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Ivan G. Samarin - The Great Molokan Communicator
Molokan Review
Ivan Guryevich Samarin (1857-1948)
- the "Great Molokan Communicator" - helped the Doukhobors
and Molokans leave Russia at the turn of the last century. For this he
was imprisoned. Samarin obtained a 99 year military exemption for the Molokans
in America.
He published "Spirit and Life, the Book of Songs and the Book
of Prayers". Reproduced from the pages of the Molokan Review, 1949.
The
subject of this sketch was born in February 1857 in the village of Mikhailovka,
Kazasch district, Elizavetpol province, Russia (present-day Azerbaijzan).
his parents were Gurii Prokofievich Samarin and Lukeria Ustinovna Makarova,
residents of the same village. Samarin's education was sketchy. One old
man had taught him for two months to read the old Slavic script; also for
two months a friendly soldier taught him the art of writing, and a wandering
peddler instructed him in the use of Arabic numerals and simple arithmetic.
In those days pencils were unknown. Samarin used a slate and a tin stick,
or a goose-quill, with which he wrote on coarse paper with ink made from
hazelnuts.
Then
in 1873, while still very young, he married Aksinya Pakhomovna Abakumov,
daughter of Pakhom Pavlovich Abakumov and his wife Fedosia Fedorovna Titkova.
Two years later he was engaged as a public scribe of his village. Then,
having improved his ability to read and write at the office of the Justice
of the Peace and the Police Commissioner, he was charged, in addition to
his regular duties, with the compilation of charts showing the number of
livestock at the neighbouring villages.
In
1879 and 1881, Samarin petitioned the authorities for permission for the
Molokans to move to Kars and Transcaspian provinces, and he made arrangements
for seed grain to be advanced to them. In 1881 Samarin himself moved to
Kars province (present-day Turkey) and became scribe in four Doukhobor
villages there.
When
Lukeria Vasilyevna Kalmakova, leader of the Doukhobor sect, died in 1886,
a dispute arose concerning the Orphan's Home (the spiritual, administrative
and financial centre of the Doukhobors). Samarin, not neglecting his official
tasks, aided Kalmakova's successor, Peter 'Lordly' Verigin, in this controversy,
preparing numerous documents on behalf of Verigin and his followers, a
service that necessitated much travelling throughout the province of Tiflis
(present-day Georgia). Petitions prepared by Samarin were submitted to
the Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, the Tsarevich and his mother the Empress,
who at that time were residing in Abastuman.
Samarin
was also instrumental in placing the Doukhobor litigation into the hands
of a Tiflis attorney and in moving Vasily Lukianovich Verigin (Peter Verigin's
father) to Kars province. He had written many letters to the Verigin brothers
and other persecuted Doukhobors who were living in exile in Arkhangel province,
giving them advice and comfort. These and similar labours were continued
by Samarin until the time when the Doukhobors proclaimed their intention
to abandon all earthly pursuits and enter into a new spiritual life.
In
1893, Samarin moved to the village of Novo-Petrovka in the province of
Kars where he built a turbine flourmill and engaged in the milling business.
In 1897 he compiled a house-to-house statistical report on five neighbouring
villages for his authorities. This task was completed with characteristic
speed in three days.
At
the request of his Molokan brotherhood, Samarin went in 1899 with Filipp
M. Shubin to consult the Canadian consul at Batum on immigration possibilities.
Later they visited Moscow to investigate Canadian laws on compulsory military
service. In 1900 Samarin and Shubin visited St. Petersburg and petitioned
the Emperor either to free the Molokans from military service or to grant
them permission to migrate from Russia, like the Doukhobors. In June of
the same year, with P.M. Shubin and F.S. Bychneff, he departed for Canada
on an inspection tour for lands suitable for settlement. In the course
of their journey they crossed the United States border and examined some
land in Wisconsin, especially near Milwaukee. In Canada they visited various
localities in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, then proceeded to Ottawa,
capital of the Dominion of Canada. There, they received a guarantee from
the Canadian Government freeing Molokans from military service for 99 years,
and a land grant for 160 acres per family, together with other concessions.
In the autumn of the year named, they returned home and read a report of
their journey at ten Molokan villages
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Molokan
immigration document.
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Immediately
after this, Ivan G. Samarin and Nikolai I. Agaltsoff went to St. Petersburg
to learn the result of their petition, which they repeated in 1901. The
net result of their insistence was the imprisonment of Samarin in a solitary
cell of the Kars Prison, after many searchings and much questioning. There
he was joined by P.M. Shubin. In a few months they were released on a petition
by their sympathizers.
In
1902-1903, still lacking any official word from St. Petersburg, the Molokan
community, after many conferences, decided to start the migration in small
groups and family units. But instead of Canada, the Molokans decided to
settle in the United States - in sunny California - whereupon the small
parties of migrants commenced to move toward Los Angeles.
In
the autumn of 1904, I.G. Samarin left Novo-Petrovka and arrived in Los
Angeles in February 1905. After inspection of several plots of land with
Vasily G. Pivovaroff and Mikhail S. Slivkoff, they made local arrangements
for transportation credit for other Molokans to travel from New York to
California. On May 10 of the same year they negotiated a large loan with
the bank and with private individuals (the Mennonites in Kansas City) for
other groups which were travelling through countries where cash expenditures
were required.
Next,
Samarin and Pivovaroff found and bought for the Brotherhood a plot of land
in Guadalupe, Lower California, Mexico, where Pivovaroff made his home.
Meanwhile, M.S. Slivkoff busied himself with arranging his new life, and
the entire task of helping the migrants was left in Samarin's hands.
The
first which received help were five groups travelling through Argentina
and five travelling through Panama. The Panama groups received transportation
reduction amounting to $15.00 per fare (also one group arriving through
San Francisco) and five groups travelling through Canada saved $12.00 on
each fare. Considerable help was given to the migrants at Galveston, Texas,
Bremen, German and Liverpool, England. Some cash remittances were made
for the migrants stranded at Mazatlan and Manzanillo, in Mexico, and money
and food were sent to those detained in quarantine in San Francisco.
In
March 1906, Samarin, on behalf of his fellow Molokans, travelled to Mexico
City and personally received the guaranties of religious freedom and suspension
of customs duties for the Molokan colony at Guadalupe. Then he carried
protracted negotiations regarding land grants in Lower California, at Rosario
with Taras P. Tolmasoff and other Molokan representatives, and at Santa
Rosa with P.M. Shubin, Ivan K. Mechikoff and many others.
In
1913-14, after many conferences, the Molokan community decided to make
an effort to leave Los Angeles and take up farming. in connection with
this project, which was later abandoned, I.G. Samarin and Joseph P. Kariakin
prepared, on behalf of the community, an extended petition to the President
of Uraguay.
In
1917, Samarin, Shubin and Pivovaroff represented the Molokans before the
proper U.S. authorities with regard to the military draft which was incompatible
with the Molokan religion, and in this connection, they personally visited
the White House and the Russian Embassy in Washington. In 1918, Samarin
further petitioned the U.S. Government to allow the Molokans to donate
money to the Red Cross instead of buying war bonds - again on religious
grounds. In 1922, he also compiled various documents for the Molokan representatives
in Peru. In 1927-1929, Samarin and Shubin prepared petitions to diplomatic
representatives of Turkey and Persia (Iran) in America, on behalf of fellow
Molokans residing in these places, and in 1930, he wrote to the Secretary of
Agriculture in Washington regarding lands open to settlement in the United
States.
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Exact
reproduction of one of the pages of Rudometkin's
writings
- not enlarged nor reduced. |
In
1920 and 1924, Samarin organized with the enthusastic help of all fellow
Molokans, the Russian Molokan Aid Society which had extended help to the
famine-stricken communities in the Caucasus and Transcaspian provinces
in Russia. This society sent clothing, shoes and food - flour, beans, etc,
as well as money. These shipments were of vast help to the sufferers and
literally saved many lives. The Molokan community opened its purse and
heart to this appeal, contributions being received from all members of
all ages and of both sexes. In addition, in 1931 and through 1938, large
cash contributions were solicited for the destitute refugees in Syria,
Iraq, Turkey and Iran. In connection with benevolent activities, Samarin
conducted a large correspondence and rendered all other possible help.
In
1915-1917, Samarin edited and published the book Spirit and Life,
which contained the writings of Molokan Maxim Gavrilovich Rudometkin, written
by him in monastary imprisonment in 1858-1877. These writings were smuggled
out of Russia by Alexei Sergeevich Tolmacheff, concealed in loaves of freshly
baked bread. These were written not only in a very small hand, but partly
in the old Slavic script, as shown in the picture herewith. Samarin had
spent countless hours deciphering these pages, often with the help of a
magnifying glass, and preparing them for publication.
In
1928-1930, Samarin issued the second printing of the book. At the same
time he published the Book of Songs and the Prayer Book for
the Spiritual Molokans.
Having
spent 75 years in blissful marraige with Aksinya Pakhomovna, he sorrowfully
bade her a last earthly farewell on May 29, 1948. Exactly six months later,
on November 29, he rejoined her, thus ending his earthly wanderings. Both
passed on in Los Angeles at the ripe age of 92. Thus was written the last
chapter of the unselfish life of this outstanding scholar and historian,
the indefatigable leader of his people who left undying memories in the
hearts of his countless friends and followers.
All
his work after 1879 was performed by Ivan G. Samarin without thought of
personal gain, but solely out of love for his people. In his passing, the
Molokan community has lost one of the most active labourers in God's Vineyard,
as well as an outstanding leader who guided his people to happiness, peaceful
life and physical and spiritual well-being.
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