Particularly noted in the covering article in ISKRA No.120, were exceptional performances by the Grand Forks Men’s Choir and the youth choir from the Christovoye Local in Grand Forks.
So enthusiastic was the general response to this gathering, that it was unanimously agreed that a similar type
of event should be held annually, and that the next one
should take place in Grand Forks.
In 1947, the Union of Youth Council consisted of
three people – Paul G. Samsonoff (Chairman), Eli A.
Popoff (Secretary), and William E. Kootnekoff, member. (Throughout the first part of the year the post of
Secretary was filled by Margaret Samoyloff, who found
it necessary to resign mid-term.)
William Kootnekoff had been instrumental in organizing the U.S.C.C. Male Choir yet in 1945, and on May
5, 1947 this choir participated in the Kootenay Festival in Trail, BC. It was at this Festival that the thought
came to William that it would be a wonderful thing if
the Doukhobor youth could put on a similar annual
event of their own, and upon his return from Trail, he
passed on this notion to his two colleagues on the Union
of Youth Council.
At the Annual Convention of the Union of Youth,
held on November 30-December 1, 1947, the concept of
an annual festival was placed on the agenda. This resulted in a formal decision being made that each season’s activity would hence
forth culminate in a
yearly festival featuring
the cultural work of the
Union of Youth, and
showing the progress
each of the locals had
made throughout
the season. A system
was devised, whereby
certificates would be
awarded to those locals
and individual members who demonstrated
special merit in their efforts during their Festival participation.
On February 27, 1948,
another “mini-festival”
was held in Ootischenia, similar to the one
held at Easter time the
previous year, but this
time only Kootenay Locals took part (a kind
of “predecessor” to future Talent Nights), and the first
actual Festival was slated to take place at the Sirotskoye
Meeting Home in Grand Forks on March 28-29, 1948.
Unfortunately, this historic, ornate structure was destroyed by arson just a week or so prior to the scheduled
event. So strong was the momentum for the Festival, however, that a volunteer work party of over a hundred men from both areas, working feverishly, cleaned up and adapted for use as a meeting hall, the abandoned but large old C.C.U.B. community blacksmith shop which stood below the Fructova School, next to the old brick works and clay pit.
Although located in an unlikely “auditorium”, the first
annual U.S.C.C. Union of Youth Festival took place as
scheduled, and with spectacular success!
No one at the time suspected that the first Festival
would be followed by 59 more such events, and that they
would be held, not in an old “blacksmith shop”, but in
beautiful, modern Community Centres of the Union of
Spiritual Communities of Christ, and they would be acclaimed throughout the land, and even overseas...
D. E. (Jim) Popoff
(Ed. Note: For additional information and numerous
historic photos about the USCC Union of Youth Festivals
over the past six decades, see the program booklets from
the 40th and 50th Annual Festivals (1987 and 1997), as
well as ISKRA issues from those years.)
Re-printed for ISKRA article on the 60th anniversary, by permission.
