Articles from the Popular Press

Contemporary newspaper account of the arrival and welcome extended to the first party of CPR-sponsored Russian immigrants to arrive in Alberta from Manchuria. (A fraction of this and subsequent groups went on to found the Old Believer congregation in the Hines Creek/Fairviev area.)

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Starting with a sketch of Old Believer history in Russia and China, (including a remarkably sympathetic view of Old Believer conflict with communism and collectivization), this popular Russian magazine goes on to describe the Old Believer group which ended up in Alaska after sojourns in South America and Oregon. The generally upbeat description encompasses houses, farms, family life, commercial fishing, subsistence activities, and political views. Abridged from the weekly "Ekho Planety."

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Short description of how to make a flower design using Russian punchneedle embroidery as practiced by Old Believer immigrants to the United States. The pattern is taken from a larger pattern that is a traditional Old Believer design. Photo.

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Probably the first substantial reporting about Oregon Old Believers to appear in the local press, this article illuminates both the early life of the Old Believers in Oregon and the concerns of the host society around them. The authors (both employees of the Valley Migrant League, a social service organization for farm workers) touch on the group's history, travels, appearance, work habits and financial prospects, and attempt to explain their relation to the Molokan residents of the area. Several photographs.

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In its Religion section, Time magazine reports briefly on the transit of 82 Old Believers from Hong Kong through Los Angeles and on to settlement in Brazil, courtesy of the World Council of Churches and the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration. The article presents a brief history of Old Believers in China and Russia, setting the total number remaining in China at 1,055, and in Hong Kong -- 444. Includes photo of Old Believers on the tarmac at Los Angeles airport.

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Brown alumna Kane presents a gentle sketch of the Woodburn Old Believer community, touching thoughtfully on themes of identity, relations with outsiders, the imminent rule of Antichrist, straying from and returning to the community. Photos by Manuel Cuotemoc Malle.

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The authors present a short obituary and tribute to Old Believer iconographer Pimen Sofronov. Born in 1899 in an Old Believer village in Estonia, Sofronov studied under [Gavriil Yefimovich] Frolov, taught and practiced iconography in Europe, survived revolution and two world wars, and eventually moved to the United States in 1947. His work enhances many American mainstream Orthodox churches. Two black and white photos.

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Color plate XV of this survey of Pennsylvania contains two photos of Erie Old Believers in traditional dress. Although the photos are clearly posed, and Holdeman reports that in real life the subjects only wore their "Russian clothes" to religious services, the photos nevertheless document useful details of personal appearance and clothing construction.

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More than other short works, this pamphlet focuses on the early history of the Russian church, the schism, and the various Old Believer ecclesiastical hierarchies. This is followed by an account of the three groups of Old Believers who ended up in Oregon in the 1960s, with a brief description of their economic, social, and educational activities. Available online at the Columbia Basin Ethnic History Archive.

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Five color photographs of the Oregon Old Believer community accompany three pargraphs of very basic description of the group.

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One paragraph about the granting of US asylum to Turkish Old Believers. Includes photo of an unidentified woman with children and luggage.

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This four-paragraph article in Newsweek's Religion section puts the number of Old Believers in China at 600, with another 249 already in Hong Kong, waiting for their co-religionists to join them and for relocation to Brazil. Photo of unidentified Old Believer man.

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This is easily the single most cited work in this bibliography. Thirty years later it is still a pleasure to read and an excellent source of photos (by Charles O'Rear). The graceful text gives a sympathetic description of the village and people of Nikolaevsk only four years after the first Russian homes were built there. Reardon presents a short history of the settlers' lives before settlement in Nikolaevsk, with stories of Manchuria, Brazil and Oregon. and sketches the outlines of family, religious and economic life in the new Alaska setting.

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Rieben provides a breezy account of the queries, classes and events which resulted in the first large naturalization ceremony for US Old Believers, held in Anchor Point, Alaska, in 1975

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Scheffel presents a popular history of the Old Believer movement and outlines the various migrations that underlie the two Old Believer villages founded in Alberta in the 1970s and 1980s. His description of Old Believer life in Alberta dwells mainly on economic activities. Scheffel devotes much space to discussing Canadian multiculturalism in theory and practice. Detmar Schmoll's color photos provide an exceptional record of the dress and personal appearance of children and adults.

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Amherst alumna Julie de Sherbinin stands out from other observers by the breadth of her travels. Her article presents anecdotes and observations from a one-year trip to Old Believer villages in Australia, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Canada, Oregon, and Alaska.

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The author, a self-described "Russian of advanced thought", paints a decidedly mixed portrait of contemporary (1914) life among the estimated 1,000 Old Believers in the north part of Allegheny County. He dwells mainly on economic life (the horrors of mine and mill work, the economics of taking in boarders), ecclesiastical affairs, and personal appearance. Sokoloff praises the Old Believers for their hospitality, generosity, kindness and readiness for hard work, but decries the community's widespread drunkeness, squalor, and disorganization, as well as the common attitude that America is just a place to earn money in preparation for returning "home" to Poland. He calls on other "enlightened Russians" to take on the task of teaching the Old Believers to adopt American forms of civic life.

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This publication of the national Council of Churches in Christ reports on a group of 82 Old Believers who flew from Hong Kong to Los Angeles and then embarked by ship for South America. This was the first contingent of a total of 492 Old Believers preparing to leave Hong Kong for Brazil, where 6,000 acres of "almost virgin" land awaited them. The report outlines the money, supplies and support provided to the Old Believers by Church World Services and the World Council of Churches. Includes photo of 20 or so Old Believers deplaning in Los Angeles.

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Tapestry weaver Todd-Hooker briefly describes embroidery found on the clothing and household textiles of the Oregon Old Believers, basing most of her description on items dating from the 1980s and 1990s. She describes embellishments worked with machine embroidery, punch-needle and long-and-short stitch ( no mention of the older black-and-red cross-stitch work). The article includes excellent color photographs of belts, embroidery and podruchniki (identified as "kneelers").

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Todd-Hooker's description of the dress of the Oregon Old Believers (as observed in the 1980s and 1990s) includes notes on terminology, fabric, cut, ornamentation and significance of the garments described. She pays special attention to belts (poyas), describing the social and religious role they play and listing various belt-weaving techniques. The excellent color photographs record plaited, knotted, card-woven, warp pick-up and "potainoi" belts, as well as weaving equipment and some clothing.

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Russian journalist Zharinov reports on the appearance, living conditions, history, relations with outsiders, and domestic economy of the residents of Anufrievka, an Old Believer village of about 20 houses located a few hours from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Photos add details of costume, interiors and natural setting.

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