Spirit Wrestlers:
Doukhobor Pioneers and Their Friends
Koozma J. Tarasoff has for decades now taken on what was once a fragile, unpopular topic previously and with a bare handful of exceptions studied badly or not all: Doukhobor society and culture. He began his research in the 1950s with the publication of The Inquirer, then with a 1,006-page mimeographed edition of his research, In Search of Brotherhood (1963), down to the present with Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers and Their Friends in 2022, with many in between, often superbly illustrated and annotated, and from varied points of view.
Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers and Their Friends collects interviews, photographs and other discussions with some material in Russian as well as in English, with Doukhobor elders and others deeply involved in the life of that society. It thus not only presents precise documentation of historic views, but also of viewpoints and attachments in significant depth. It also includes some useful aids and good advice for others who wish to continue such work. It is thus another real treasure for Doukhobor Studies scholarship.
I cannot commend Koozma too highly for this lifework he has pursued, honest, diligent and valuable. I have known him for over 50 years, chiefly through correspondence but also by direct meetings when possible. Since I too made Doukhobor Studies the major part of my scholarly life, I can legitimately commend the value of his work. I trust he will continue it as long as possible and wish him all the great honour and respect he so richly deserves for his devotion to Doukhobor people and their significant culture and place in history. I am only sorry that great pressure from outside circumstances has delayed this note for almost a year.
Compiled by Koozma J. Tarasoff, 2022.
It’s an academic joke that a scholar has only one book, no matter how many times it’s written. This is, of course, a wry look at those of us who, having chosen a topic for life, examine and report on it from different directions, point of view, and with respect to newer learning.
Koozma J. Tarasoff has for decades now taken on what was once a fragile, unpopular topic previously and with a bare handful of exceptions studied badly or not all: Doukhobor society and culture. He began his research in the 1950s with the publication of The Inquirer, then with a 1,006-page mimeographed edition of his research, In Search of Brotherhood (1963), down to the present with Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers and Their Friends in 2022, with many in between, often superbly illustrated and annotated, and from varied points of view.Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers and Their Friends collects interviews, photographs and other discussions with some material in Russian as well as in English, with Doukhobor elders and others deeply involved in the life of that society. It thus not only presents precise documentation of historic views, but also of viewpoints and attachments in significant depth. It also includes some useful aids and good advice for others who wish to continue such work. It is thus another real treasure for Doukhobor Studies scholarship.
I cannot commend Koozma too highly for this lifework he has pursued, honest, diligent and valuable. I have known him for over 50 years, chiefly through correspondence but also by direct meetings when possible. Since I too made Doukhobor Studies the major part of my scholarly life, I can legitimately commend the value of his work. I trust he will continue it as long as possible and wish him all the great honour and respect he so richly deserves for his devotion to Doukhobor people and their significant culture and place in history. I am only sorry that great pressure from outside circumstances has delayed this note for almost a year.
Link to the ebook: www.Spirit-Wrestlers.com/2022.
Order printed book: Jia Hou, Merriam Print Inc.,
252 Laurier Ave, East, Ottawa, Ontario K1N OP4.
Order printed book: Jia Hou, Merriam Print Inc.,
252 Laurier Ave, East, Ottawa, Ontario K1N OP4.
Email: print252@gmail.com
About Rev. Dr. Mealing
- Mealing, Mark. Our People's Way : a Study in Doukhobor Hymnody and Folklife, PhD thesis, University of Pennsylvania, 1972. 1468 pages.
- Dr. Mealing, Facebook
- Mark Mealing at Selkirk College
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