Peter Verigin | |
---|---|
Born |
Peter Vasilevich Verigin July 12, 1859 Slavyanka, Azerbaijan |
Died | October 29, 1924 Kettle Valley Railway Farron, British Columbia, Canada |
(aged 65)
Cause of death | Killed by a bomb explosion while traveling on Canadian Pacific Railway |
Resting place | Brilliant, British Columbia (near Castlegar) |
Nationality | Russian |
Occupation | Spiritual leader of the Community Doukhobors |
Term | 1887-1924 |
Predecessor | Lukerya Vasilyevna Kalmykova (née Gubanova) |
Successor | Peter Petrovich Verigin |
Spouse(s) |
(1) Evdokia Georgievna Verigina (neé Kotelnikova); (2) Anastasia F. Golubova (also spelt Holuboff) (1885-1965) |
Children | Peter Petrovich Verigin |
Parent(s) | Vasily Verigin and Anastasia V. Verigina (1817-1905) |
(1) Evdokia Georgievna Verigina (neé Kotelnikova);
Peter Vasilevich Verigin (Russian: Пётр Васильевич Веригин) often known as Peter "the Lordly" Verigin (July 12 [O.S. June 29] 1859 - October 29, 1924) was a Russian philosopher, activist and leader of the Community Doukhobors in Canada.
Peter Vasilevich Verigin was born on July 11 [O.S. June 29] 1859, in the village of Slavyanka in Elisabethpol Governorate of Russian Empire. The village, located in the north-west of what is today the Republic of Azerbaijan, was one of the settlements founded by the Doukhobors, a large sect of communally living peasants, exiled to the Transcaucasia from Ukraine and southern Russia in the 1840s. His father, Vasily Verigin, was an illiterate, but reportedly rich peasant, who, once elected a village headman, "showed himself a real despot".
June 29 happens to be the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Although the Doukhobors don't venerate saints per se, this day - often known as St. Peter's Day (Russian: Петров день) is still a traditional day of celebration, and thus it may have been the case that young Verigin was named after St. Peter.
Peter was one of seven brothers. His four older brothers did not study anything at all, but Peter and two other brothers, Vasily and Grigory, were home-schooled, at least to the extent of learning to read and write. There were no formal schools in Doukhobor villages at the time.
At quite a young age, Peter Verigin married Evdokia Georgievna Kotelnikova. In 1882, soon after his marriage, while his wife was expecting their first child (Peter P. Verigin), he started working as a secretary and administrative assistant for the leader of the Transcaucasian Doukhobors, Lukerya Vasilyevna Gubanova (born 18??—died December 15, 1886; Russian: Лукерья Васильевна Губанова). Lukerya Gubanova was the widow of the community's previous leader, Peter Kalmykov and was also known as Kalmykova, by her late husband's surname.