I humbly offer my thoughts in review of this book on the facebook page of Dournovo Family in North America which describes the earliest days of Orest Dournovo and his faithful wife Sasha (Alexandra).
The chronological story line reflects a military/aristocratic Russian lifestyle with estates, importance of family life, educational emphasis, religious passion, nurtured friendships, military engagements, and relations with labourers working their land.
Orest was different than most people. He was intelligent, compassionate, and passionate about his faith. Sasha also understood and embraced his religious views.
As I read the story, I reflected on Merry Fowlers, Ever Eastward, Ever Hopeful (see: https://therussianrefugees.ca/?p=697 ). It has a similar Russian chronology. She described lives of the Andriev/Sidorov families. They were the mushiks (peasants) who worked for landowners like Orest. Her story reveals a stark contrast between the two families, but their descendants succeed in both living in a classless and for the most part, a prosperous Canada.
Early in the book we are told (pg.41) Orest sees the need for land reform in Russia as early as 1900-1903 (this is conjecture because milestone dates are seldom offered). He ensures the report gets into the hands of the Czar who copies it to his administrative personnel. Sadly, Orest laments nothing is done. However, in 1906, the Czar facing increasing civic hostility after losing a war with Japanese, advises his Prime Minister Stolypin, to open up the East with land grants and other incentives to ease the tension in the cities. (See The Russian Refugees by Michael Andruff pg 13). The Andriev/Sidorov’s gave up their ancestral home in Staraya, Russa and headed East. They too travelled by the famed Trans-Siberian Railway landing eventually in Bardagon. Their allotted land was further down the Zeya River. In 1908 they called their community after their ancestral city Novgorod, it became Novgorodka. From serfs to landowners in 1908!
Orest and Sasha’s life was filled with peaceful servitude. They are kind and giving. By Divine Enlightenment or otherwise, I was in wonderment how uniquely poised Orest was to get to Harbin (the Eastern outpost of Russian expats), make connections with the Canadian Government, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), and Serge Ughet, the financial attache and the charge d’affairs in Washington, DC for the Russian imperial, and provisional governments. His administrative reach was second to none.
My observation was that he was unnecessarily reproached by some of his own people who he had brought to the freedom of Canada. These were callous individuals. The CPR handled the situation for their best interest by moving the Dournovo family to Calgary where he could continue to work at bringing more Russian refugees to Canada.
I have stated publicly, and I firmly believe after reading Family Kaleidoscope, that Orest Dournovo in his saintly manner, deserves to be recognized as a Canadian hero. He saved lives as was the case with Oskar Schindler. I recommend the Dournovo Family advocate to the Government of Canada to promote the idea of Public Recognition of Orest Dournovo as a Provider of Freedom to hundreds of Russian refugees whose families now enjoy their good lives as free Canadians.
I thank Marie von Rosenbach for her informative and enlightening story of Old Russia.
Digital copy see:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GBG8fxgkkb-xK2EMuHEZIrbAyVpnLx8e/view?usp=drive_link