Ozeroff Village - SOCIAL HISTORY OF BUILDING

BIBLIOGRAPHY SITE CONTENTS LOCATION MAP MEASURED DRAWINGS TEACHER'S CORNER ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION DESIGN TEAM HOME		Because the Doukhobors' lifestyle was based on a communal system, different customs, traditions, and architecture arose from it. Living arrangements were organized according to family groupings of two or three extended families, sharing one village (As Found Drawings p. 2). Everyone shared household duties, farm chores, and space. The main sleeping area was in the brick buildings, on the upper floor. The area was divided into eight small rooms, by a curtain instead of doors, and shared by two to three families. While children over the age of ten were placed in a different room. The furniture was simple, consisting only of a bed, tables, and chairs. The ground floor held the large communal living room and kitchen. The large living room was made up of benches that lined against the walls, with a large table at the centre (George Woodcock and Ivan Avakumovik. The Doukhobors. p. 235 ). At one time, over fifty villages existed in the Kooteney region; however, by the 1920's, the community system began to collapse (Frances Mark Mealing. Doukhobor Life: A Survey of Doukhobor Religion, History, and Folklife. p. 31). Families began to move out of the communal brick houses, choosing to build small single family cabins (Frances Mark Mealing. Doukhobor Life: A Survey of Doukhobor Religion, History, and Folklife. p. 31) . These new homes would possess Russian design traits, rather than the plain style that was encouraged in the communal houses. The cabins would also be built from logs in the stave style of building (Frances Mark Mealing. Doukhobor Life: A Survey of Doukhobor Religion, History, and Folklife. p. 31). Before their communal life fell apart, the Doukhobors led a very organized life that was based on their religion. Living in a village gave one the community ability to be self-sufficient. Produce from their farms and orchards fed them, brick from their brick factory built buildings, and the wood from their sawmill became an invaluable resource. The Doukhobors' life was based on a patriarch system, as the men were the ones that left to make money outside their community, while the wives and children worked in the village. Although the women, elderly, and children maintained the farms, orchards, and household, the men were still the head of the community. #C_01624 British Columbia Archives

Last updated 31 August 1998. This digital collection was produced under contract to the Canada's Digital Collections Program, Industry Canada. Produced by Canada's Digital Collections Team. Content provided by BC Heritage Trust and Heritage Branch, Province of British Columbia.