoba - Winnipeg, Selkirk and Brandon - where they had
places for us. It was still winter and there was a lot of snow. After a
while, we were sent to Yorkton, Saskatchewan and from there we went by
sleigh to the village of Verovka where they had built long barns. In these
barns we spent the remainder of the winter. Spring came and the warm weather
with it. Then they started to sort families, who would want to live in
the same villages. Everyone was organized into villages and our village
was Sovetnoye. It was north-west of the village of Veregin. Here we started
our Canadian life.
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| Doukhobor
Village in Saskatchewan, 1902 |
At
this time we had no farming facilities and just set up tents in the middle
of the field. The stronger men were sent out to look for jobs and the older
men and women began building. They dug and started building sod houses.
They were plastered inside and dried outside so to be livable. This was
in 1899. Towards fall the workers started coming home and had a place to
winter. We had a lot of wood for fuel and wintered well. In the spring we
started to get ready to look for work again. Some stayed home to improve
the facilities. By then, the village had one horse and several cows, so
we had milk for the children. This was 1900. We started planting gardens
and getting ready for the next winter. We started to accumulate the necessary
equipment, plowing the land and seeding oats. The crops were very good
and the times were getting better. We all lived in a commune and had a
happy life. I was elected senior in our village and had control of the
money.
In
1902, near Christmas, Peter "Lordly" Verigin came to Canada. All Doukhobors
were glad of his coming. He visited the villages and met everyone. He advised
the people to live a communal life and nearly everyone took his advice.
He started to buy cattle and horses and allocated them among the villages.
After some time in the communities, a misunderstanding arose with the Canadian
government regarding the registration of land ownership and taking the
oath of allegiance. Then, Peter Verigin decided to move some Doukhobors
to British Columbia. Land was purchased for orchards, and nearly all of
the people of the community were transplanted to British Columbia. Our
family, the Chernoffs, including the 6 brothers and my 2 sons, stayed on
the Khutor ranch near the town of Veregin. The ranch had been well
stocked with cattle and horses and the animals were worth a lot of money.
Peter Verigin delegated the Chernoffs to look after this property. My brother
Nikolai was a tabunchik ("horse trainer") and I was delegated to
look after the stallions. The rest of the brothers looked after the land
and planted the grain. The grain amounted to over 30,000 bushels. In the
winter we looked after the livestock. We lived under the leadership of
Peter "Lordly" Verigin for twelve years, up until the time of his death.
He always favored us and was kind.
During
October 1927, the other Verigin arrived. The Doukhobors were glad of his
coming and soon he started to change procedures and practices. We started
to live according to his plans and what he wanted. The time passed and
then, he too died. After that, the whole community broke apart. Everyone
started to live independently and that's the way it is now. However, there
are a group who are organized under the name of the Union of Christian
Communities of Christ.
Dear
relatives, the time is fleeing and the memory of relatives and friends
is disappearing. My mother died in 1934, and my wife Paranya died in 1950.
I myself am 87 years old and nearing the end of my life. I have decided
to leave my remembrance of our previous life, and how and why we came to
Canada. My sincere desire is that you live in a Doukhobor society and carry
out all of the teachings for the well being of ourselves and future offspring.
Guard all the time our Doukhobor faith.
Your
Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather, Your Brother and Your Uncle,
Alexei
Nikolayevich Chernoff
Veregin,
Saskatchewan
September
12, 1964
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