Recent News and Website Updates      

Cultural Interpretive Society Donates Quilts to Talarico Place  - Posted Aug. 2, 2015
View photo and letter of thanks ...

USCC Cultural Interpretive Society Artwalk Display 2015 -
Posted June 23, 2015
This year's CIS Art Walk exhibit at the Railway Station Museum in Castlegar features Doukhobor bridal fashions from the late 1800s to the 1970s.



Included in the display is an explanation of each costume and time period, as well as a sample of the traditional "hope chest" prepared by young brides-to-be and their mothers. The setting also includes a table with the Bread, Salt and Water, and the significance of these items in formal Doukhobor ceremonies.

We invite everyone to enjoy Artwalk 2015!   View our Artwalk Web Page...


New Webpage - The Making of a Cedar Hope Chest  -
Posted April 20, 2015
View Article by Sara Kinakin in our Cultural Preservation Section ...

New CIS Website Photo Slideshow - Verigin Family Heirlooms -
Posted January 12, 2015
A display of Doukhobor heritage heirlooms belonging to the Verigin family featured at a public exhibition at the Brilliant Cultural Centre.  View Photo Slideshow ...

2014 Castlegar Art Walk - Lace Enhancements -
Posted January 12, 2015
Doukhobor handcrafted artifacts represent a significant tradition of skills brought by our ancestors from Russia. Although more recent handicrafts may have been inspired by published patterns, these heritage pieces showcase the unique talent of the Doukhobors. Some of the earliest crocheting was used as edgings and borders on woolen "zanaveski" (aprons) and bed linens, as well as inserts for miscellaneous linens and camisoles. After the 1940s, crocheted doilies, tablecloths and runners became very popular. Other household linens such as tea towels, aprons and pillowcases also had beautiful crocheted edgings.

Now, many vintage Doukhobor crocheted doilies are incorporated into creative projects as embellishments for clothing, quilts, quilted table runners, shopping bags and art pieces. The Doukhobor Cultural Interpretive Society's submission for ArtWalk 2014 was an exhibit of vintage crocheted art as well as ideas for upcycling these treasures.

As a participant in the Castlegar Arts Council 2014 summer Art Walk (June 23-Sept 14), the USCC Cultural Interpretive Society's contribution was displayed at the Castlegar CPR Train Station Museum, 400-13th Avenue, Castlegar, B. C.




2014 Union of Youth Festival Display “Wedding Attire, Past to Present” -
Posted Jan.12, 2015
The USCC Cultural Interpretive Society believes that our Doukhobor heritage is unique and irreplaceable. Over the last decade, through the generosity of our many donors, we have acquired heritage clothing and various fibre arts items. Through this legacy of physical artifacts, we hope that present and future Do  ukhobor generations value the importance of preserving and displaying items from our past - a valuable learning experience!

The display presentation at the festival in May was “Wedding Attire – Past to Present.”
The featured bridal outfits date from the late 1800's to 2012.




Mir Centre For Peace Quilt - Lecture Series Endowment
Selkirk College, Castlegar, B.C. -
Posted January 12, 2015

Inspired by the “tree” graphic in the fundraising campaign pamphlet, Selkirk College and the USCC Cultural Interpretive Society (CIS) established a partnership to recognize the first 100 donations of $100.00 or more made to the Lecture Series Endowment fund at Selkirk College. CIS volunteers, Joy, Paullette, Mary and Verna created an artistic wallhanging with the contributor's names machine embroidered on individual leaves producing a three dimensional image. This “quilt” was unveiled at the MIR Centre at Selkirk College on January 23, 2014.

The Mir Centre for Peace attracts people who have a vision about peace. The Lecture Series will bring inspiring regional and international speakers to our area, promoting cultures of peace in our community and globally. Help us inspire others to build lives of Peace. (from Selkirk College promotional brochure)

Learning in Retirement -
Posted June 3, 2013
On May 8, 2013, the Cultural Interpretive Society hosted a group of approximately 30 seniors from Nelson's Learning In Retirement program on their field trip to become better acquainted with the Doukhobor culture. They toured the Brilliant Cultural Centre first, including the ISKRA office and the Children's Preschool and were exceedingly pleased to see the bread-making in progress. Many came away with loaves of fresh baked bread! They then proceed on to the USCC Doukhobor Arts and Crafts Centre where they visited the Kootenay Men's Group in the woodworking area and the Cultural Interpretive Society to see the various fibre arts projects. It was an educational and very enjoyable time for everyone involved.


CIS speaker Nell Plotnikoff

Doukhobor Women's Hope Chests and Hand Crafts 1850-2000 -
Posted May 8, 2013
Article by Dorothy Popoff  View web page ...

Guatemala 2012 -
posted April 19, 2013
Selkirk College Nursing students in Guatemala  Read more ...

Shoreacres Community 2012 Centennial Celebration  -
Posted April 15, 2013
Read more ...


In Memory of Mabel Verigin Raffle - Posted March 29, 2013
On March 9, 2013, the CIS held a special raffle with a tribute to a talented woman who emphasized the importance of preserving traditional Doukhobor fibre art skills. Mabel Verigin (1935 – 2010) was a great ambassador to this cause.
Read about Mabel ...

The winners of the handcrafted raffle items were:
- Audrey Repin - first prize – quilt made by Mabel's niece Dianne Bonderoff
- John D'Arcangelo – second prize – quilted jacket made by Mabel
- Vicki Matthews – third prize – vest, sewn and embellished by Mabel
- Victor Relkoff – consolation prize – rug, (no photo) woven by Mabel In Mabel's memory.


The proceeds of this raffle will fund a decorative quilt wall rack to be built at the CIS to display the many quilts that the volunteers make today.

   

Mount Sentinel Secondary School Interact Club Oaxaca, Mexico
Posted March 29, 2013  Read more ...

 

Rotary Club Auction and Raffle - Posted March 29, 2013  Read more ...

 

Bags of Love - Posted March 29, 2013  Read more ...

 

Knitting a Traditional Doukhobor Heel - Posted March 20, 2013  View webpage ...

 

Common Threads - A New Series of Photos in our Web Gallery Featuring Traditional Russian Textile Craft - Posted May 8, 2012   View slideshow ...

Chevron Quilt donated to West Kootenay Friends of Refugees
Posted April 25, 2012  Read more ...

Selkirk College - Slippers for MIR Peace Centre, Castlegar, BC
Posted April 22, 2012   Read more ...

Heritage Clothing on Loan - Posted January 23, 2012
Original Doukhobor Heritage Clothing Available to Community Members
Link to Cultural Preservation Section


Glade Centennial Celebration CIS Exhibit -
Posted January 23, 2012
Members of the Cultural Interpretive Society were pleased to take part in a historic event in July, 2011 at the invitation of the community of Glade.  Photos and more information

 

Continued support to RCMP Victim Services Program -
Updated Jan 23, 2012

Leanna Kozak, Program Manager of the RCMP Victim Services shared information with members of the Cultural Interpretive Society about the Victim Services program which has been in operation since September 1993. The mandate of the program is to offer assistance to individuals and families who have suffered from or witnessed a crime and/or trauma, and inform them of their rights under the Victim of Crime Act. The services provided are: emotional support, referrals to community agencies, giving information about the justice system and the police investigation, court orientation and accompaniments, assistance filling in Crime Victim Assistance applications and Victim Impact Statements, and providing crime prevention information.

The Cultural Interpretive Society serves as a liaison between Tillie Howe, a local senior, who crochets afghans for "people who need them," the individuals who would find comfort in an item made by someone who cares. Leanna Kozak accepts these afghans from Tillie to be given to individuals, often children, for emotional support in traumatic situations.



Women's Handkerchiefs in Doukhobor Culture
- P
osted April 23, 2011

Traditional Doukhobor Fashion article -
Women's Handkerchiefs in Doukhobor Culture

- by Dmitri (Jim) Popoff     Read article ...

 


 




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