Larry A. EWASHEN passed away peacefully with family at his side at Creston Valley Hospital on June 18, 2025, at the age of 85.
He and his family left us a broad legacy of writings about Doukhobor issues, history, and music. This is a summary with links to many sources.
The Ewashen family traced their Doukhobor roots to Tambov province (governorate), central Russia, in 1794. In 1842 they were allowed to move to the Caucasus, to Slavyanka village, now in Azerbaijan. In 1899 their young grandfather arrived in Canada with his family who settled in Terpenie village (Blaine Lake area), Saskatchewan. In 1900 his great-grandfather was interviewed by a Quaker from the USA who published a booklet: A Day with the Doukhobors. In 1906 they moved east to the Manitoba boarder, and in 1913 west to BC. In the 1920s the family left the CCUB and became Independent Doukhobors.
Larry’s early years were spent on a farm in the Stoopnikoff village, near Lundbreck, southwest Alberta, but it was music and theatre that captured his heart. His family encouaged higher education. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta before moving to Toronto, where he became part of the city’s vibrant folk music scene, performing in coffee houses and listening pubs. During that time, he also composed music for several films and one of his songs was later recorded by the legendary Stompin’ Tom Connors, with whom he toured.
In 1963 while a graduate student in Toronto, Larry met Pete Seeger. Seeger who played traditional folk guitar [fingerstyle] wanted to learn flat picking like Larry played. Larry taught Seeger some "runs" which he noticed later appeared in Seeger's recordings. In 1994, Larry included Seeger's song 'Where have all the flowers gone?' in his play 'The Spirit of '99.'
Sometime after 1962, Seeger recorded a folksong about Sons of Freedom which was produced on CD in 2000. We do not know if Seeger knew Larry was Doukhobor when they met. But, according to research by Greg Nesteroff, Seeger visited Trail in the 1940s, and was close to at least 2 others from the Slocan Valley.
Larry helped found theatre programs at Ryerson University in Toronto (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario. While directing Harold Pinter's The Homecoming in 1965, Larry struck up a correspondence with this Nobel Prize-winning playwright and recently donated their letters to the University of Alberta drama department. Larry served as president of the Guild of Canadian Folk Artists.
Larry pursued his theatre studies at the Banff Centre. At Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio (where he received a Master of Arts), and in England. Larry went on to become the Artistic Director of the theatre program at Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario, and also taught at Ryerson University in Toronto. As both actor and director, he worked in major theatres across Canada and in England.
His film experience included research assignments in Russia, writing assignments in New York and contract work with the Canadian Museum of Civilization. He produced and directed two documentaries: The Last Hurrah – A Man and His Music and In Search of Utopia – The Doukhobors, reflecting his deep commitment to preserving and sharing Doukhobor history.
For more than a dozen years Robert and Larry have been active in the Canadian Doukhobor Society (CDS). Larry was secretary and editor of their quarterly newsletter, The Sheaf, up to 2002 when Robert became editor. The CDS disbanded in 2017.
All 3 brothers are lifetime honorary members of the Kootenay Doukhobor Historical Society which founded the Doukhobor Village Museum, Castlegar.
In the summer of 1989 Larry assisted Koozma Tarasoff on a Doukhobor Cultural History Tour, his 2nd trip to the USSR, leading 40 heritage tourists to meet Dukhobortsy in Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine.
During that time Larry lived in Veregin, SK, where he was curator of the National Doukhobor Heritage Village (NDHV).
Doukhobor Village Museum > Doukhobor Discovery Centre
For 18 years (1992-2010), Larry was hired to be the first 'curator' of the Doukhobor Village Museum (DVM) in Castlegar, B.C. It was founded in 1971 and managed by Peter Oglow and Christine Faminoff for 2 decades.
Larry got the job while collaborating with many Doukhobors across Canada for the upcoming 100th anniversary in 1995 of their 1895 Arms Burning. Koozma Tarasoff highly recommended Larry for this job, at which he excelled.
He greatly expanded the reach and visibility of the DVM while working with Oglow and Faminoff, by promoting Doukhobor history at seminars and conferences; and by writing books books and articles, producing films and video, and conducting workshops and lectures.
He guest curated at other museums in BC. He arranged special tours and programs for the Governors General, Lieutenant Governors and Ambassadors. His work was widely recognized by the Federal Department of Heritage, B. C. Heritage, Canadian Museum Association and BC Museum Association.
He was instrumental nationally in having ...
- Peter V. 'Lordly' Verigin recognized as a Person of National Historic Significance in 2008 with a plaque at the DVM, Castlegar.
- Migration of Doukhobors to British Columbia designated as a National Historic Event in 2008 with a plaque at the DVM, Castlegar (click on #1).
- Doukhobor Suspension Bridge listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 2007, and declared a National Historic Site in 2009. The bridge was declared a Canadian Historic Site in 1995. The Brilliant Bridge Regional Park was added by Parks Canada.
In 1993 at the beginning of Perestroika, the Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE) sent Larry to Moscow to conduct research for a play about the Doukhobor immigration to Canada — 'The Spirit of '99 [When They Burned Their Arms] ... ' (1994). During that time he met many Russian theatre directors and actors which resulting in workshops held in Vancouver with Oscar winning Aleksey Batalov (1928-2017).
He also married Dr. Galina Alekseeva (1993-2006), a researcher he met at Yasnaya Polyana, the State Museum of Leo Tolstoy in Russia. They both wrote and gave presentations on Tolstoy’s connection with Dukhobortsy. They bought an apartment in Yasnaya Polyana, but could not maintain such a long-distance relationship while each was working full-time jobs 7,000 km. apart.
In 1994, he presented 'Doukhobors and the Media' at the Learned Societies Conference, University of Calgary, which was published in the special issue 'From Russia With Love: The Doukhobors', Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal, vol. XXVII, No. 3, 1995: 147-157. The University hosted 8,100 delegates representing 105 societies and conferences from 24 countries.
Parks and Recreation Division, BC, recognized his contribution to the 'Preservation of BC Heritage'.
In 1995, DVM was featured on the news video: 'Northwest Profiles: Spirit Wrestlers'.
In 1999, he presented 'Changing Faces Of Doukhobor Culture' at Ottawa University, published in: Donskov A., et.al., eds, The Doukhobor Centenary in Canada. A multi-disciplinary perspective on their unity and diversity. Ottawa, Ontario: Slavic Research Group at the University of Ottawa and the Institute of Canadian Studies at the University of Ottawa, 2000: pages 357-365.
About 2000, Larry regularly lectured, several times with Koozma Tarasoff, at the Lemon Creek Lodge Elderhostel, Slocan Valley (now Blue Deer Lodge). About 4 times a year the elderhostel hosted a Doukhobor heritage series for a week on sequential evenings that included Harry Hadikin's carvings, Voykin sisters' choir and conversation, Timothy Jmaeff's music, and Eva (?) Evdokimoff's borshch.
In 2002, the Ewashen brothers included Larry's poem: 'Remembering the Spirit Wrestlers', first published in The Sheaf, in their family biography for Tarasoff's 2002 big book: Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers' Strategies for Living. On page 135, after the poem was a link to the first DVM website: 'Welcome to The Doukhobor Village Museum' with links to 10 pages. In 2004 Larry improved the website with color photos, a map, links to 2 brochures, and a music library, the 'Doukhobor Museum Jutebox', with over 50 albums online.
Larry launched the the first DVM website in the fall of 2002, and in 2004 updated the website with color photos and logo, 2 brochures, a map and many changing events.
In 2005 the Mayor of Castlegar honored Larry with an award for his 'outstanding Commitment and Service to the Doukhobor Village Museum'.
In 2006 the DVM was renamed the Doukhobor Discovery Centre — '... an entire discovery into the Doukhobor way of life.'
In 2006, Larry became president of the Trust Fund of the Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood (CCUB, ccubtrustfund.ca).
In 2010 Larry retired as curator of the Doukhobor Discovery Centre to embrace 'new horizons'.
In May 2010, I honored his 70th birthday with a poem.
In retirement, Larry settled in Creston, where he continued to enjoy weekly singing sessions with his brothers, local performances, and visits with family. He continued performing, teaching music, and lecturing on the Doukhobors and Lev Tolstoy at universities. He volunteered in many community groups: The Therapeutic Activation Program for Seniors (TAPS), New Life Furniture & Recycling which sponsors a women’s shelter and street kids program, and The Creston and District Museum.
In 2010 he performed at the Wynndel Coffee House in Creston, and 2 segments of his performance were recorded and posted on YouTube by his niece Glynnis Mary Ewashen as MOV09176 and MOV09177.
In 2011 he started his own 'Larrys Desk' channel on YouTube, which now has 21 videos and 450+ subscribers.
In 2012 Larry spoke at the '2012 Hope History Conference : Bridging The Past', about 'Who are the Sons of Freedom' who disturbed that city in the 1960s.
In 2019, he co-edited a translation of the book Chronicles of the Spirit Wrestlers’ Migration to Canada: God Is Not in Might but in Truth, originally written in 1935 by Grigorii Vasil’evich Verigin, brother of Doukhobor leader Peter Verigin.
Larry was predeceased by his parents, Alex and Mary Ewashen, his sister Abbe, and brother Alex. He will be deeply missed by his brother Bob, sisters-in-law Enid and Julie, and his nieces and nephew.
At his request, a private family gathering was held. Donations in his memory can be made to Iskra at info@iskra.com, or by calling 250-442-8252.
Sources
- Larry A. Ewashen, by Robert A. Ewashen, Creston Valley Advance, June 18, 2025.
- Larry A. Ewashen, by Robert A. Ewashen, Today in BC, June 18, 2025.
- Larry A. Ewashen (1940-2025), by Jonathan Kalmakoff, Facebook, 19 June 2025.
- Curriculum-Vitae, by Larry Ewashen, Larry's Desk
- My Interest: Larry A. Ewashen, B.A.,s.c.,M.A., Curator, Doukhobor Museum, 2003.
- LarrysDesk.com
- Larry Ewashen, Facebook.
- Larry's Music, with photos and videos
- Larrry Ewashen YouTube Channel, 21 videos. 450+ subscribers
- Doukhobor Heritage website. by Jonathan Kalmakoff
- From Generation to Generation — Passing on Traditional Values, Alex A. Ewashen; Larry A. Ewashen; Robert A. Eashen, by Alex A Ewashen, Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers' Strategies for Living, Legas and Spirit Wrestlers Publishing, 2002, pages 132-135.
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