Review: Our Backs Warmed by the Sun

Book: Vera Maloff. Our Backs Warmed by the Sun: Memories of a Doukhobor Life (Halfmoon Bay, BC: Caitlin Press, 2020), 263 pp. ISBN 9781773860398.

Peter N. Maloff, 1939; and book cover.

The main hero, Peter Nikolaevich Maloff (1900-1971), was a Canadian Independent Doukhobor, a free thinker, an enthralling emotional speaker, a devout vegetarian, and one who was deeply concerned with humanity’s problems of exploitation, militarism and wars. He shared the Doukhobor historic mission of stopping wars and working to create a good society.

The author Vera Maloff (left) of Shoreacres, British Columbia, Canada, is Peter’s granddaughter. After retiring from a career in teaching, Vera began to record family stories passed down from generation to generation. Through Peter’s self-published book, interviews with her mother Elizabeth (daughter of Peter), historic photos, and news clippings, Vera recreates some of the life of her grandfather Peter whom she adores.

Peter Maloff was born in Saskatchewan to parents who witnessed the 1895 Arms Burning event in Tsarist Russia, which marked the Doukhobor community for life as a group that proclaimed to the world that humanity needs to get rid of militarism and wars once and for all.

In 1913, young Peter moved with his parents to establish the communal koloniya svobody (sovereign, or freedom colony) near Peoria, Oregon,* USA for three years. (Kolony svobody,* The Doukhboor Gazetteer). There he entered high school and developed a keen interest in working towards a war-less world where equality reigns, behaviour would be nonviolent, and caring for neighbours would be the Golden Rule that was taught by Jesus Christ and other religious figures in history.

The commune dissolved in 3 years and the Maloff family went to San Francisco, California, for 9 months where they mingled with Molokane and other sectarians from Russia. Peter learned journalism and Russian grammar by assisting Russian publisher Anton P. Cherbak (Щербаков), and meeting many educated Orthodox Russian immigrants in the city.

In 1919 Maloff returned to Canada and settled among like-minded pacifist relatives in the Thrums area of British Columbia along the Kootenay River north of Castlegar. The community was independent in thinking with a few zealot Freedomite families living nearby that did not easily fit into the orthodoxy of the Community Doukhobors, who were known up to 1938 as the Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood (C.C.U.B.).

The book title describes their field work in the hot sun tending to their vegetables and fruit trees. They sold their produce at markets in Nelson and Trail. They also had a horse or two, a cow, a goat and chickens. Most were vegetarians.

In the 1920s Peter became very sympathetic to the zealot cause of striving for equality, in being against private property and some public education. He joined the cause and was arrested in 1929, 1932 and 1937. However, when the zealots began to burn and bomb homes and public property and used nudity as a way to gain public attention, Peter opposed this terrorism. His own home was threatened with arson and some of his books were burnt. By 1940 he abandoned the zealot movement. [Paragraph edited July 27, 2023.]

The biggest impact on Peter’s life as well as on the livelihood of the Doukhobor community was during World War II when Peter spoke out against militarism and wars. He refused to register for the Draft and was arrested, jailed, tortured, and threatened to be sent to a mental asylum and exiled in Canada in the early 1940s to an isolated two-room primitive isolated cottage near Blewett, about 23 km northeast of Thrums. His health was broken and it took several years to regain his strength.

In 1948, Peter published a collection of Russian articles some he wrote, many he collected that he thought would be of interest to Doukhobors. The 600+ page book, often cited in literature about Doukhobors, was never published in English, except for three articles listed below, bottom.

Author Vera wrote about this neglected eyesore in Canadian history through the voice of Peter’s daughter Elizabeth (Vera's mother) who was given the task of periodically visiting her father in exile bringing him essential food for his survival. The book reads well. Vera acknowledges the professional help of editor Anne DeGrace, who generously and skillfully prepared the manuscript for the final publishing form. Teamwork worked!

The book provides a good view of life among a close community group of pacifists with perspectives on values for survival, a passion for truth and justice, peace activism, conscientious objections, upbringing in the family, marriage traditions, land ownership, market gardening, visits to Dr. Bernard Jensen’s ranch in Escondido, California, and more. Vera’s mother Elizabeth (or Leeza) is a centenarian who with probing by Vera reveals the many facets of life of a struggling family showing what it means to be an active Doukhobor in the 20th century and beyond.

I was annoyed by the folksy English spelling of several Russian words, two of which were repeated by book reviewer Ron Verzuh. In my opinion these Russian words should have been properly transliterated according to the Library of Congress, or Oxford University Press standards — borshch (soup : not borsh, or borscht), pirogi (pierogi, filled tarts, turnovers, knish : not peerahee), and lekharka (female healer : not lyeekarka). (See more examples in: New Doukhobor Song Book, with CDs, May 28, 2013.)

Overall, this is a good read on the Doukhobors illustrated by excellent historic images, with special attention to Peter N. Maloff, the brave soul who has suffered for the cause of humanity. His truth was welcomed, but long overlooked by the general public. His granddaughter Vera has done a good turn by giving a voice to a nonkilling hero. Bolshoe spasibo, Vera. Many thanks!

If Peter Maloff was alive today, he would no doubt extend his anti-militarism call to include climate change, universal health care and drug programs for all, as well as urging all of us to make war a crime against humanity. Bolshoe spasibo (A big thank you), Peter! You were a visionary.

Fun fact: Maloff Spring*, Thrums, B.C. was named after Peter N. Malloff who first filed for a permit to use the water in 1956.

* 3 links to the Doukhobor Heritage website by Jonathan Kalmakoff.

More

• Vera Maloff, author, Catlin Press
• Vera Maloff, Facebook.   >> Access with a free account.
• Vera Maloff , Catlin Press, Facebook
• The Price of Freedom: A Book Review, by Sean Arthur Joyce, chameleonfire1 blog, November 18, 2021 
• Voykin, Wendy, Facebook-Doukhbors in Canada, April 17, 2021. — Photo: 'We were fortunate to have Vera Maloff, join us for a reading from her recent publication ‘Our Backs Warmed by the Sun. Regulations in Castlegar allowed only 10, but the discussion was lively. If you’ve not yet read this historical account, get your hands on a copy of the book: a great read.'
• Vera Maloff provides glimpse into Doukhobor history as one of two authors sharing local memoirs, The Castlegar Source, February 19, 2021. — Error: Vera Maloff is on the left.
• Verzuh, Ron. 1036 Kootenay Doukhobor family saga (archived), February 18, 2021 — Review: Our Backs Warmed By the Sun: Memories of a Doukhobor Life, by Vera Maloff. 'Doukhobor Diaspora: A family oral history offers an antidote to past misunderstandings about the Russian sect'. Recommended read. Shows 4 vintage photos used in book. Fails to specify and correct 'some factual errors (a wrong date, some confusion over locations)'. See Verzuh's 39-page 2014 article (PDF) below about Peter Maloff in Oregon.
• The tales of two women (archived), BC Booklook, February 11, 2021; also at Kootenay Scoop, Facebook — Oxygen Art Centre author readings in Nelson. ‘Vera Maloff was born in Nelson, and taught in the Kootenay Lake and Kootenay Columbia school districts for more than 30 years. She has remained active in the Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ [U.S.C.C., Community Doukhobor] functions, and has taught after-school Russian classes. One chapter in Our Backs Warmed by the Sun won first prize in the non-fiction category of the Kootenay Literary Competition.’
• An Interview with Vera Maloff, (22 minutes) Podcast by Craig Baird, Canadian History Ehx, January 2021.
• Author Q&A: “Our Backs Warmed by the Sun: Memories of a Doukhobor Life” (archived), December 13, 2020, British Columbia Historical Federation. — Monica Miller of Caitlin Press interviewed Vera Maloff whose essays have been published in the USCC Doukhobor magazine Iskra, in the West Kootenay Journal and in The New Orphic Review (archived, below).
• Kootenay author releases first-hand account of Doukhobor community, Trail Times, Black Press Media, Nov 10, 2020 — Vera Maloff is also publishing never-before-seen-photographs 
• Book Launch • Vera Maloff & Memories of a Doukhobor Life (offline), November 8, 2020. — Organized by Caitlin Press and Elephant Mountain Literary Festival for the launch of Vera Maloff's memoir. In a conversation with Anne DeGrace, Vera read from the collection and answered questions from the audience. Video is archived on YouTube (57 min, Vera starts at min. 4.)
• Retyunskikh, Albina. The granddaughter of a Doukhobor peace activist traces her family’s history of protest, Broadview, October 21, 2020.
• Catlin Press announcement: Our Backs Warmed by the Sun: Memories of a Doukhobor Life, by Vera Maloff  (offline July 2026), with links to order the book. Caitlin Press received financial support from the Government of Canada and the British Columbia Arts Council.
• Maloff, Vera. Let Them Go Their Way (archived), The New Orphic Review, Volume 20 Number 2, Fall 2017, pages 61-67. — She won the Kootenay Literary Competition for her creative non fiction story, 'Porto Rico' (Doukhobor Heritage website), about her family’s internment in the mountains of British Columbia in 1929. In this article "fellow Doukhobors" means "fellow Sons of Freedom."
• Schie, Sam Van. Kootenay Literary Competition award winners: This year's theme for the writing competition was "revolution" and the contest was open to writers across the East and West Kootenays, Nelson Star, January 23, 2013. — Vera Maloff – first place adult creative non-fiction (from Castlegar) for a chapter in Our Backs Warmed by the Sun.
• Literature’s Big Night (offline July 2026), Nelson Star, January 23, 2013, page 2. — Vera Maloff – first place adult creative non-fiction (from Castlegar) for a chapter in Our Backs Warmed by the Sun.
• Memoirs by Women-inTrades’ Kate Braid and The West Kootenay’s Vera Maloff featured at Zoom Author Reading Feb. 24 for Nelson, B.C.’s Oxygen Art Centre (archived), Kootenay Arts E-Bulletin, February 11, 2021.
• Verzuh, Ron. Oregon’s Doukhobors: The Hidden History of a Russian Religious Sect’s Attempts to Found Colonies in the Beaver State, BC Studies, no. 180, Winter 2013-2014, pages 43-81 — Posted on the Doukhobor Heritage website. Verzuh is a writer, historian and documentary filmmaker. 
• ‘An Animated Wrestler With Words and Deeds.’ In Koozma J. Tarasoff. Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers’ Strategies for Living (Ottawa: Legas and Spirit Wrestlers Publishing, 2002), pp. 45-49. — Concise biography of Peter N. Maloff. See also Errata updates online.
• Popoff, John A. History of the Anton S. and John A. Popoff Family, reproduced from 'Abbreviated History of the Canadian Doukhobors and the Role of it of the Anton Popoff Family', Saskatchewan Archives Board, John A. Popoff Collection, A562, on the Doukhobor Heritage website. — Shows photo of 4 boys at the 'Freedom Colony', Oregon, 1915.
• Vera Maloff’s main sources for her book were:
• Peter N. Maloff’s self-published Dukhobortsy, ikh istoria, zhizn’ i bor’ba (Thums, BC: 1948, 607 pp). Translated as Doukhobors, Their History, Life and Struggle. See 3 excerpts below.
• Interviews with Vera’s 100-year-old mother Elizabeth (Leeza) Hoodicoff, daughter of Peter N. Maloff (married Lusha Hoodicoff in 1919).
• 60 historic photos illustrating the life of the Doukhobor communities in Canada, which liberally appear throughout the book.
• Translations from Maloff, Peter N. Dukhobortsyikh istoria, zhizn’ i bor’ba (Thrums: 1948), on the Doukhobor Heritage website.
• New Materials from the Earliest History of the Doukhobor Sect, by Nikolai Gavrilovich Vysotsky
• Tambov Doukhobors on Trial in 1803, by I. Dubasov.
• More About the History of the Dukhobortsy of Kharkov Province, by Vladimir Ivanovich Savva.

What borshch means to me

As a comfort dish of many local culinary Slavic peoples, this soup dish is commonly made in a big pot to feed everybody for several days, and is often more delicious the next day.

Many Doukhobor and Mennonite websites talk about borshch (borsht, borshcht) as a popular dish amongst their population.

As I see it, borshch has become a world wide common dish with almost institutional qualities.

Because of their pacifist nonkilling stance, Doukhobor borshch was traditionally vegetarian, with dill, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, beets and butter being its most prominent ingredients. Today, 2018, only a small minority of Doukhobors are vegetarian, although those who make borshch make it without meat.

Most other non-Doukhobor borshch recipes often include meat as part of it although in the pioneering era, less than 10 percent of the population ate meat because it was largely not available and was expensive.

Borshch is utilitarian in that you could include almost any available vegetable that you have around and add meat if that is your preference. It’s cheap, available, communal and healthy. A universal dish! A similar soup was made in Roman times.

During the Soviet Union, borshch was the most common dish enjoyed at home and in restaurants. It was even used by Russian cosmonauts in freeze-dried form.

Borshch is a ritual dish for Orthodox, Greek, Roman Catholic and Jewish peoples in Eastern Europe. For Doukhobors, it is the first food served (without meat) at funerals.

In brief, for Doukhobors, borshch is a universal dish with Slavic heritage and communal roots, and is largely known for its association with hospitality, nonkilling and good health.

Thanks to our Russian ancestors who have for centuries made this delicacy a contribution to world culture, these are outstanding human qualities that society dearly needs today. Enjoy!

Bolshoe spasibo! [A Big thank you!]

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• Q84: What is the Origin of ‘borshch’?, Apr 12, 2018
• Q76: Correct Spelling of borshch?, 30 Nov 2016

Review: Canadian Doukhobor Foodways

This summer I was asked to peer review an article by a recent graduate of Simon Fraser University, B.C., Canada, who is now a graduate student at Oxford University, U.K., to be published in a British university journal. I did not know the student or the journal.

Shutek, Jennifer. ‘Though Undoubtedly Religious Fanatics, [they] have proved themselves good farmers' : Perceiving and Remembering the Canadian Doukhobors Through Foodways, HARTS & Minds: The Journal of Humanities and Arts, v.2, n.1, August 2014.

I was first offended by the title which presented Freedomites as Doukhobors. You know how I try to teach my readers that Doukhobors are not 'Religious Fanatics.' For over a century Freedomites have been falsely presented as Doukhobors. This seemed to be another example of name hijacking.

I emailed 9 corrections to the editors about misspellings, omissions, misunderstandings and incomplete explanations.

When I shared my note with webmaster Andrei Conovaloff, he found the article already posted on the HARTS & Minds website, and saw more errors. Only a few of my 9 corrections were used. Together we decided it would be best to post our own edited version of this article for people who now rely nearly entirely on the Internet for information. Many minor changes were needed.

Our revised article, Canadian Doukhobor Foodways, has a much shorter simple title, links to the original, edits and comments in red nest to original text, and links to nearly all the online references and technical words used. It presents a lesson in how easy it is to misinterpret literature while doing research. When possible a researcher should interview subjects.

The article is not bad for a college history senior. The mission of the journal HARTS & Mind is 'to give more postgraduate students a chance to have their work published, for their resume. Shutek did a good job listing 51 footnotes and 48 sources, giving a premise — 'delimiting communal boundaries, and in defining the Self and the Other' —, and describing how descendants of immigrants maintain their heritage through food. It appears that for convenience she selected her printed sources from one library and the rest from the Internet, which limited the scope of her paper.

We feel too much space was used trying to summarize a complicated, delicate history, which reduced space for the intent of the title — foodways. Of about 10 pages of text (2-11), 7 pages were mostly history which left 3 pages for discussing foodways and a conclusion.

Perhaps a better goal would be to compare foodways among several immigrant groups from Eastern Europe in Canada. But Ukrainians, Mennonites, Hutterites, Slavs, Bulgarians, Russians, etc., like Doukhobors, are not homogeneous groups. We all have many divisions, faiths, varied traditions, and people dispersed along a broad spectrum of isolation-integration-assimilation over time, which is difficult for an outsider to perceive.

A narrow approach would focus on one or a few food types. When searching for translations for sukhari (dried-bread), a variety of similar dried breads were found in many cultures. The same for pirogi and borshch. How these are spelled in English, preserved and altered, compared and contrasted, as heritage markers across immigrant groups and culture classes over time and generations, would be interesting research.

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Update: Since this was posted, I have received correspondence from both the author and editor, to which I replied on December 12, 2014, and attached at the bottom of Canadian Doukhobor Foodways.