The ‘Doukhobor Prayer Service Preservation Project’ was promoted by Ryan Androsoff on Ottawa radio, Tuesday July 19th, 2016, for 87 minutes, and Koozma Tarasoff joined by telephone for 8:37 minutes.
Androsoff works in Ottawa with the federal government and comes from a Doukhobor family in Saskatchewan. Tarasoff is a well published Doukhobor historian.
Androsoff was interviewed on the radio show ‘Tuesday Special Blend, With Mike Powell and Adam Coombs’, CKCU (93.1 FM) Campus radio, Carleton University, Ottawa. On 1 August 2016, Androsoff posted a shortened version (1 hour) of the radio show which he edited, minus interruptions, on Soundcloud.com, with better sound quality.
He got the special air time by donating to ‘listener supported’ public radio during a fund drive in October 2015, when he was working in Paris, France.
The goal of the Preservation Project is to ‘... document and explore the traditional Doukhobor 'Molenya' ... as practiced by the Saskatchewan Doukhobors.’
Androsoff is now conducting a crowd-fundraising campaign online for $15,000, to produce
The funds, when collected, will hire a video company (Bamboo Shoots), audio-engineer Ross Nykiforuk. Everyone else is a volunteer.
Two professors at the University of Saskatchewan — Dr. Ashleigh Androsoff and Dr. Veronika Makarova — are helping with some of the research for the script and interviews. Ashleigh and Ryan are 3rd cousins, with roots in Blaine Lake. She grew up in B.C.
Recording is scheduled for October 22, 2016, and a premiere of the video and exhibit in Fall 2017.
Androsoff explained the project will be funded and executed in 3 Phases.
Androsoff chose to raise funds with Indiegogo.com, a large mature company that does not charge fees for non-profit projects. All money donated goes to the project.
Updates and news about the project will be posted by Ryan Androsoff at
After the broadcast Androsoff went to Saskatoon. He met with the audio and video crews, attended a choir practice for the recording session in October, and updated the Doukhobor society.
On August 1, 2006, Androsoff posted an update on his blog, including a short video of choir practice in Saskatoon: Saskatchewan Doukhobor Prayer Service Preservation Project.
In August 2016, Iskra, issue 2105, page 2, Androsoff wrote a guest editorial about his project.
On August 14, 2016, Androsoff broadcast this message by email:
'Friends — as you may know, these last few months I've been putting an increasing amount of my time and energy into a project to preserve some of the traditions of my Doukhobor ancestors in documentary film and multimedia formats. This is a project of personal passion and one that has a real time pressure behind it. The Doukhobor community in Saskatchewan has been declining in recent years and of those who are left, it is a rapidly aging population among whom we have lost many members in recent years. Put simply, this project won't be possible to do in a few years.
'But this type of work doesn't happen for free — and giving it the professional treatment that it deserves doesn't come cheap — and that's why we've started a crowdfunding campaign this summer to help get us along the path to the $15,000 we need to raise. Summer is always a tough time to raise money while people are busy enjoying vacation season, but we've had to start our efforts to be able to get the pieces in place we need for our recording session planned for October. While we've started getting some donations coming in, we are still far from where we need to be.
'There is just over a week left in this first phase of fundraising and while we may not be able to raise the full $15,000 in this first attempt, I am hoping it will get us a significant way towards the goal and help us be able to leverage other funding opportunities (e.g. many grant opportunities require matching funds).
'This is where your support can really make a difference right now. As we come to the end of this first fundraising effort, if you are willing to contribute financially now is the time to take a moment and push that "donate" button! Click here to donate. While there are perks in place for larger donations (at the $25, $50, $100, and $500 levels), any amount helps as momentum matters.
'We are encouraging people to donate through the online crowdfunding page, however if for whatever reason you are more comfortable donating by cheque or cash I can accept those as well. Cheques can be made out to "Spirit Wrestler Productions" (which is the non-profit company that has been set-up to manage this project).
'Finally if you are looking for more information about the project, you can check out some of the media coverage we have received:
'Thank you!'
More Online
Androsoff works in Ottawa with the federal government and comes from a Doukhobor family in Saskatchewan. Tarasoff is a well published Doukhobor historian.
Androsoff was interviewed on the radio show ‘Tuesday Special Blend, With Mike Powell and Adam Coombs’, CKCU (93.1 FM) Campus radio, Carleton University, Ottawa. On 1 August 2016, Androsoff posted a shortened version (1 hour) of the radio show which he edited, minus interruptions, on Soundcloud.com, with better sound quality.
He got the special air time by donating to ‘listener supported’ public radio during a fund drive in October 2015, when he was working in Paris, France.
The goal of the Preservation Project is to ‘... document and explore the traditional Doukhobor 'Molenya' ... as practiced by the Saskatchewan Doukhobors.’
Androsoff is now conducting a crowd-fundraising campaign online for $15,000, to produce
- a documentary video about the Saskatchewan services, and
- a portable exhibit of the service in surround sound.
While there have been a number of documentaries that have captured Doukhobor history and culture, there has been little focus in these works on the spiritual rituals of the Doukhobors in detail. The actual mechanics of a Saskatchewan Doukhobor prayer service have not been well documented … With the rapidly declining membership of Doukhobor societies in Saskatchewan and the aging of those who are left, there is a limited window left to capture and preserve the experience of a Doukhobor prayer service for future generations.The project is endorsed by the Doukhobor Cultural Society of Saskatchewan (DCSS) with particular involvement from the Doukhobor Societies of Saskatoon and Blaine Lake.
The funds, when collected, will hire a video company (Bamboo Shoots), audio-engineer Ross Nykiforuk. Everyone else is a volunteer.
Recording is scheduled for October 22, 2016, and a premiere of the video and exhibit in Fall 2017.
Androsoff explained the project will be funded and executed in 3 Phases.
- Phase 1: Development and Production, January - October 2016
- Phase 2: Post-Production, November 2016 - Spring 2017
- Phase 3: Release and Distribution, Summer/Fall 2017
Androsoff chose to raise funds with Indiegogo.com, a large mature company that does not charge fees for non-profit projects. All money donated goes to the project.
Updates and news about the project will be posted by Ryan Androsoff at
After the broadcast Androsoff went to Saskatoon. He met with the audio and video crews, attended a choir practice for the recording session in October, and updated the Doukhobor society.
On August 1, 2006, Androsoff posted an update on his blog, including a short video of choir practice in Saskatoon: Saskatchewan Doukhobor Prayer Service Preservation Project.
In August 2016, Iskra, issue 2105, page 2, Androsoff wrote a guest editorial about his project.
On August 14, 2016, Androsoff broadcast this message by email:
'Friends — as you may know, these last few months I've been putting an increasing amount of my time and energy into a project to preserve some of the traditions of my Doukhobor ancestors in documentary film and multimedia formats. This is a project of personal passion and one that has a real time pressure behind it. The Doukhobor community in Saskatchewan has been declining in recent years and of those who are left, it is a rapidly aging population among whom we have lost many members in recent years. Put simply, this project won't be possible to do in a few years.
'But this type of work doesn't happen for free — and giving it the professional treatment that it deserves doesn't come cheap — and that's why we've started a crowdfunding campaign this summer to help get us along the path to the $15,000 we need to raise. Summer is always a tough time to raise money while people are busy enjoying vacation season, but we've had to start our efforts to be able to get the pieces in place we need for our recording session planned for October. While we've started getting some donations coming in, we are still far from where we need to be.
'There is just over a week left in this first phase of fundraising and while we may not be able to raise the full $15,000 in this first attempt, I am hoping it will get us a significant way towards the goal and help us be able to leverage other funding opportunities (e.g. many grant opportunities require matching funds).
'This is where your support can really make a difference right now. As we come to the end of this first fundraising effort, if you are willing to contribute financially now is the time to take a moment and push that "donate" button! Click here to donate. While there are perks in place for larger donations (at the $25, $50, $100, and $500 levels), any amount helps as momentum matters.
'We are encouraging people to donate through the online crowdfunding page, however if for whatever reason you are more comfortable donating by cheque or cash I can accept those as well. Cheques can be made out to "Spirit Wrestler Productions" (which is the non-profit company that has been set-up to manage this project).
'Finally if you are looking for more information about the project, you can check out some of the media coverage we have received:
- Online article by CBC
- Radio interview with Brent Loucks (650 CKOM in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) on the project (7 min)
- Full radio show about the Doukhobors and the project on the Tuesday Morning Special Blend (CKCU 93.1 FM in Ottawa, Ontario) with Mike Powell and Adam Coombs (1 hour)
'Thank you!'
More Online
- Read the project fundraising site: Doukhobor Prayer Service Preservation Project, and donate.
- Listen to Tuesday Special Blend, a 2-hour show.
- Androsoff begins at minute 5:00 for 87 minutes, ending at minute 92:10, interrupted with news, weather and commercials.
- Tarasoff begins at minute 66:45 for 8:37 minutes, to 75:22.
- Tarasoff’s radio notes: Insights on the Doukhobors Since the 1950s, with Comments and Corrections of mistakes spoken on the radio.
- Ashleigh Androsoff does PhD thesis on Doukhobors, 27 August 2007
- New Doukhobor Course at the University of Saskatchewan, by professor Dr. Veronika A. Makarova, 10 September 2013
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