Leo Tolstoy - Peter Verigin Correspondence

From time to time Verigin informed his mentor about practical aspects of Doukhobor communal life on the Prairies, the refusal by some to take an oath of allegiance to the King in order to obtain the title to their homesteads (oaths were against Doukhobor philosophy), subsequent loss of land, and the relocation of those dispossessed to a communally acquired parcel in the interior of British Columbia. The climate being warmer in British Columbia, some Doukhobors hoped to switch to horticulture, thus eliminating the necessity of using domestic animals for farm work. Verigin occasionally supplied Tolstoy with relevant data and financial statements about the economic growth of the Doukhobor colonists both on the Prairies and in British Columbia. He sometimes had words of praise for the Doukhobors' success in economic endeavours and their determination, dedication to principle, good behaviour and love of hard work. Finally, Verigin met his good friend in person during a trip to Russia in 1906. The Russian authorities saw Tolstoy's influence on the Doukhobors and their leader as detrimental to the state's goals, and tried at different times and in various ways to minimize it. It is not surprising, therefore, that their letters were occasionally not delivered on time; or misdirected, misplaced, intercepted by the police; or reported lost in the mail.

Judging by the samples that are reproduced in the book, the letters show idiosyncrasies of spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation and style of both writers. Since various reproductions of Tolstoy manuscripts are readily available, a few words should be mentioned here about Verigin's command of the written language. He is generally up to the task, even in the relatively difficult system of Russian prerevolutionary orthography. One notices only small occasional errors, lapses in punctuation and syntax, and a few corrections, perhaps upon the advice of someone who knew the language better.

John Woodsword's translation into English is professional. There are occasional misprints in both texts but on the whole the printers and the proof readers did their job well. Both forms: dukhobory and dukhobortsy are used, depending on the writer; the first form was preferred by Tolstoy, the second by the Doukhobors. The Province of Saskatchewan (p. 68B) did not officially exist in 1904: see the cancellation stamp on the envelope reading "Assiniboia."

All those who were involved in the preparation and publication of this volume should be commended for their worthwhile and timely contribution to this area of scholarship.

Victor O. Buyniak, University of Saskatchewan

Copyright Canadian Assosciation of Slavists Sep-Dec 1999
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