Vancouver BC Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor 1924

Vancouver, British Columbia, Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor, 1924

Very many of the details of the history of Holy Resurrection Sobor Russian Orthodox Sobor in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, are taken from the memoirs of Anatole Efimovich Portnoff, who arrived in Vancouver just after the formation of the community.

"No man is an island, entire of itself" is the beginning of a poem by John Donne. The same is to be said about each Christian and about each Christian community. The beginning of the Russian Orthodox parish of Holy Resurrection (and its whole history) are an expression of this fact. Its interior life has always been inter-woven with the events (local, national and foreign) of the current time. The historical recollection of this, and every parish community, is best read with this fact in mind. Indeed, each Christian community is a local and visible expression of what the Apostle Paul writes about concerning the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12.

Prehistory (1792-1917)

In July of 1792, Captain George Vancouver dropped the ship Discovery’s anchor a few kilometres south of the site of what now is known as the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He sailed northwards in order to explore the west coast, turned to the east at the cliffs of today’s Point Grey and he travelled down the inlet and through the First Narrows into the future Inner Harbour of Burrard Inlet. This constituted the discovery of the site of the future city of Vancouver.

In 1793, the Russian Empress Catherine the Great decided to begin missionary work in Alaska, and 1 year later, a group of 10 Russian monks arrived on Kodiak Island and established the “American Mission” as a part of the Diocese of Irkutsk, in Siberia. Amongst those missionaries was the monk Herman, the future Saint Herman, Elder and Wonder-worker of Alaska. He was to be the first recognised and glorified (canonised) saint of North America.

Some 50 years earlier, Captains Vitus J Bering and Alexei I Chirikov discovered Alaska and brought it into the Russian Empire. The discovery had opened the way for the beginning of the rapacious fur-traders ("promyshlenniki") to exploit the new territory. Two of these businessmen, however, understood the need to open the way for the local people to encounter the Orthodox Christian Faith. Therefore Grigory Shelikov and Ivan Golikov appealed to the Holy Synod in Saint Petersburg that a missionary be sent to these lands. Rather, the Empress Catherine II directed that a team of missionaries be sent. Metropolitan Gabriel (Petrov) sent 10 monks (priests, deacons, layman), and they arrived in 1794. The monks and priest-monks brought the Orthodox Christian Faith, and they also began to protect the vulnerable native people from the very abusive exploitation of the fur-traders. The missionary outreach was typically one of passive and constructive presence, rather than one of aggression and force.

During the next 70 years, the Orthodox Mission in Alaska started to bear the fruits of its work. By 1860, the indigenous Orthodox population numbered about 12,000 souls. In 1844, the recently-ordained Bishop Innocent (Veniaminov) of Kamchatka and the Kuril and Aleutian Islands, sanctified the Cathedral of Saint Michael in Sitka (which he had built), and there were 50 native priests participating. This was the future Saint Innocent (Veniaminov) of Alaska, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Metropolitan of Moscow, and Enlightener of North America.

The Russian entrepreneurs travelled the coastline extensively and some of them eventually settled in San Francisco. They acquired some holdings on the Russian River, 129 km (80 mi) to the north of that city and, in 1812, they built a chapel to Saint Helen in the place, which is now known as Fort Ross.

During that period, and in the early days of the colony in Victoria, their ships stopped occasionally in Victoria.

The settlement of Vancouver began only in the 1860s. Following this came 2 periods of gold-prospecting, first in the interior of British Columbia, and then in Yukon. Very few Orthodox persons were yet in the region, and they were not necessarily permanent residents. The time was not yet ripe for the beginning of Orthodox worship.

Eastern Canada had begun to receive some Syrian immigrants in the 1870s. However, there began the rapid immigration after 1890 of many people from Eastern Europe and Greece to the central-western regions of Canada, yet few reached Vancouver. However, in 1895, the first Orthodox Church in Seattle, Washington (only 242 km or 150 mi south from Vancouver) was sanctified by Bishop Tikhon (Belavin).

Bishop Tikhon also sent the Archpriest Dmitry Kamnev from Seattle to the North-West Territories (after 1905, Alberta) in 1897 in order to serve the newly-arrived settlers. Father Dmitry served the first Divine Liturgy in Western Canada, and he baptised and married very many of these settlers. Vladyka Tikhon also visited later, and by 1906 there were already 18 Temples constructed and functioning in the prairie provinces. In 1907, the parish of Saints Peter and Paul was founded in Montréal, Québec. During this time, there were also established Orthodox Temples to serve those of Greek, Arabic, Romanian, Bulgarian, and Serbian nationality. By 1916, a vicar-bishop, Bishop Alexander (Nemolovsky), had been sent to Winnipeg, Manitoba, in order to oversee Canadian Church life.

Immediately after World War I, the immigration to the West Coast of Orthodox faithful of different ethnic backgrounds, besides Russians, increased. The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 also helped, linking Vancouver with Europe. By that time, the Orthodox population in the city had grown substantially but was not yet able to establish an organised Christian community.

The disaster of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917 sent very many more Russians abroad, this time into exile. Many of these would come to Vancouver at different times through the Russian Far East.

The parish is established, 1924 ; Archimandrite Antonin (Pokrovsky)

Finally, Russian Orthodox Christian worship in Vancouver began with the arrival of Archimandrite Antonin (Pokrovsky) on 14 September, 1924. The very first Divine Service was held at the YMCA. After the service, a meeting of Russian Orthodox people took place, which decided to establish an Orthodox parish in Vancouver, and to rent a house for a temporary Temple and priest’s residence. This parish came to be founded within the Archdiocese of Canada of The Orthodox Church in America.

An organising committee was elected : Nikolai Romar (Romanian), Alexander Shipunov and Vladimir Pitalyov, with 2 alternates : Vladimir Kazansky and Frank Styler. A couple of days later, Father Antonin was introduced to Mr. M I Aivazov, and Father Antonin asked him to help the Russian community, which was very small and poor and could not afford by itself to decorate the Temple and maintain the priest. Mr. Aivazov (a former citizen of Russia) agreed willingly to help his compatriots ; and together with Father Antonin, they started the search for the right house.

Archimandrite (later Bishop) Antonin (Pokrovsky)

Land purchase, fundraising, 1924

After viewing many houses, they chose one with a big enough plot, on 7th Avenue. A mortgage was taken out for $2,500. The Russian community could not afford the down payment of $200, and Mr. Aivazov donated the sum. Further funds were needed for repairs and decorations. Mr. Aivazov and Father Antonin asked the mayor for permission to conduct a one-day collection in the streets of Vancouver; and after much red tape, permission was granted. Mrs. Aivazov undertook to organise the collection, and under her energetic direction, $468 was collected. This sum sufficed to refurbish the house and keep the Temple functioning for a year.

In 1925, Mrs. Aivazov staged a concert at the Hotel Vancouver, starring the Russian Choir and the choreographer B G Novikov. The concert was a great success, artistically and financially : it brought the parish $571. The Greek community welcomed this undertaking. Mr. Bancroft managed to dispose the Greeks in favour of the parish community, and they paid Father Antonin to perform sacraments for them, thus providing him with some means of existence. Mrs. A Todos, the sister of Mr. Bancroft, organised a bazaar that brought the church $425. With these funds, the parish entered the second year of its life. Such financial straitness is not uncommon in the history of most parish communities, and the Holy Resurrection parish would face the same challenge repeatedly in the future. Nevertheless, the Lord has always provided what was necessary.

Establishment of the Ladies’ Auxiliary (sisterhood), 1924

The Ladies’ Auxiliary was formed right at the beginning. Its functions have included fundraising bazaars (held once or twice a year), banquets, and general cleaning up of the church. In the 1980s, the name was changed to the “Sisterhood of the Myrrh-bearing Women”. The sisterhood had its own executive council, held its own meetings, and it turned all assets over to the parish council.

Orthodox Brotherhood, 1925

On 15 November, 1925, the Greco-Russian Orthodox Brotherhood was established in association with the church. However, the selection of the Brotherhood Council proved to be problematic, and the result was a disturbance. Eventually, a new council was elected ; and after some adjustments, peace returned.

The year 1926 was one of hard work for the council and executive. By the end of the year, the financial situation of the parish was rectified. By 1928, the mortgage was nearly paid off, and the decision was made to build a new Temple.

The cornerstone, 1928

On 25 November, 1928, a prayer service (moleben) was held on the occasion of the laying of the cornerstone of the new Temple dedicated to the memory of the Dedication of the Holy Resurrection Temple in Jerusalem.

Archimandrite Antonin (Pokrovsky) blesses the cornerstone, 1928

At the time when the building was completed, the parish had grown to some 80 families.

The most outstanding donors towards the construction were Mr. And Mrs. Aivazov, Mr. Bancroft and Mrs. Todos.

The organisers of the worship were : Mrs. Dakserhof, Mr. Hondurov, Mr. and Mrs. Nedzvetsky, Mr. and Mrs. Pytalov, Mr. Babok, Mr. And Mrs. Grigoriev, Mr. Ivanitsky, Mrs. Pashkovsky, and, in particular, Mr. S M Loshchinsky, who, over 1926-1928, missed 3-4 services at most, and served for free as singer and church warden.

Holy Resurrection Church 1928-1954

The Temple was maintained mostly with funds donated by Mr. Aivazov and other local benefactors, as well as by the parishioners.

In a 4-year period, the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was served several times by Bishop Theophil (Pashkovsky) of Chicago and Bishop Arseny (Chahovtsov) of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Temple itself was founded with the blessing of Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of All America and Canada.

The blueprint for the new church was approved by the Metropolitan with this written comment :

 20 June, 1928.  Should, with God’s help, the Holy Resurrection Church be erected in Vancouver following this 
 plan I have scrutinised, it will be a great joy not just for Vancouver, but for the entire Russian Church in 
 America and Canada.  

 In the article that appeared in 'The Vancouver Sun' on 24 November, 1928, the members of the building committee are listed as : 
 M I Aivazov – Chairman 
 Archimandrite Antonin Pokrovsky – Vice Chairman 
 S M Loshchinsky – Secretary 
 N P Abramov ; A A Alikhan ; M P Bancroft ; Y I Fetisov ; S Ryumkin ; M K Vodotyko ; N I Zotov.  

This certificate/testimony from the 1928 corner-stone would be enclosed yet again in the new corner-stone to the left of the main entrance to the present-day Holy Resurrection Church at 75 East 43rd Avenue, testified by Archpriest Peter Kurzemnek (rector), M S Sergeyev (Chairman of the Russian Orthodox Society (ROS)), E P Rozvalyayev (Warden), L A Krivtsov (ROS Secretary), A Y Adamovich (ROS Treasurer).

In that year, the old house was moved to the back of the plot, and the new Temple was built on the street-corner. Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky) of All America and Canada, took part in the Service of Laying the Cornerstone. A solemn service was conducted with a great flock of worshippers.

Construction completed, 1929

The construction proceeded at a fast pace, and it was completed by the end of 1929. The interior of the Temple was the same as seen now at the modern building on 43rd Avenue. In the old house, the ground floor was transformed into a show-hall with a stage, where many concerts and shows were afterwards produced. The entire clear income of the box-office was used to pay off the debt, naturally. The new building cost $5,000, a colossal sum at that time, considering that sawmill workers, for instance, were paid 40¢ per hour, for a weekly wage of $17.60 for 44 hours of work. Most Russians worked at sawmills at that time, and they considered themselves blessed, since the Great Depression struck at that time.

It was in 1929 also that Archimandrite Antonin was released from his responsibilities at Holy Resurrection Church and transferred. In 1931, Archimandrite Antonin was ordained to the Holy Episcopate as Bishop of Washington, DC, and then he was assigned to serve in the Diocese of Alaska.

Archpriest Grigory Prozorov was assigned to Holy Resurrection parish in 1930. He served for 1 year, and then he was transferred to the USA in 1931.

Archpriest Alexander Kizyun, 1931

Then, later in 1931, the metropolitan’s office assigned the Archpriest Alexander Kizyun, who had come from Edmonton, Alberta, to serve the parish as the rector. He was a good shepherd, energetic, kind and helpful. Sometimes, people who needed to go to a hospital or to the SNDL – a trip of 25 miles – would call him at 7 p.m. or even 3 a.m., and he would always be prepared to drive them anywhere in his old Ford. He always refused compensation. Many Russians in that hard time of joblessness, with no work and no place to go to spend some quality time, would go to Father Alexander to share their thoughts and to find some spiritual support. He would always receive them heartily. He always had a pot of borshch stewing over a burner on the stove, and he treated uninvited guests with joy.

Archpriest Alexander Kizyun (1892-1953)

Father Alexander’s labours were not only spiritual, but also physical : in the reconstruction of the parish house basement, he served as carpenter, painter and plumber. The basement was transformed into a big dining room, where hard-working ladies of the parish treated the audience after the shows. The gifted artist Camilla Albertovna Khorvat (Horvath), wife of the famous General D L Khorvat, Chief Manager of the Chinese Eastern Railway, painted Russian birch trees on all the walls, so that the diners got the impression of sitting in a birch grove in Russia. The other basement room contained the library, created by Konstantin Nikolayevich Mamontov, who started with 1 shelf of books, and from that he managed to put together a big collection with a fine selection. Russian people spent many fine evenings there, getting together and sharing their thoughts on current affairs.

Visit of Bishop Arseny (Chahovtsov)

On Saturday, 9 September, 1933, at 7:00 p.m., and on Sunday, 10 September, 1933, at 10:a.m., Bishop Arseny (Chahovtsov) made an archpastoral visit to the parish, and he served at the Vigil on Saturday evening, and at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning.

According to the "Vancouver Province", he served at the Temple on Fir Street and West Seventh Avenue, where he was assisted by Archimandrite Antonin (Pokrovsky) of Edmonton, Alberta, and by the rector, Priest Alexander Kiziun. The choir was led by Captain G A Maltzoff. [It is to be noted, however, that by this time, Father Antonin had been ordained a bishop, and that Vladyka Antonin had, earlier in the year, survived being shipwrecked (the lone survivor) off the coast of Alaska.]

Abbotsford chapel, 1934

In July, 1934, the idea arose to build a chapel in Abbotsford, British Columbia, for the spiritual needs of the small group of Orthodox people in the Abbotsford area. A Brotherhood Society was created for this community, which included Konstantin, Faina and Peter Pichugin ; Joseph, Alexandra and Nadezhda Okulitch ; Andrei and Nadezhda Mitrofanov ; Maria Kuznetsov ; Sergei Laskavy ; Victor Kuritsin. Konstantin Trofimovich Pichugin donated a plot, 40 by 30 feet, for free use. Father Alexander Kizyun dedicated (blessed) the plot, laid the cornerstone, and helped energetically in the construction. The society members worked hard, and the Saints Peter and Paul Chapel was dedicated on 30 December 1934. Icons and decorations were donated by the members.

Social and cultural activities

In 1935, the world-renowned Don Cossack Choir of Sergei Aleksandrovitch Zharov visited Vancouver for the first time. They had settled in the USA from Europe a few years earlier. It was a great event for the “Russian colony”. The Russian people went to all 3 concerts of the choir, and then Sergei A Zharov and the choir honoured the Temple and parish hall with their visit. In the course of the dinner, the choir performed many secular and spiritual songs, and there were many solo numbers by its famous singers. The great festivity continued until long after midnight. Words cannot describe the deep spiritual satisfaction felt by those who attended as they went home afterwards.

It is necessary to single out the great labours of Valentin Yakovlevich Podlegayev, the Warden of Holy Resurrection Church for many years, and formerly the Railway Station Chief in Harbin, Manchuria. He had arrived with his family in 1924, and he was blessed to find employment with a sawmill, where he worked until his death. In all the years of his wardenship, he never once missed a church service, despite his hard physical labour all week long. Often, after the services on Saturday, there were shows at the church hall, and entertainment until long after midnight. Valentin Yakovlevich would check that everything was in order, and he would always be the last to go home. The next day, on Sunday at 9 a.m., he would be there, greeting the parishioners at the Temple.

Russian Orthodox Society, 1935

In 1935, the Holy Resurrection parish was experiencing a financial crisis. Anatole E Portnoff explained that universal joblessness was the main cause of that ; the Sunday collection sometimes brought in as little as $1.50-2.00, while the debt incurred in building the church was tremendous – $4,500.00, and the monthly mortgage payments were in arrears. Father Rector could not expect any salary at that time ; once in a while some of the more concerned parishioners would chip in with $2 or $3 apiece to collect $15 and donate it to the priest for monthly living expenses. Finally, the day came when the parish failed to make the due payment of the principal. The creditors then foreclosed, locked the church, and decided to sell it in an auction.

As it always happens at times of special crises in the life of a country or society, the Lord sends a man with the ability to save the situation and inspire people to sacrifice and hard work. In this case it was Vassily Alekseyevich Mironov, a resident of New Westminster, British Columbia,who saw that not only the House of God, but also Russian dignity needed to be rescued. He knocked on the door of every Russian in the area, collecting donations and promoting the idea of creating a Russian Orthodox Society for the sole purpose of maintaining the church. Soon, the needed minimum sum was collected, the Russian Orthodox Society was established and registered with the Provincial legislature.

The next step was negotiating with the creditors in order to buy the Temple from them as cheaply as possible. The creditors knew full well that they would have difficulty selling the Temple, since the building had an unusual appearance and was not suited to house a factory, and the plot itself was worth $200.00 at most. After lengthy negotiations they agreed to sell for $2,800.00 with payment in installments. The Russian Orthodox Society now had the sacred duty to preserve the Russian Orthodox Temple, and its members got down to work in order to pay off the mortgage as soon as possible. The entire Russian colony was invigorated, zealous to help the holy cause. Numerous fundraising events were held : shows, concerts, bazaars. Very soon the debt was paid in full. Afterwards, the neighbouring house was bought for the priest’s residence. As a result, the ROS effectively replaced the parish council in administering the parish.

Youth of the parish in 1936

In 1937, Archpriest Alexander Kizyun was released from his responsibilities at Holy Resurrection Church.

In 1937, the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church was established in Vancouver. It promoted the use of the Ukrainian language in worship.

In 1938, Archpriest Alexander Kizyun established the Church of the Holy Trinity on Campbell Avenue, in the area of Vancouver-Strathcona, where many Slavs lived. This parish became clearly identified with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. He remained there until he reposed in 1953.

In 1938, Hieromonk Antony (Vasiliev) was assigned to serve as rector of the parish. He served for 2 years, until 1940.

During the late 20s and the 30s, up until World War II, many concerts and shows were staged not only at the church hall, but also at Hotel Vancouver and the luxurious (at that time) Commodore Cabaret (owned at that time by Greeks), and at the Peter Pan Hall. All these events were artistically and financially very successful. The Russian women of the community lived hard lives. Most of them had to support their families by working in factories, laundries and hotels ; but despite all that, they always found time to make costumes for the shows. They showed particular skill in the making of "Boyar" costumes, of which no less than 50 were made.

S M Loshchinsky, the original choir leader of the Holy Resurrection Choir, moved to New York, and for a while S N Pashkovskaya, a very musical lady with a fine soprano voice, managed the choir. By “a stroke of good fortune”, G A Maltsev soon arrived. He was a choir leader who was famous all over the Far East, and under his gifted direction, a proper church choir came into being. For many years, this choir created a prayerful atmosphere in the Temple, and it also performed spiritual and secular songs on the radio and in Canadian churches. The mixed Holy Resurrection Choir had about 30 singers. Valentin S Kukuruza, an 18-year-old from Harbin, Manchuria, stood out with his strong, beautiful tenor voice. G A Maltsev paid special attention to him, and let him direct the choir occasionally. Anatole Portnoff recalled the first time that Georgy Aleksandrovich Maltsev handed the baton to V Kukuruza and had him take his place ; the singers could not believe that a man so young could direct a big choir, but Kukuruza set the tone correctly (albeit with trepidationv), and the service was sung flawlessly. Georgy Aleksandrovich was glad that his pupil proved worthy of his trust. After a few years G A Maltsev moved to Los Angeles, California, with his family. V S Kukuruza took his place, and for many years the singers sang under his direction in the Temple, in concert, and on radio.

Anatole E Portnoff named the following talented Russian singers, who laboured much for the parish, and also to the glory of Russian culture :

 Lidia Antonovna Panovskaya (born Kritova), a truly charming soprano, was the gem of the choir, and her 
 performances in concert were hugely popular, not only with Russians, but with Canadians as well ;  
 Elizaveta Aleksandrovna Kozina, a beautiful contralto, created many musical shows.    
 Seraphima Nikolayaevna Pashkovskaya, a fine pianist and remarkable soprano, also staged many musical shows ; 
 Pyotr Dmitriyevich Patsali was an opera singer with a velvety baritone.  
 Gerhard Augustovich Olle, a wonderful lyrical tenor, always performed in the concerts, and he sometimes 
 created 'the Gypsy band'.  
 Alexander Sergeyevich Znamensky, an opera baritone, participated in many concerts, and he sang on radio.
 Lyubov Andreyevna Rossova (born Palevskaya), an excellent ballerina, created many ballet shows.  
 Nikolai Ivanovich Innokov, an actor and a very gifted director, directed many plays. The most memorable ones 
 are 'Mazepa', 'Natalka Poltavka' and 'Groza'.  
 The brothers Boris and Ivan Novikov, choreographers known throughout the Far East, sometimes came from Seattle 
 to help their compatriots ; so did the fine opera singer A I Malsky. 
  (from the memoirs of Anatole Portnoff)  

Archimandrite Aggey (Mazur), 1940 : the period of World War II

Later in 1940, Archimandrite Aggey (Mazur-Shymko) was assigned to serve as the rector of Holy Resurrection Church. He had arrived in Canada in 1928 (under the blessing of Bishop Arseny (Chahovtsov), and he had served for some years at Holy Ascension Monastery at Sifton, Manitoba. In Vancouver, he led the flock of Christ's rational sheep through the remaining years of World War II (1939-1945). This war was also known as the Great Patriotic War.

Benefactors

Anatole Yefimovich Portnoff added also into the history of Holy Resurrection Church the names of Russian Orthodox people who laboured long to establish, maintain and enrich the Temple.

First, there is Archimandrite Antonin (Pokrovsky), who subsequently became the Bishop of San Francisco, the founding priest. Besides, there were :

 the Abramov family ; the Adamovich family ; Misak Yeremeyevich Aivazov ; Mr. Alikhan ; the Andreyev family ; 
 Mr. Atakemanenko ; the Balakshin family ; Mr. Bancroft ; the Blagovsky family ; Mr. Bobak ; Mr. Borisov ; 
 Mr. Burdukov : the Chaikovsky family ; Mr. Dalserhof ; the Dementsev family ; the Durov family ; 
 the Dyakonov family ; Mr. Eismont ; the Ewachniuk families ; the Fetisov family ; the Gladyshevs family ; 
 Mr. and Mrs. Grigoriev ; the Gutenko family ; Mr. Hager ; the Innokov family ; the Ivanitsky family ; 
 the Ivanov family ; the Ivashchenko family ; Vladimir Kazansky ; the Kholodilin family ; Mr. Kirsta ; 
 the Kovalyov family ; L A Kritova ; the Krivtsov family ; the Kukhar family ; the Kuritsin family ; 
 Mr. Kushnir ; Mr. Lenchenko ; the Levitsky family ; Mr. Loshchinsky ; the Makovin family ; the Maltsev family ; 
 K N Mamontov ; Mr. Mazanov ; the Medvedev family ; the Merkulov family ; the Mitrofanov family ; 
 the Mylnikov family ; the Nedzvedsky family ; the Nekrasov family ; Mr. Norton ; Mrs. Palevskaya ; 
 the Pashkovsky family ; the Patsalis family ; the Pichugin family ; Mrs. Pilipchuk ; Vladimir Pitalyov ; 
 Mr. and Mrs. Podlegayev ; Mr. Polishchuk ; the Portnov family ; Mr. Potapenko ; the Prokudin family ; 
 Nikolai Romar (Romanian) ; the Rozvalyaev family ; the Rudkiewich family ; the Ryumkin family ; 
 the Sergeyev family ; Mr. Shchipunov ; the Shilovsky family ; Mr. Shlegel ; Mr. Shmidt ; Mr. Shtin ; 
 the Sokolov family ; the Stanzhalsky family ; Frank Stiler (Canadian) ; the Sukhov family ; Mr. Syssoloff ; 
 Mrs. Todos (Greek) ; the Tyurin family ; the Vershinin family ; the Vodotyko family ; the Znamensky family ; 
 the Zotov family.
  (from the memoirs of Anatole Portnoff, last paragraph)

Post-war changes, 1945-1950

In 1948, Archimandrite Aggey (Mazur) was released from his duties at Holy Resurrection, and he was transferred.

Archpriest Leonid Kaspersky, 1949

Archimandrite Aggey was followed in 1949 by Archpriest Leonid Kaspersky, who was assigned to serve the parish as its rector. A priest of long experience in Europe, he had arrived in Vancouver from Germany. He remained until 1952.

Archpriest Leonid Kaspersky

In 1950, there was established by Priest Philemon Gorelik the parish of Saint Nicholas within the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), on East 13th Avenue.

Immigration strengthens parish life

The 1950s were a time of much change and momentous events in the life of the parish. In the wake of the Communist takeover, Russian families started arriving from China. The newcomers revitalised the parish. The Russian Culture Group and Youth Circle were formed, and in September 1951, the first “cultural season” (the autumn to spring period of cultural presentations such as singing, dancing, dramas) was officially opened at the Church House, with many scheduled events.

The parish choir

The choir, the council

The Temple and some parishioners, 1951

General administrative adjustments, 1951

In 1951, Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich), hoping to improve the pastoral service in Canada, divided the Diocese of Canada into 3 parts. This action was undertaken in harmony with the Holy Synod of Bishops. Holy Resurrection Church was attached to the Diocese of San Francisco and the West, in the Northwestern Deanery. Bishop John (Shakhovskoy) of San Francisco, a much-loved archpastor, visited in April and he announced the pending transfer of Father Leonid to the USA.

He recommended Father Peter Kurzemnek, a native of Latvia who had been ordained priest in the “DP” (displaced persons) camps in Germany, for the responsibility of rector. In the autumn, Bishop John (Garklavs) of Detroit undertook a tour of Western Canada with the wonder-working icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God. The Evangelist Luke painted this icon, according to tradition. He visited the Holy Resurrection Church on 5 September.

In 1951, Bishop Nikon (de Grève) was assigned to be the Bishop of Toronto and Canada.

In February, 1952, Father Leonid Kaspersky was transferred, and he left Canada to serve as the founding pastor of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church in San Francisco, California, USA.

Archpriest Peter Kurzemnek, 1952

In 1952, Archpriest Peter Kurzemnek was assigned to serve as the rector of Holy Resurrection Church. His arrival coincided with a significant change and challenge for the parish.

Archpriest Peter Kurzemnek

Demolition, move, new site and new construction, 1952-1954

The original Holy Resurrection Church in Vancouver, British Columbia was expropriated and then demolished in order to build the new Granville Street bridge. Therefore, when this was known to be imminent, the Russian Orthodox Society of Vancouver (ROS) started to work towards building a new Temple. The ROS decided to use the offered compensation of $50,000 to build a new church, hall and rectory. A building committee was formed, led by the ROS Chairman Mr. M S Sergeyeff, who played an enormous role in the project. Many sites were viewed. The General Meeting finally approved the one at East 43rd Avenue and Quebec Street – near the city limits at that time. The local architect, Russ Lort, was retained ; parishioners helped with the design and engineering, especially Mr. Boris Shevelev. Ground was broken in October. Then the cornerstone was laid on 27 December, 1953, by Archbishop Nikon (de Grève) of Toronto and Canada, and by Archbishop John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco.

The contractor, John P Murphy, wasted no time. The building was ready by May, and the iconostas, decorations and fixtures were moved in from the old Temple.

During these preparatory times, Father Peter suffered a painful loss : his beloved wife, Matushka Elizabeth, reposed in Christ in April, 1954, after having suffered in a long illness. Nevertheless, he persevered with God's help.

30 years, completion of construction : second Temple, 1954

In the spring of 1954, the new Temple and the church hall were completed, and on 8 May, 1954, the newly-widowed Archpriest Peter Kurzemnek, the rector, conducted the Lesser Sanctification (“Thyranoixia”) of the Temple, and he named the Temple in honour of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, with its name-day on the Feast of the Dedication of the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem (13 September).

View from the south of the completed Temple

Blessing and construction of the new Temple

The Temple and the hall in 1954

The Great Sanctification of the Temple was conducted on 11 July, 1954, by Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich), assisted by Bishop Nikon (de Grève), Bishop John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco, Bishop John (Zlobin) of Alaska, Archpriest Peter Kurzemnek, Archpriest Paul Jeromsky of Seattle, and other clergy from cities in western Canada and the USA. The Great Sanctification of the Temple was followed by the Divine Liturgy, and then by a grand banquet.

1954 : Metropolitan Leonty at the Sanctification and Divine Liturgy

1954 : Metropolitan Leonty, Bishop Nikon

The cost of construction ran up to $75,000. Several parishioners made large donations, and debentures were issued for the sum of $15,000. The mortgage was finally paid off by 1959.

Purchase of a rectory, 1955

In 1955, the neighbouring house to the west of the Temple was bought for $6,000. It was repaired and made into the rectory.

The second rectory

Iconography in the Temple

Parishioners donated many icons, and some old icons were then donated to other parishes of the "Metropolia". The ceiling murals in the church and many icons were painted in 1959-60 by Mr. N S Zadorozhny (USA).

Canadian Orthodox Ladies' Guild

Some 35 members of the Ladies’ Auxiliary formed the Canadian Orthodox Ladies’ Guild. They subsequently purchased several expensive ritual items for the Temple.

Mr. A M Panofsky led the choir. Mr. E P Rozvaliaeff served as warden throughout the 1950s.

Church picnic, 1955

Benefactors

The persons who contributed the most to the construction of the new Holy Resurrection Temple and church hall are :

 Archpriest Peter Kurzemnek, rector ; E P Rozvaliaeff, warden ; Council of the Russian Orthodox Society : 
 M S Sergeyeff – president ; E A Andreyeff – vice-president ; I A Vishniakoff – treasurer ; 
 A Ya Adamovich – custodian ; B I Shevelyoff – secretary ; 
 Building Commission : N P Abramoff ; P S Babich ; A M Borimovich ; K O Diyeff ; E A Fetisoff ; K F Gorenko ; 
 N F Ivaschenko ; N P Khrennikoff ; A A Kochkanoff.
 (see Church Construction)

The new Holy Resurrection Temple was built in Russian style with 3 domes, of which the middle one has windows. The Temple accommodates up to 450 people standing. The church hall has a big upper hall with a stage, a lower (dining) hall with a kitchen, a library, a council meeting-room and other rooms. The total construction cost was $75,000.

Holy Resurrection Sobor (view from the east)

The parish was now bigger than ever : up to 30 people received Holy Communion on Sundays. For the first time in parish history, there were more baptisms than burials. The ROS established a regular Russian school programme, with a Parents’ Committee in charge. The subjects were Russian language, history, and catechism (Divine Law). Up to 45 children attended during the late 1950s. The spacious new halls invited many social activities : film viewing, adult and children’s stage shows, dinners, balls, benefit concerts, Lenten concerts, Christmas festivities (“Yolka”). The Circle of Stage Art Devotees was formed. Because of a disagreement, it split off from the ROS in 1955, formed the Russian Amateur Art Theatre, and became the nucleus of the Russian Centre of British Columbia.

Another general administrative change : 1957

In 1957, Holy Resurrection Church was re-attached to the Diocese of Canada.

In 1958, Archbishop Nikon (de Grève) retired, and Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich) became locum tenens of the Canadian diocese once again. He visited Vancouver on 14 July, 1959, for the last time.

In 1961, the Canadian Census showed 9,324 Russians in the Greater Vancouver Area – 1.2% of the total population. (In British Columbia it was 1.7%, in all of Canada – 0.7%.) A young generation was growing up ; the Canadian Russian Youth Club was formed in May, 1961, as an association of older teenagers and young adults interested in Russian song, dance and social activities. Most of the original members were graduates of the Russian school. Up to 40 people were singing in the church choir, conducted by Mr. A M Panofsky and later by Mr. E A Andreyev ; there was even a separate youth choir. Throughout the 1960s, Cultural Seasons were held in the halls of the Russian Orthodox Society.

Controversies and blessings

Because of a conflict with some of the parishioners, Father Peter announced his resignation next year. He left in September, 1962, when he was sent to Portland, Oregon, USA, in order to become Rector of the Saint Nicholas parish there.

Archpriest Prokopy Powers (Povarnitsyn), 1962

The Archpriest Prokopy Powers (Povarnitsyn) accepted the responsibility of interim rector of Holy Resurrection Church. Originally from Siberia, he had served in parishes in the USA since 1929. He came to serve this parish for one year. In 1963, he was released from the parish, and he was transferred back to the USA, where he soon retired.

Archpriest Prokopy Powers (Povarnitsyn)

1963 : New bishop ; visits of Holy Icons

Several holy icons were brought to Holy Resurrection Temple in the 1960s. On 18 August, 1963, the Wonder-working Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, found in 1579, was displayed at Holy Resurrection Temple, and many people were able to venerate it. The purpose of the tour of North America was to raise funds to purchase the Icon from its British owners. In 1964, Archbishop John (Maksimovitch) of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) brought the Wonder-working Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God to Vancouver. In November of 1966, Archbishop John (Garklavs) of Chicago brought the Wonder-working Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God to Vancouver again.

New bishop for Canada : Bishop Sylvester (Haruns), 1963

In June, 1963, Bishop Sylvester (Haruns) was assigned to be the ruling Bishop of Montréal and Canada, of the Archdiocese of Canada (ROGCCNA). He visited the parish of Holy Resurrection for the first time on 3 September, 1963.

Archpriest Oleg Boldireff, 1963

In November, the Archpriest Oleg Boldireff, the Dean of Québec, was released from his responsibilities there, and he was assigned to be the rector of Holy Resurrection parish. He then moved to Vancouver with Matushka Natalia and their 5 children. He immediately started working to strengthen ties with other Orthodox communities in the Vancouver area, and to enhance the Orthodox witness. The following year, Missionary Day was held in the Holy Resurrection Temple for the first time, together with Greek and Serbian priests.

The Sisterhood of Saint Mary Magdalene

40 years, 1964

The 40th anniversary of the parish was celebrated solemnly on 27 September, 1964. Archbishop Sylvester celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. A banquet and concert followed, which were attended by representatives of the Federal government, City Hall, the Anglican bishop of New Westminster, and many other guests.

Father Oleg served the Liturgy in English for the first time on 22 November, with the youth choir.

The rectory was reconstructed. The disused Saints Peter and Paul Chapel in Abbotsford was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Society by its owners. It was repaired ; and afterwards, the Divine Liturgy was served there once a month in English.

The Ladies’ Auxiliary, led from 1964 by Mrs. Olga Petrovna Fetisoff, raised much of the money for repairs. Mr. Eugene Y Fetisoff and Mr. Anatole E Portnoff alternated as Russian Orthodox Society presidents.

Although Olga Petrovna Fetissoff served for 15 years as the president of the Ladies' Auxiliary, there was really no time after her arrival in the parish when she was not to be seen worshipping in the Temple and also working at the maintenance of the interior of the Temple. In addition, she served as the treasurer of the Russian Orthodox Society for very many years. Despite extremely painful joints, Olga Petrovna was standing in the Temple of the Lord until she was truly almost unable to walk. She was interested in the people of the parish, and she was always aware of parish events, church-wide events, political events, and life in general.

1965

In May, 1965, Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich) fell asleep in the Lord. Archpriest Oleg Boldireff was a delegate from Holy Resurrection parish to the All-American Council held in New York on 22-23 September, 1965. There, Archbishop Ireney (Bekish) was elected to be the new Metropolitan of All America and Canada.

During this time, Nicolas Boldireff came to be acquainted with Anysia Rudkiewicz (daughter of Anton and Olga Rudkiewicz), and they were eventually married. Nicolas, a graduate of Saint Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, was ordained to the Holy Diaconate and then to the Holy Priesthood, and together he and Matushka Anysia began to serve the Church, principally in Los Angeles, California, and in Toronto, Ontario.

1966

In 1966, Archbishop John (Shahovskoy) brought the Icon of the Theotokos of Tikhvin to the parish, and many people came to visit the holy icon.

Icon of the Theotokos of Tikhvin

In June, 1966, Archbishop (Saint) John (Maximovitch) served in Vancouver. It was the last Divine Liturgy that he served, since he fell asleep in the Lord in Seattle, Washington, on 19 June/2 July, on his way back to San Francisco, California.

Visit of Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish), December, 1967

The celebration of the Centenary of Canada ended on Sunday, 24 December, 1967, with a significant and, one might say, historic day in the life of Holy Resurrection Church and the Russian Orthodox Society.

On 22-24 December, 1967, Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish) of All America and Canada visited the city of Vancouver. Metropolitan Ireney was accompanied by Protodeacon Pavel Samoilovich. They were met at the aeroport by Archpriest Oleg Boldireff, Mr. Anatole E Portnoff (chairman of the Russian Orthodox Society), and several parishioners. They were grateful that the snowfall of the previous day had melted overnight, and the warmth of the sun on this day made it seem more like spring.

On arrival at the Temple, Father Oleg Boldireff served the customary Moleben of Thanksgiving for the safe arrival. This was followed by the serving of a meal at the invitation of Matushka Natalia Boldireff.

On Saturday, 23 December, at Vigil, Metropolitan Iriney was escorted from the rectory by 2 subdeacons, and he was met formally at the door of the Temple. He then entered the Altar for the serving of Vespers and Matins of the Vigil. The rector of Saint George Greek Orthodox Church participated in serving the Vigil. Parishioners were warmed by the presence of their old friend Protodeacon Pavel and his beautiful manner of serving. Afterwards, tea was served in the upper hall, and Metropolitan Ireney was able to converse with those present in a relaxed atmosphere.

On Sunday, 24 December, Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish) was met formally with bread-and-salt at the entrance of the Temple, and there followed the serving of the Primatial Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. At the conclusion of the service, Metroplitan Ireney gave a blessed gramota to Mr. E A Andreev and the choir, and an icon of the Mystical Supper to the Psalmist T I Nagorny. The service was followed by the serving of a special meal by the Saint Mary Magdalene Sisterhood of the parish. Metropolitan Ireney and Protodeacon Pavel then departed for Seattle, and for the Altar Feast-day celebrations of the Parish of Saint Spiridon there.

Metropolitan Ireney, Father Oleg, and those serving

1968 : Archdiocese assembly ; parish feast-day

On 28-39 June, 1968, there was an Archdiocesan Assembly at Shandro, Alberta, the Temple of the Holy Dormition. Archpriest Oleg Boldireff was amongst the delegates. Indeed, this was the first-ever assembly of such a large number of representatives. Clergy and Faithful from 6 of the 10 provinces were present, and Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish), Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) and Bishop Ioasaph (Antoniuk) were presiding. Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann made several presentations during the proceedings. There was repeated reference to the critical shortage of priests at that time, and a summary of the meeting was published in the 1969 issue of the "Canadian Greek-Orthodox Calendar".

Delegates to the 1968 Archdiocesan Assembly in Shandro, Alberta

Another article was published in the "Canadian Greek-Orthodox Calendar" of 1969, which described parish life at that time. This article underlined the general sense of solidarity that existed in the parish in those days, and he calm, favourable conditions that made it possible for Father Oleg "to feed this flock according to the precepts of God. The article drew attention to the activity of the youth-group in the parish, which included some of the sons of Father and Matushka Boldireff. It was pointed out that the leadership of the group changed every 6 months so that as many as possible could gain leadership experience. At that time, George Vishniakoff and Vadim Wright were chairman and deputy. The group was carefully supervised by Father Oleg and Matushka Natalia. It was noted that the young people were very regular attenders of worship services, and very many of them continued in the same fashion in adulthood. The article concluded by expressing the intention to try to develop a youth-choir to supplement the main choir.

At that time, the Russian Orthodox Society (parish) Library had about 3,000 volumes, and it was managed by E A Mkhailoskaya Duet.

1968 photo of Vancouver Sobor parish leadership

1968 photo of Father Oleg and parish youth

In 1970, Archpriest Oleg Boldireff requested a transfer. He was released, and he and Matushka Natalia were transferred to the Church of Saint Nicholas in Ottawa, Ontario.

Archbishop Sylvester travelled to Vancouver to look into the matter.

1970 : Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk)

Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk) of Edmonton accepted the responsibility of acting rector, and he arrived from Alberta on 7 March. In June, the appointment of Vladyka Joasaph became permanent, while he remained the Vicar-Bishop to Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) for Western Canada. It was during the time of his pastoral leadership that missionary work was developed in Victoria, British Columbia.

Then Mitred Archpriest Peter Kurzemnek retired ; he returned to Vancouver, and he served again from time to time in Holy Resurrection Temple. When Vladyka Joasaph arrived in Vancouver, there was an added, special blessing awaiting him. Nearby, in Sumas, Washington, his niece, Helen, was living. She had long ago married Anthony Farmer and had settled with him near to the Canadian border. Both were members of Holy Resurrection Church. Anthony had been a pilot during World War II, one of the "Flying Tigers" in China.

Autocephaly, 1970

The agreement on autocephaly for the Metropolia was signed in New York on 31 March, 1970, and the Tomos of Autocephaly was received in Moscow in May. In October, the 14th All-American Council proclaimed the autocephaly of “The Orthodox Church in America (OCA)”. Much work was required to explain to the flock the status of the OCA and its relationship with the Moscow Patriarchate.

Glorification of Saint Herman of Alaska, 9 August, 1970

On 9 August, 1970, Saint Herman of Alaska was glorified. He was the first Orthodox saint to be glorified in North America. Bishop Joasaph and several parishioners travelled to Kodiak, Alaska in order to take part in the celebrations.

Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann proclaiming the glorification of Saint Herman (left)  ; Glorification Divine Liturgy (right)

Engraving of Saint Herman

Influenced by the love, personality, and service of Bishop Joasaph, more people came to church, and several “outsiders” converted to Orthodoxy, including Dr. and Mrs. Edward Hartley. Not long afterwards, Vladyka blessed the newly-constructed domestic chapel of Saint Herman of Alaska behind their bungalow in Whalley, British Columbia, (a Vancouver suburb south of the Fraser River). From that chapel, other communities developed over the years.

Bishop Joasaph at Mountain View Cemetery

1972

In 1972, Mitred Archpriest John Karateyev retired to Vancouver, and he often served with Bishop Joasaph. He helped to establish the Annunciation Orthodox Community in Victoria, British Columbia. Bishop Joasaph visited the mission many times.

1973

In 1973, Mrs. Maria Kolbowicz started teaching Divine Law (catechism) to the children. Dr. Edward Hartley exhibited the icons he had painted. In December, he represented the parish at the All-American Assembly in Pittsburgh.

50 years ; Deacon Andrey, Matushka Henriette Somow, 1974

In June, 1974, the newly-ordained Deacon Andrey Somow was transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia by the Federal Government of Canada (for which he worked as an architect). Together with his family, he arrived in Vancouver on 1 August. He was attached to Holy Resurrection Church by Vladyka Sylvester. As a deacon, he served regularly throughout the following years, as he assisted Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk), Igumen Cyril (Bulashevitch), and other clergy who were serving in Holy Resurrection Church. He also accompanied Bishop Joasaph on his trips to Alberta ; and he served with other bishops in Saint Spiridon’s Church in Seattle, Washington, USA, and in other cities. Father Andrey was a meticulous organiser and record-keeper. As a result of this gift, he very soon began to collect documents, photographs and other archival materials which would eventually become a wealthy source of historical information about personalities and events in the community. His wife, Matushka Henriette, proved to be a great support and resource both for Father Andrey and for the parish community. Her ability with singing led in time to her being given the responsibility of leading the singing. Her artistic background opened an opportunity for her to complete the iconography of the iconostas with the top, prophetic row, and also for her to design the unique stained-glass windows that now adorn the Temple.

On 29 September, 1974, the 50th anniversary of the parish was celebrated solemnly. The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was led by Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish), Metropolitan of All America and Canada, and it was concelebrated by Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk), Bishop of Edmonton. He was assisted by Mitred Archpriests Peter Kurzemnek and Paul Zheromsky (Jeromsky) ; Archpriest John Karateyev ; Priest Michael Dodor (Serbian Orthodox Church of North and South America) ; Archdeacon Timothy Kovalenko ; and by Deacons Andrey Somow, and Gleb Jensen. It was followed by a procession around the Temple.

Many parishioners from the Saint Spiridon Cathedral in Seattle, Washington, were present. The service was followed by a banquet in the upper hall. Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish) presented his greeting. Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk), Dr. Edward Hartley, and others, made speeches. Mrs. Irene A Rozvaliaeff, President of the Russian Orthodox Society, presented in brief the history of the parish.

Primatial Divine Liturgy

1975

In November, 1975, the chapel of Saints Peter and Paul in Abbotsford was sold because it had fallen into disuse. The Russian Canadian Golden Age Society was formed for the purpose of building a retirement home.

1976 : new directions, conversions ; Igumen Cyril (Bulashevich)

Igumen Cyril (Bulashevich) of Juneau, Alaska, expressed his wish to serve at Holy Resurrection Church. He received the blessing, and he arrived in May, 1976. He was assigned to serve as Second Priest.

More English was introduced in the services, notably in the Gospel readings. Father Cyril published the parish bulletin, and he started religious education for adults. Mrs. T Nikitina started the Russian School once again. The Saint Vladimir Seminary Octet visited for the first time in July.

October, 1977, All-American Council in Montréal, new Primate

In October, 1977, the Fifth All-American Council of The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) was held in Montréal ; Bishop Theodosius (Lazor) was elected to be the Primate of the OCA. Bishop Joasaph, Deacon Andrey and Mr. D V Mitianin attended.

Saint Herman of Alaska Mission established

Dr. Edward Hartley, his wife Vivian, and other former parishioners of Holy Resurrection Church formed the mission parish of Saint Nicholas in Langley, British Columbia. It was later accepted into the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate under Metropolitan Andrei (Kuschak).

Bishop Joasaph holding an icon painted by Dr. Hartley

1978 : Repose of Vladyka Joasaph (Antoniuk)

On 18 October, 1978, after having attended the autumn session of the ]https://orthodoxwiki.org/Holy_Synod Holy Synod of Bishops], Bishop Joasaph suddenly and je in Connecticut, USA,fell asleep in the Lord unexpectedly in Connecticut, USA, while he was on his way to visit his daughter, Olga. He had felt unwell at the end of the sessions.

After the Funeral Services for the Burial of a Hierarch, held in the Temple of Saint Nicholas in Stratford, Connecticut, where he had served as a priest for 38 years, he was interred beside his wife at the parish cemetery in Stratford. Several parishioners travelled to Connecticut to attend the funeral. A year later, a memorial plaque in honour of the late Bishop Joasaph was installed in the Temple.

Archimandrite Cyril (Bulashevich)

After the repose of Vladyka Joasaph, Igumen Cyril (Bulashevich), who had previously arrived in Vancouver from Alaska, and had been serving as an assistant to Vladyka Joasaph, was assigned to serve as the rector of Holy Resurrection Church.

Hieromonk Panteleimon (Belko)

The Priest-monk Panteleimon (Belko) had substituted for the rector for 2 months, and he was invited to serve as Second Priest. He was formally assigned to serve in this capacity in November of 1979. He started publishing weekly bulletins, and he attempted a lecture series. The Divine Liturgy was served in English once a month. Separate services in English and Slavonic were tried for a time. Earlier, in July, the Saint Vladimir's Seminary Octet visited the parish again.

55 years : 1979

The 55th anniversary of the parish was celebrated in September, 1979. Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) participated in the events, and he led the liturgical services. At this anniversary, 2 famous theologians visited the parish, and they gave lectures. Archpriest Alexander Schmemann arrived and gave a public lecture on 15 March. Later, Archpriest John Meyendorff came to Vancouver and gave a public lecture on 17 November.

Support of other nascent communities, 1979

In 1979, the Greek Orthodox Community of East Vancouver rented the upper hall for liturgical purposes. The contract was renewed on a 6-month basis until October 1985, when the Greek community moved into the new Saints Nicholas and Dimitrios Temple on Boundary Road. This supportive and maternal attitude continued.

In 1981, Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) retired from active service. Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) became the locum tenens of the Canadian Archdiocese.

In 1982, Bishop Basil (Rozdianko) of San Francisco came for the patronal feast-day in September.

Controversy over the WCC, 1983

On 24 July to 10 August, 1983, the Third Septennial Assembly of the World Council of Churches was convened in Vancouver. The parishioners of Holy Resurrection Church contributed towards the general worship of the Orthodox participants.

At the invitation of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the OCA, the delegation from the USSR (including Patriarch Ilia II (Ghudushauri-Shiolashvili), of Georgia, and Metropolitan Philaret (Vakhromeyev) of Minsk concelebrated the Primatial Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at Holy Resurrection Temple along with Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) on 31 July. Fourteen other bishops were present, and more than 30 other clergy and assembly delegates. Patriarch Ilia II awarded a gold Altar Cross to Igumen Cyril in memory of this event.

Two more Hierarchical Divine Liturgies were served during the assembly. Metropolitan Dorotheos (Filip) of Prague, Czechoslovakia, served along with Bishop Simon (Romańczuk) of Łódź, Poland, and Bishop Seraphim (Sigrist) of Sendai and Eastern Japan also served.

Forty years later, Patriarch Ilya II recalled, still with warmth and affection, his visit to the Temple of the Holy Resurrection in Vancouver.

1983 : Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) ; Patriarch Ilya II ; Metropolitan Dorotheos Philip) (left) Bishops who visited in 1983 (right)

However, because of strong emotions and opinions regarding the relationship with the Orthodox Churches in the USSR, this welcome extended to hierarchs of the Moscow Patriarchate caused a split in the parish. Thirty-six parishioners left the parish, and joined the ROCOR (Synodal) churches in the city. This included the choir director. Matushka Henriette Somow was then given the duties of choir-leader.

In 1983, at the Russian Orthodox Society annual meeting, a Church Committee was formed of 11 persons, chaired by the rector. The council considered inviting Metropolitan Vladimir (Nagosky) of Winnipeg, Manitoba, to serve as rector, but later withdrew that possibility.

In March, 1984, 90 parishioners signed a petition requesting not to introduce more English into the church services. The matter was discussed throughout the spring. The move towards more English in the services was continued “in accordance with the numerical proportion of Russian and non-Russian worshippers”. Subdeacon Anthony taught the adult class of religious education. On 16 June, the Saint Nicholas Temple in Langley was consecrated. The ROS donated vestments, utensils and icons to the new community.

60 years, 1984

On 31 September, 1984, the 60th anniversary of the parish was celebrated. Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) celebrated the Primatial Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.

In November, 1984, Igumen Cyril (Bulashevich) was released from his responsibilities, and he was transferred to serve as Second Priest at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Montréal, Québec.

New rectory

Renovation of the rectory had been considered. However, instead of renovation, a new, bigger house, built at the expense of Mr. Alexei P Levitsky, replaced the old and smaller rectory building. A bell had also been donated by Mr. Levitsky.

Therefore, a belfry was constructed over the entrance to the Temple, also at his expense.

Architect Lubor Trubka was retained for the projects. Although he was not the architect of either project, Deacon Andrey Somow contributed to the designs because of his personal and professional experience.

The third rectory

Priest Victor Sokolov, 1985

The Priest Victor Sokolov visited in January, 1985. He was subsequently assigned to be the rector, and he arrived with his family in September. Father Victor had a gift with regard to researching and writing about history. During this time, and during his next assignment, he wrote many historical articles which have been useful to posterity.

In 1985, the Priestmonk Panteleimon (Belko) declined a transfer to Winnipeg. He was soon released from his responsibilities as Second Priest, and he then moved to Victoria, British Columbia.

More changes

At this time, Holy Resurrection Church was temporarily attached to the Pacific Northwest Deanery of the Diocese of the West. The Archpriest Vadim Pogrebniak (✝2018) of Seattle was appointed to be the Primate’s representative to Holy Resurrection Church.

Bishop Gregory (Afonsky) of Alaska visited with the Sitka Icon of the Mother of God on 19-20 August, 1985. He also came for the patronal feast-day on 6 October, and he blessed the new rectory. Mr. and Mrs. Levitsky were awarded the Cross of Saint Herman on this occasion. The 90th anniversary of Saint Spiridon Cathedral in Seattle, Washington, was celebrated in December, and many of the Vancouver parishioners participated in the joyous event.

In 1985, the Priest Victor Sokolov was assigned to serve as the rector of the parish, along with his wife Matushka Barbara and their children. He had recently graduated from Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary in New York.

At this time, more English was introduced into the services, and there were sometimes controversies about both this and the method of parish government. Nevertheless, more educational opportunities were offered in the parish.

After his arrival, Father Victor Sokolov introduced more English language to the church services, up to 40 percent. The number of communicants increased up to 30 each Sunday. New aluminum-frame windows were installed with money from the estate of the late Mr. V A Mitchell. The library books were moved upstairs, and the reading room was renovated. The English library was initiated. A refugee fund was created for sponsoring refugees coming to Canada. Ms. Diane Kolbowicz and Ms. Svetlana Briggs attended the Summer Liturgical Institute at Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary. Contacts were established with the Canadian Bible Society. Several non-Orthodox groups visited the parish. However, several parishioners disapproved of the changes and they left the parish.

1986

In 1986, Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) attended “Expo-86” in Vancouver and he celebrated the pan-Orthodox Divine Liturgy at the Kodak Pacific Bowl on 13 July. He also visited the Temple of the Holy Resurrection.

Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) serving at Expo '86

Then a conflict arose between Father Victor and several council members. The situation came to a head at the semi-annual meeting in September. As a consequence, Mr. Portnoff resigned as ROS President. A Leave-of-absence was granted to Deacon Andrey. In June, Father Victor was granted a Leave of Absence. Then, in December, 1986, Father Victor announced his resignation. He subsequently served for a time at the Saint Elias Arabic Orthodox Church in New Westminster, British Columbia. Afterwards, he was released and transferred to the Diocese of the West, and to San Francisco, California.

In the same year, because of several controversies, the new Saint Nicholas parish in Langley, British Columbia, split. The founding group left the community, and reformed as the new mission parish of Saint Herman of Alaska in Surrey, British Columbia.

Financial difficulties, 1987

In January, 1987, a special ROS meeting was convened. The financial situation was critical. The parish was losing members, and some others stopped receiving Holy Communion. Pledges were collected to attempt to remedy the situation. Archpriest Daniel Hubiak, Chancellor of the OCA, came to the parish to try to deal with the crisis.

In April, 1987, Archpriest Vadim Pogrebniak was assigned to be the temporary rector of the Holy Resurrection Church. At the same time as he did this, he had remained the rector of Saint Spyridon's Cathedral in Seattle. Meanwhile, Deacon Andrey Somow led the Vespers services, and he performed other services in the absence of a priest.

In June, 1987, Father Seraphim (Storheim) was ordained to the Holy Episcopate and assigned to be the Auxiliary Bishop of Edmonton at the Diocesan Assembly in Edmonton, Alberta, on 12-13 June. Three delegates and 8 observers from Holy Resurrection Sobor attended the Assembly.

Along with Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns), Bishop Seraphim (Storheim) came to Holy Resurrection Church for the patronal feast-day 20-21 September.

More changes, another immigration ; Priest Evan Lowig, 1988

In January, 1988, Priest Evan Lowig came from Winnipeg, Manitoba, in order to celebrate the feasts of Nativity and Theophany. He accepted to become the rector, and Father Vadim Pogrebniak was released from his extra responsibilities. Father Evan was transferred from his responsibilities in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and he was assigned to be the rector of Holy Resurrection parish, where he began serving in April.

Priest Evan Lowig

His unusual pastoral style drew new and different persons into the parish, but there were also some weaknesses on his part which made for other difficulties. The amount of English language used in the services increased somewhat, and there developed a relatively stable proportion of both Slavonic and English languages used in the services. Study-groups and educational opportunities continued to be offered.

By this time, 2 families in particular had arrived from the Soviet Union at a time when it became possible. The family Nikolai M and Raisa I Kolesnikov, and the family of Alexander V and Galina V Ovodov brought with them fresh hope, vision and life to the parish. Besides the enrichment of the singing through teaching, the Kolesnikovs also brought new insight into the life of believers in Soviet Russia and their survival. They had been well-formed as Orthodox Christians by the Archpriest Alexander Men’ (who would be killed in 1990 for his work and witness). The main result, in which Deacon Andrey Somow and many others would become involved, was the establishment soon afterwards of the “Miloserdie Group” (Mercy and Compassion), which would send medical and other help to children’s hospitals in Moscow. Father Andrey was also a contributor to the beginning of what Alexander Ovodov enabled to become the best parish web-site of all the parishes in the Archdiocese of Canada, while Galina Ovodov (a physician when in Russia) brought health support to the parishioners through her advice and understanding.

Raisa Kolesnikova visiting a Moscow children's hospital

In February, 1988, the ROS council petitioned the Primate, Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor), to ordain Deacon Andrew Somow to the Holy Priesthood.

In June, during this year, the Saint Herman of Alaska mission received a new priest, Father Lawrence Farley. Eventually, he was granted a canonical transfer to the OCA, and the mission was incorporated into the Archdiocese of Canada.

In August, the Romanian Holy Trinity Orthodox Community started renting the church hall for services and meetings. The agreement was renewed on different terms until 1989.

The rectory was leased to a family for a time.

Renovations and repairs continue ; stained-glass windows

The church building and domes were painted in July-September, 1989. Mr. Felix Zampini did landscaping work on the church grounds. The stage in the upper hall was re-equipped and re-decorated. Matushka Henriette Somow designed the first stained-glass window-icons. Having a thorough preparation in art, she consulted with experienced local persons regarding the proper method of making such windows in an Orthodox fashion. The result is stained-glass which is rather different from what people often would expect if they have seen other stained-glass works in North America and Western Europe. Instead of darkening the interior, these windows (4.3 m tall and 1.5 m wide) admit light very freely, so that the interior of the Temple is very bright. In fact, these windows admit more daylight into the interior of the Temple than would glass which had been frosted or coloured in some other manner. The images on the glass follow correct iconographic rules for representing holy persons and events in a modified form of the traditional style.

This work had originated in 1981 with a proposal to the parish council (which then began to raise funds), but it truly began in a concrete way with a request from a senior parishioner that a stained-glass window be prepared for the Temple, which would depict the Risen Christ. The commissioned window was to be in memory of her departed parents. This particular work is what led to the production of the remaining windows, funded by donations from other parishioners.

Mrs. Mary Kosikar paid for the image of Christ the Saviour. The Levitsky family paid for the images of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, Saint Seraphim of Sarov, Saint Herman of Alaska and Saint Innocent of Alaska. Mrs. N Prescesky paid for the images of Saints Cyril and Methodius (teachers of the Slavs). Numerous parishioners donated for the images of Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves. Also, images of Saints Vladimir and Olga of Kiev were added as the parish project for the Millennium of the Baptism of Rus'. These windows were installed in the autumn of 1989.

Father Evan initiated a cycle of lectures. The quarterly publication of “Parish Life” was resumed. On 2 October, the patronal feast-day was celebrated, along with the anniversary of the Millennium of the Baptism of Rus'. Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) and Bishop Seraphim (Storheim) concelebrated the Divine Liturgy. Soloists and 5 choirs performed in the concert.

1989 ; 65 years

In January, 1989, Deacon Andrey Somow resigned from the Russian Orthodox Society in view of its failure to amend its by-laws. Bishop Seraphim (Storheim) arrive in order to try to deal with the matter. During a meeting, he expressed his regret that the Society’s lack of progress in following the directive of Metropolitan Theodosius, which was that the by-laws be brought into conformity with standard OCA parish by-laws. He exhorted them to continue the work.

On 2 April, a Lenten concert was given at Holy Resurrection Church. On 7 July, the Saint Vladimir Seminary Octet visited and performed. The Monk Panteleimon (Belko), having moved to Vancouver, returned to the parish, and he functioned as a reader and a singer.

Cleaning of murals, 1989

In July, 1989, Harrison Restorers did the first cleaning of the icons in the Temple (both the murals and the other icons). The work consisted of removing years of carbon deposit that came from candles and incense. Because the original work had been so well-done, the restorers had little difficulty accomplishing their work, and they reported that they had enjoyed doing it.

65 years

The 65th anniversary of this parish was celebrated on 1 October, 1989. Bishop Seraphim (Seraphim) celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. A banquet and concert were held in the upper hall.

A poll was conducted amongst parishioners concerning the proposed switch to the New (Revised Julian) Calendar. The great majority were in favour. The change was approved, and it came into effect with the Christmas celebration on 25 December, 1989.

1990

In 1990, Deacon Andrey Somow was elevated to the dignity of protodeacon. He began to serve at the Saint Elias Arab Orthodox Church in New Westminster, British Columbia.

At this time, a division took place in the Romanian community which was renting the upper hall for worship services. The group led by the Priest Aurel Sas and Mr. Ben Nenson signed a new rental agreement with the ROS regarding the use of the church hall.

Cultural life was reactivated. A Christmas concert was held on 7 January, a Lenten concert on 25 March, and a Latin Concert on 22 April. A Lenten retreat was offered. In May, Father Evan led a group of parishioners on a trip to Christ the King Benedictine Abbey in Mission, British Columbia. A parish picnic was held in July at the Somows’ home in Surrey.

Mercy and Compassion, 1990

In April, 1990, the “Miloserdie Group” (Mercy and Compassion Group) was formally established on the initiative of Mrs. Raisa Kolesnikov. Its purpose was to help ill children in Russian hospitals, and particularly the Morozov Children's Hospital in Moscow. First-aid parcels were assembled and sent to Moscow. The event was covered on local TV, which helped raise more funds. A benefit concert was performed on 2 December by students of the Nikolai M. Kolesnikov music school. The work begun then continued over many years, until the local resources in Russia had become sufficient.

Archdiocesan Assembly, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 1990

In July, 1990, at the Diocesan Assembly in Saskatoon, Bishop Seraphim (Storheim) was nominated to be the ruling Bishop of Ottawa and Canada, and new archdiocesan by-laws were adopted. Later, the Holy Synod of Bishops confirmed the nomination by electing him, and the enthronement in Ottawa, Ontario, was arranged for October.

Renewal of Church school

The Sunday School was begun in October, with Mrs. Nelica Volrich as teacher. Bishop Seraphim appointed Mrs. Mary Kolbowicz to be superintendent of the school. Father Evan travelled to Australia for family reasons.

1991

During the political crisis in the Soviet Union in August, 1991, Father Evan had several speaking engagements on TV, radio and for the press.

At this time, Mr. David Labute and Ms. Dianne Bristow taught Sunday School. The lending library re-opened. Mr. David (Paul) Kelly joined the parish, and he took charge of the kitchen.

Protodeacon Andrey Somow retired from active duty effective on 1 January, 1992.

1992

In 1992, the Sunday of Orthodoxy was celebrated by the OCA parishes together at the Holy Resurrection Church. The Lenten retreat was held on the Palm Sunday weekend. Meetings of the Orthodox clergy in Vancouver become regular.

A benefit concert for the Moscow Children’s Hospital was held on 5 April. The Mercy and Compassion Group sent 270 boxes of clothing to Moscow that year.

Mr. Kirill Bolshakov started teaching music to children. Ms. Sandra Gorda became the Sunday school teacher.

Protodeacon Andrey Somow ordained to the Holy Priesthood, 1992

On 26 December, 1992, Protodeacon Andrey Somow, returning to active duty, was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Seraphim (Storheim). He was assigned to serve as a supply priest for the Deanery of British Columbia. He was made free to serve in any of the OCA parishes and to assist with the development of missionary communities.

1993 ; Archdiocesan Assembly ; Archpriest Andrey Somow

On 27-29 July, 1993, the Archdiocesan Assembly was held in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Archpriest Andrey Somow served on the planning committee ; Matushka Henriette was responsible for art and music ; Father Evan was in charge of public relations and the banquet. Michael Andruff supervised the details of registration and welcome. David Kelly took care of audio and video documentation.

The Clergy Synaxis was hosted by the Holy Resurrection Church, in the church hall. By this time, Father Andrey had already begun collecting important documents and photographs which would in time contribute greatly to the development of the parish history.

On 1 August, 1993, the Priest Evan Lowig was released from his assignment and he was transferred to Alberta. In December, Father Andrey was assigned to be the acting rector of Holy Resurrection Church.

Archpriest Andrey Somow rector, 1993

On 1 August, 1993, the Archpriest Andrey Somow was assigned to be the interim rector of Holy Resurrection Church. He was then confirmed to be the rector in 1994. During the years of his service, in addition to all his other contributions, he organised the parish's historical documents and memorabilia, together with his own collection of documents, into a good archival collection. A space under the Temple was set aside and properly renovated for the purpose of storing these materials safely.

Archpriest Andrey Somow

Events, 1993-194

Further immigration

The collapse of the communist regime and of the Soviet Union in the 1990s produced a new exodus of Russian professionals to Canada and other western countries. Individuals and families arriving from Russia and from Israel started showing up at church and requesting financial and other help. Some of them eventually joined the parish. The ROS formed a committee to lobby on behalf of refugee claimants, called "Assistance to Russian Newcomers" (ARN). A group of young actors, refugee claimants, joined the church choir and put on performances on the stage of the upper hall. Alexei Surovikin, a Russian artist formerly of the Kiev Caves Lavra, painted a new mural in the lower hall. This mural reflects the subject of the previous art : birch trees, Russian landscape, the Church.

1994 ; 70 years

The 70th anniversary of the parish was celebrated on 20 September, 1994, together with the 200th anniversary of Orthodoxy in North America. Bishop Seraphim (Storheim) presided at the celebration of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. A banquet and a concert were held in the upper hall.

At the anniversary banquet and programme

In December, Father Andrew started a Bible-study group. Mrs. Tatiana Mednikova re-started the Russian School. Out of 100 parishioners at that time, 50 were over 75 years of age, and 25 were English-speakers.

1995

In 1995, the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers service was held at Holy Resurrection Church on 12 March. Later in the year, concert singers from Moscow and the actor Alexei Batalov performed in the church hall. The Russian Library was re-opened. A large screen TV-VCR was bought for showing inspirational videos. Mrs. Kolesnikova travelled to Moscow to meet the beneficiaries and partners of the Mercy and Compassion Group. With the generous donations of the Universal Aid Society, total aid sent exceeded $3,000,000.00 by 1996.

At this time, the Dimoff family leased the rectory. Mr. Dimitry Dimoff took on the duties of property caretaker.

1996

As of 1 November, 1996, Archpriest Stephen Basil Slipko was assigned to serve as Second Priest at Holy Resurrection Sobor. Matushka Maria did a considerable amount of work in the Christian education of the children during the following years.

The Lenten retreat and Lenten concert have become annual events, with growing attendance.

Project Mexico

Subdeacon Konstantine Somow became involved in Project Mexico – an Orthodox mission and orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. He began to work there voluntarily several times a year, and he continued this voluntary work for many years.

1997

In 1997, the kitchen was re-constructed and re-equipped at the cost of $30,000, under the leadership of ROS President Mr. Igor Chudin. The basement was cleaned and rearranged. The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on the patronal feast-day was served by Bishop Mark (Petrovtsiy) of Kashira, Administrator of the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Canada.

Mr. Anatoly E Portnoff, the oldest parishioner, celebrated his 90th birthday in the upper hall on 28 November. Father Stephen Slipko was elevated to the dignity of archpriest.

In the same year, preparations were launched for the 75th anniversary celebration ; a Jubilee Committee was formed.

Events 1994-1997

1998

In 1998, the Lenten Retreat was the biggest ever, with 7 priests and almost 40 laity participating.

On 26-27 May, Patriarch Bartholomew (Archontonis) of Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarch, visited Vancouver. At that time, the city council was petitioned to rename in the patriarch's honour a portion of the street where the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George is situated (as was done in Toronto, for instance) ; but the councillors were unwilling to do this for various reasons.

1999 ; Renovations

In 1999, the entire interior and exterior of the Temple and the halls were re-painted and re-decorated. Blacktop was laid behind the Temple.

In the Temple itself, a new hardwood floor was laid down. The painting representing the Holy Trinity on the ceiling above the iconostas was changed so that it was outlined by the shape of a medallion or shield (designed by Matushka Henriette Somow). The restorers removed all the gold paint on and around the painting, and they replaced it with "German leaf".

Then, a new extension to the iconostas (a third, top row, called the "prophet row") was installed (all the icons are the work of Matushka Henriette Somow). Included in this was a second cleaning and restoration of the other icons. The restorers reported that wall-paintings were almost as layered with carbon as they had been before, in 1989. They suggested that funds be put aside for re-cleaning the paintings in another 10 years. The workers who did the gold leaf stained the extension to the iconostas in order to match the old woodwork (which was also cleaned and restored).

The renovations to the iconostas, and above it to the Holy Trinity mural painting

Holy Trinity Icon (Rublev style) on a wall in the Sobor

Meanwhile, services were held in the upper hall. Up to 300 people attended the Paschal procession and Matins that year.

On the initiative of Mr. Bill (Basil) Mitroschak, several parish hikes took place in GVRD (Greater Vancouver Regional District) parks.

On 24-17 July, 1999, Father Stephen Slipko attended the 12th All-American Council of the OCA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

On 1 August, 1999, Father Andrey Somow celebrated the 25th anniversary of his service in the Sobor of the Holy Resurrection.

In 1999, Father Andrey Somow asked for retirement from active pastoral service. The request was made because of his weakening health, and the request was blessed.

In 1999, the Archpriest Stephen Slipko was released from his duties at Holy Resurrection Sobor, and he was transferred.

75 years

On 17-18 September, 1999, Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding in 1924. Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) presided over the services of the Vigil and the Primatial Divine Liturgy and the associated social gatherings. He was accompanied by Protodeacon John Hopko.

Bishop Seraphim (Storheim) and Archbishop Mark (Petrovtsiy) served together with the metropolitan. They were assisted by Archpriest Andrey Somow ; Archpriest Vadim Pogrebniak ; Archpriest Stephen Slipko ; Archpriest Michael Fourik ; Priest Miroslav Dejanov ; Priest Evan Lowig ; Priest Lawrence Farley ; Priest Panagiotis Pavlakos ; Priest Iohanna Ayoub ; Priest Nicholas Kondratyev.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, there was as usual a procession around the Temple, which included the reading of the Holy Gospel with blessing with water on the 4 exterior walls.

On this occasion, there was the inauguration of the "Order of the Archdiocese of Canada Award Medal of Saint Tikhon the Enlightener". Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) was the first recipient of this medal. Others were then presented with this award, which gives recognition for long and significant service to the Orthodox Church, particularly in the Archdiocese of Canada. The medal was designed by Matushka Henriette Somow. The recipients on this occasion included : the Archpriest Andrey Somow ; Anatole Portnoff ; Irene A Rozvaliaeff ; Olga Fetisoff ; Tamara Mihailoff ; Anton Rudkiewich. A historical booklet was produced for this occasion.

Anniversary Book

Choir

Russian School (left) ; Church/Sunday School (right)

Photo caption about Anglican guests was a mistake : they were from the local seminary

1985-1986

1986-1989

Renewal of life on a living foundation ; Archpriest Michael Fourik, 1999

On 29 September, 1999, the Archpriest Michael Fourik was received from the Moscow Patriarchate through Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor). He was assigned to serve as the rector of Holy Resurrection Sobor. He and his family drove from the Lamont, Alberta, region for this purpose. The family had lived there already for about 10 years. The lease on the rectory was ended, and the Fourik family took up residence there upon their arrival.

In receiving Father Fourik, the parish received not only an able administrator, but also a very active pastor and pastoral visitor, and a family of active contributors to the life of the parish family. He had studied at the Moscow Theological Academy, from which he graduated with a Ph.D.-equivalent degree. There, he sang in the seminary choir and directed choirs under the training and leadership of the famous Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl’). He undertook further formation and he was assigned to work in the Department of Inter-church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. Later, he married the daughter of an archpriest in Moscow, and they moved to Canada and served together in a series of rural parishes from Lamont, Alberta, where they lived and served (primarily under Archbishop Mark (Petrovtsiy)). In addition to a good theological, musical, diplomatic and pastoral education, Father Michael came to the community with a broad range of practical skills. Almost from the moment of the arrival of Father Michael, Matushka Elena, and their children Anastasia, Nestor and Kyrill, the life and direction of the parish began steadily to settle and to normalise.

The Priest Andrey Somow was granted retirement on 15 November, 1999, and he was attached to Holy Resurrection Sobor in Vancouver, British Columbia.

2000

In 2000, the Hieromonk James (McLuckie) was assigned to serve in Holy Resurrection Sobor as an auxiliary priest. He was a former iconographer in the USA. However, he had suffered a stroke which left him partly paralysed, although he was able to serve to some extent.

In 2000, Kirill Bolshakov became the leader of the choir.

There began a slow and steady process in which the rectory and various parts of the Temple and hall were renewed, refreshed, and renovated. This work, which continued what was begun by Father Somow, is a process which continues until the present. Father Michael Fourik began this work first with Michael (Nikifor) Andruff, and after him other skilled persons in the parish. He worked together with them, and he still does so, since he is very capable with his hands.

During the following years also, Father Michael renewed the process begun by Father Andrey Somow (one which he had undertaken as an obedience to Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns), which was the renovation of the administration and by-laws of the parish. The first attempts had been made through repeated attempts by Father Andrey, both when he was a deacon and when he was a priest. These attempts were within the Russian Orthodox Society itself, and they were made repeatedly during the pastorates of the priests Victor Sokolov and Evan Lowig. The main difficulty that seemed to be an insurmountable barrier was the difference in perception. Some understood and followed the canonical teaching about the Church as the Body of Christ. This means that the Church is governed similarly to a flock of sheep or a family. Others perceived that the Church is administered in the manner of a simple society or club (as directed by the Societies Act).

The canonical way of Church government understands that all live and work co-operatively under benevolent leadership. The society way of government has built into it (by the government provisions) division, adversarial relationships, and power. Although it may not have been the original intention, the society was a distinct entity which operated the parish, rather than being itself the parish council of the parish. Under the society, the priest was separate, and even inferior to the corporation of the society. This made an open wound, as it were. There were good intentions on the part of all, but there was great difficulty finding common ground in this matter.

It was Alexander V Ovodov who proved to be of invaluable service in helping to bring about the return to normal parish government and administration. In fact, this process came to fruition with the least pain and difficulty possible. "Miracle" is not too strong a word to use with regard to the outcome of what had previously seemed to be an impossible task.

2002

In 2002, a CD was released. Entitled “Singers of Holy Resurrection”, it featured Kirill Bolshakov, Tamara Klymko, Stephen Mitianin, Irina Naverniouk, and Marina Osmolovskaya. The recording contains 11 hymns by Russian composers.

Repose of Anatole Yefimovich Portnoff, 2002

In 2002, Anatole Yefimovich Portnoff fell asleep in the Lord. Anatole Yefimovich was a living testament of the history of the Holy Resurrection in Vancouver. For 65 years, he was a member of the church choir, and his velvety bass voice embellished the choir. He was also an excellent church reader : for many years he would read the Old Testament readings of Vespers (when they were prescribed), the Six Psalms of Matins, and the Epistle (Apostol) of the Divine Liturgy. He was always willing to contribute from his strength, experience, and knowledge towards the prosperity and growth of the parish. He was a member of the church council for many years, and at one or another time he held every single position – from a member at large to president, property manager, secretary, vice-president, president. There is not one duty that Anatole Yefimovich did not perform. It is not surprising in the context of such a life that Anatole Yefimovich was very often asked whether he would become a priest. Protesting his unworthiness, he always demurred.

Anatole Yefimovich Portnoff had served as President of the Russian Orthodox Society (which was, in fact, the parish council) in Vancouver in 1961-1963, 1967-1969, 1986.

2003

In 2003, in recognition of his devoted service, Father Andrey was officially elevated to the dignity of archpriest.

Soon after this, the by-laws of the parish were finally changed, and the parish itself became the leader of the life of the parish, together with, in harmony with, and under the leadership of the rector. In other words, normal government of an Orthodox parish was re-established. Although the Russian Orthodox Society had, indeed, saved the parish from bankruptcy many decades before, and although the society had accomplished much good in the parish, by its very existence as a society incorporated under the Society Act of British Columbia, it had introduced and maintained a division in the parish family. Although all were grateful for all the sacrificial labours and for the care of the members of the society (most of whom were active parishioners), the division was felt, and the division had regularly fostered difficulties. After the change, there was a healing of this distinction and division, and a united family in Christ became possible and grew. After the change, the parish was no longer operating as a society with its built-in weaknesses and differences from the Orthodox way. After the change, the parish began to operate much more as a family, and healthy inter-personal relationships were much more possible to be nurtured.

Holy Resurrection Sobor Sunday Congregation in the 2000s

2004 ; 80 years

The 80th anniversary was celebrated on 12 September, 2004, with the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, followed by a procession around the Temple and then a festal dinner. The photos and videos available in the references section following show the faces and give the sounds of the voices of the many parishioners who participated at that time.

This anniversary was followed by a separate English-language service which was a preparatory step towards the opening of the Mission of Saint John of Shanghai in Vancouver. The new mission was able to enact by-laws similar to the new and life-giving by-laws used at the Holy Resurrection Sobor.

2009 : Repose of Hieromonk James (McLuckie)

On 22 July, 2009, the Hieromonk James (McLuckie) in Kamloops reposed in the Lord in Kamloops, British Columbia. Father Michael Fourik had diligently cared for him when his health drastically worsened, and he had helped many persons to visit Father James in his weakness before he left Vancouver to be nearer his family. Father Michael saw to it that Father James had received the Holy Mysteries before his repose. Father Michael also led the funeral services after his repose.

2009 : Visit to Canada of the Wonder-working Icon of the Theotokos of Pochaev, Ukraine

On 22 September, 2009, the Wonder-working Icon of the Theotokos of the Holy Dormition Monastery in Pochaiv, Ukraine, arrived in Canada], to begin a series of visits in this country – visits that would prove to make a significant impression on everyone, whether we managed to venerate this Holy Icon, or not. These visits concluded on 11 October.

On 2 October, 2009, the Holy, Wonder-working Icon of the Theotokos of Pochaev arrived in Vancouver. Father Michael Fourik and others met the monks who brought the Holy Icon from the Pochaev Lavra, and who protected it throughout the journey. The Holy Icon was placed in Holy Resurrection Sobor, where very many people arrived in order to venerate the Mother of God. Very many people experienced the love and intercession of the Mother of God during this visit : some received healing, some were strengthened in their faith, some found repentance and a changed life, and people were brought closer to the Saviour through this encounter.

Father Michael meeting the monks at the aeroport

Holy Icon of Pochaev and Monk-guardians

2010

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

On 12-26 April, 2010, Father Michael Fourik and some parishioners participated in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, along with many others from across Canada. The pilgrimage was guided by Priest Ilya Gotlinsky (of the Dormition parish in Binghampton, New York). This pilgrimage group received many blessings during the course of the days, and Father Ilya (a very capable organiser and teacher) provided the participants (43) with an exceptionally rich programme of exposure to the holy sites. He also saw to it that the pilgrims heard explanations from archaeologists who knew the holy sites. One local guide told the pilgrims that other groups usually receive about half the encounters this group received. Those who participated were permanently affected by their experience, and they were strengthened very much as Orthodox Christians.

Some Holy Resurrection parishioner-pilgrims

Changes in the manner of singing ; renovation projects

In 2010, there developed the need (primarily because of age and illness) to develop a new choir. During this process, Father Michael also taught the faithful of the parish how to sing many elements of the various services, and the overall singing began to become stronger once again.

In 2010, Kirill Bolshakov ended his time as leader of the singing. From that year, Victoria Popovich began to lead the singing.

Over the next several years, a plan was developed which would increase the space in which worshippers could stand, and it would provide space for caring for the many children who attended weekly. The plan would require a considerable amount of work, and of money. On Sunday, 10 July, 2011, immediately after the Divine Liturgy, there was a Special General Meeting of the parish at noon in order to discuss the Church Renovation Project. There was general interest and approval of this proposal. However, the process of obtaining agreement with the appropriate departments of the City Council proved to be an insurmountable obstacle. Therefore, only elements of this plan were able to be realised.

In the autumn of 2011, Archpriest Michael M Fourik was given the blessing to wear the mitre.

2012

Father Andrey Somow continued during these years to help at Holy Resurrection Sobor, and in other communities where possible. He served the Divine Liturgy for the last time on 7 January, 2012.

Repose in Christ of Archpriest Andrey Somow, 2012

The Archpriest Andrey Somow reposed in the Lord in Surrey, British Columbia, on 29 March, 2012. The funeral services for the Archpriest Andrey Somow were offered in Vancouver, British Columbia, on 3-4 April, 2012.

On 3 April, a panikhida was served in the evening at Holy Resurrection Sobor at 7:00 p.m.

Then, on the morning of 4 April, the Memorial Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was served at the Serbian Orthodox Church of Saint Michael the Archangel at 8:30 a.m. After the Liturgy, the Funeral Service for a Priest was served by 12 priests and 1 deacon.

The services on 4 April took place in Burnaby because of the great distance between Holy Resurrection Sobor and the cemetery in Surrey. Travel-time would have been prohibitive, and Father Andrey, who planned all the details, had compassion on all who would participate. The interment of the body of Father Andrey Somow took place in the afternoon of 4 April in the Valley View Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Surrey, British Columbia.

The Temple after painting

2014 : 90 years

Blessing the waters at Theophany, 2014

On 19 January, 2014, as had become a long-standing custom, Father Michael Fourik and parishioners gathered at Kitsilano Beach for the Theophany Blessing of Water. At this inlet, the Pacific Ocean is blessed.

Blessing the waters

Sunday of Orthodoxy, 2014

On 9 March, 2014, Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik, along with the representatives of many Orthodox parishes of Greater Vancouver took part in Great Vespers commemorating the Triumph of Orthodoxy. This took place at Saints Nicholas and Dimitrios Greek Orthodox Church. Other clergy participating included : Protopresbyter Dorotheos Trifonopoulos (rector of the host parish) ; Protopresbyter Demetrios S Partsafas ; Archpriest Miroslav Dejanov ; Archpriest Steven Slipko ; Priest Evangelos Aravantino ; Archpriest Nicolae Lapuste ; Priest Konstantinos Tsiolas ; Archpriest Michael Gillis ; Priest Justin Hewlett ; Priest Malisha Milanovic ; Priest Marko Radmanovic ; Hierodeacon Philip (Ptashnik).

Pascha, 2014

On the Feast of Pascha, as had already been a long custom, Father Michael Fourik blessed the Paschal baskets after the conclusion of the services. There have been so many who were asking for this blessing, that it had become necessary to set up tables on 43rd Avenue for this purpose.

Paschal blessing of baskets

The 90th anniversary of the parish

In September, 2014, the 90th anniversary was marked for Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor in Vancouver.

On 20-21 September, 2014, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon), who had arrived in Vancouver for the feast-day, served the Vigil of the Feast-day, and he presided over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the Sobor of the Holy Resurrection. The retired Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo) and Bishop Varlaam (Novakshonoff) concelebrated together with him. Deacons Jesse Isaac, Peter Choi, Gregory Wright and Philip Ptashnik also served, along with Father Michael Fourik and Father Miroslav Dejanov. Vladyka Irénée blessed the Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik and Matushka Elena Fourik with the Archdiocesan Award of Saint Tikhon of Moscow, and he also gave blessed gramotas to others as well. After the festal procession, there was, as always, a meal served and a concert offered.

Anniversary greeting

The choir in 2014

The parish council in 2014

The Temple in 2014

2015

On 4-5 October, 2015, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) visited the parish in order to mark the annual name-day of the Temple. At the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, Vladyka Irénée served, together with retired Archbishops Lazar (Puhalo) and Bishop Varlaam (Novakshonoff), along with Father Michael Fourik and Deacon Nicolas Svetlovsky of Montréal, Québec.

2016 : Centennial of the Archdiocese of Canada

From 24 to 26 September, 2016, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) was at Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor, and in the lower mainland for the purpose of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Archdiocese of Canada. This had taken place in 1916, with the assignment to Winnipeg of Archbishop Alexander (Nemolovsky) to be the Vicar-Bishop for Canada. It was also the annual celebration of the Altar-feast day of the parish.

During the Divine Liturgy on 25 September, Deacon Aleksey Isakov (who had been ordained to the Holy Diaconate at Saint Herman's Orthodox Church in Langley on 24 September) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood.

Service at the 100th anniversary of the archdiocese

Pascha, 2017, Archpastoral Visit

In April, 2017, from Great and Holy Friday through the Great Feast of Pascha, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) was present in the parish and leading the services.

Holy Friday, 2017

Deacon Nicolas P Svetlovsky ; Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik ; Archbishop Irénée (Rochon)

Archpastoral visit, 2018

On Wednesday of the week of the Veneration of the Holy Cross in Great Lent, on 14 March, 2018, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) visited the Sobor parish during the meeting of the Archdiocesan Council, which the parish hosted during the Week of the Holy Cross. During the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) ordained the Subdeacon Mikhail Ivanov to the Holy Diaconate. Protodeacon Jesse Isaac and Deacon Nicolas Svetlovsky assisted at the ordination.

Deacon Mikhail Ivanov was attached at Holy Resurrection Sobor.

Ordination of Deacon Mikhail Ivanov

Vancouver Orthodox Cemetery, 2018

In May, 2018, in accordance with an act of the Annual Parish Meeting on 11 March, 2018, the Vancouver Orthodox Cemetery (VOC) was created through an agreement between this parish and Heritage Gardens Surrey Cemetery (HGSC) within their territory. The purpose of establishing the VOC was to maintain in good order the interments of Orthodox Christians.

The operation of the VOC is governed by a set of Cemetery By-Laws which are in accordance with all the regulations of the Provincial government, and "green interments" (traditional manner of interment) are permitted.

VOC has approximately 635 plots.

The address of the cemetery is :

19082-16th Avenue (192 Street and 16 Avenue)

Surrey, British Columbia

The company’s web-site is : http://heritagegardenscemetery.com

Stone gazebo at a corner of the cemetery

During the summer of 2018, a major renovation of the roofing of the Temple and the hall was undertaken. The previous asphalt shingles were replaced by aluminum metal roofing. This roofing, which is reminiscent of a European style, is expected to last for at least 50 years.

2018 : new roofing and the sun shining on the Cross

Under the leadership of the Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik, there have been constant renovations and improvements to the Temple, the hall, the surrounding grounds and to the rectory, and also to the good governance of the parish. These renovation works have helped to keep the whole fabric of the structures in good condition, and to minimise the expense of any necessary repairs and improvements.

Archpastoral visitation, 2019

On Sunday, 8 December, 2019, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) visited Holy Resurrection Sobor, and he presided at the serving of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the Temple.

Vladyka Irénée and some parishioners

Archpastoral visitation, 2020

On Sunday, 23 February, 2020, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) visited Holy Resurrection Sobor. As usual, Vladyka presided at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the Temple.

Following the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Vladyka Irénée and those present adjourned to the lower hall of the parish. There, at a specially organised luncheon, the 70th birthday of Arthur Kostiha was marked. Arthur, a very long-time member of the parish council, and of its ancestor, the council of the Russian Orthodox Society, had at this time completed 16 years of faithful service as Starosta of the Sobor.

2020 Coronavirus-19 closure of parishes

Because of the rules governing gatherings during the Coronavirus-19 Pandemic, that were laid down by the provincial and city governments, the cathedral stopped any further services after 8 March, 2020. Including the rules regarding social distancing, the decreasing numbers permitted for any gathering, the considerations regarding the health of all concerned, and the directions of Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) that the civilian rules be obeyed, this parish was unable to have any more of the usual services in the Temple until the lifting of the restrictions. These measures are similar to those that were taken in the past, in various parts of the Orthodox world, during the time of a plague. The parish continued to improvise worship for the parishioners through the use of the internet to communicate services from the Temple to the parishioners thereafter, including after the time when it was permitted to begin to gather again in the Temple. The conditions affected all society for the remainder of the year.

2022 : 35th anniversary of priestly pastoral service for Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik

On Sunday, 28 August, 2022, the Feast of the Dormition of the Holy Theotokos, the Festal Divine Liturgy was served in the Temple. On this particular occasion, the 35th anniversary of ordination to the Holy Priesthood of Father Michael Fourik was observed. The parishioners expressed their heartfelt love and gratitude to him on this occasion through gifts of flowers and speeches, and the singing of "Many Years". In 1987, Father Michael had been ordained in Odessa, Ukraine, by Metropolitan Sergei (Petrov) of Odessa.

Father Michael Fourik on his anniversary of ordination

2023 : July visit of Archbishop Irénée (Rochon)

On 29-30 July, 2023, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) visited both Holy Resurrection Sobor and the Temple of Saint John of Shanghai in Vancouver. On Saturday, 29 July, 2023, he served the Vigil in Holy Resurrection Sobor. On Sunday, 30 July, he served the Divine Liturgy in the Temple of Saint John of Shanghai.

After the Vigil service at Holy Resurrection Sobor

2024 : 100 years

On the weekend of 19-20 October, 2024, the centennial anniversary of Holy Resurrection Sobor (Cathedral) was marked during the serving of the weekly Resurrectional Vigil and Divine Liturgy. On this occasion, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) presided at both services. The anniversary celebrations had been preceded by a meeting of the Archdiocesan Council of the Archdiocese of Canada.

On Saturday, 19 October, at the Resurrectional Vigil, Archbishop Irénée led the serving of the Vigil service of Vespers and Matins. He was assisted by retired Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo), who served despite his weak health. The were assisted by 8 priests, 1 protodeacon, and 2 deacons. Other clergy were present, but not serving.

At the conclusion of the Vigil, Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik was presented with a gift from the parishioners on the occasion of his birthday.

Clergy after Vigil

Some parishioners and clergy after Vigil

On Sunday, 20 October, the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy of Sunday (which marked also the centennial anniversary of the parish) was led by Archbishop Irénée. He was assisted by 12 priests, 1 protodeacon, and 2 deacons. Retired Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo) was present, but not serving. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a Synodal Gramota was presented to the parish by Vladyka Irénée.

Beginning the Divine Liturgy

The Altar at the Cherubic Hymn

The Great Entrance

Clergy after the Divine Liturgy

Following the service, there followed a festal banquet in the lower parish hall. This was in turn followed by a special anniversary concert by the parish choir, church school, and parishioners in the upper parish hall.

Selection of photos from the anniversary concert :

Some of the faithful leaders in this parish

Priests who have served in this parish include :

 Archimandrite Antonin (Pokrovsky)  			1924–1929
 Archpriest Gregory Prozoroff 			1930-1931
 Archpriest Alexander Kiziun 				1931–1937
 Hieromonk Antony (Vasiliev) 				1938–1940 		
 Archimandrite Aggey (Mazur) 				1940–1948 		
 Archpriest Leonid Kaspersky 				1949–1952 	
 Mitred Archpriest Peter Kurzemnek 			1952–1962 				
 Archpriest Prokopiy Powers				1962–1963 	
 Archpriest Oleg Boldireff 				1963–1970 	
 Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk) 				1970–1978 	
 Igumen Cyril (Bulashevich)	 			1978–1984 	
 Archpriest John Karateyev (retired) 			1976–1987	
 Hieromonk Panteleimon (Belko) 			1979–1985 	
 Priest Victor Sokolov 				1985–1987 	
 Priest Evan Lowig			 		1988–1993 	
 Archpriest Andrey Somow (rector) 			1992–1999 	
 Archpriest Stephen Basil Slipko (auxiliary priest) 	1996–1999 	
 Archpriest Andrey Somow (retired)			1999-2012 	
 Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik (rector) 		1999–____ 	
 Hieromonk James (McLuckie) (auxiliary priest)		2000–2009 	
 Priest Peter Choi  (auxiliary priest)		2022-____ 	

 Sisterhood (Ladies Auxiliary) Presidents 
 A P Mironoff 		(1940s, 1960s)  
 E A Kozina 			(1944)  
 O Sysoloff			(1948)  
 A Polishchuk 		(1949, 1950)  
 Irene A Rozvaliaeff 		(1951, 1958)  
 M D Bulinger 		(1959)  
 Olga Petrovna Fetissoff 	(1964-1979)  
 N D Ivaschenko 		(1970)  
 Nancy A Briggs 		(1971-1983)  
 Natalia Andruff 		(1983-1987) (1990-1994)  
 Tamara Antonovna Mihailoff 	(1988)  
 Tatiana Kuc 			(1989)  
 Sandra Ellis 		(1995)  
 Nina Chudin 			(1998-2000)  
 Izabella Tchinichina 	(2001-2005)

 Choir leaders
 G A Maltsev 			(1925-26, 1933-1935)  
 S M Laschinsky 		(1930-1931)  
 A M Panofsky 		(1949-1956, 1960-1965)  
 E Evdokimov 			(1957) 
 A I Panteleyeff 		(1957-1960)  
 Valentin Kukuruza 		(1938)  
 Ye A Andreyev 		(1936-1948, 1966-1974) 
 Gregory Myers 		(1980, 1986) 
 Vadim Wright 		(1975-1979, 1981-1983) 
 Matushka Henrietta Somow 	(1983-1999)  
 Kirill Bolshakov 		(2000-June 2010)
 Victoria Popovich 		(2010-____)  

 Council Presidents (ROS Presidents)
 V G Andreyeff 			(1935)  
 C N Mamontoff 			(1939)  
 Vasily Alekseyevich Mironoff		(1936-1937, 1945)  
 E D Pahomoff 			(1938) 
 L A Krivtsov 			(1939, 1942-1945) 
 K N Mamontoff 			(1940-1941)  
 Nikolai Fyodorovich Evaschenko 	(1948, 1970)  
 N E Shtikoff 			(1946-1947, 1949)  
 Mikhail Sergeyevich Sergeyeff 	(1950-1958)  
 Yevgeny Yakovlevich Fetisoff 	(1959-1961, 1964-1966, 1971)  
 Anatoly Yefimovich Portnoff 		(1961-1963, 1967-1969, 1986)  
 Irina Andreyevna Rozvaliaeff 	(1972-1976, 1978, 1980-1982)  
 Deacon Andrey Somow 			(1979, 1983, 1985, 1987-1988)  
 Igor Nikolayevich Jachontoff 	(1984) 
 A Aleksejev 				(1989-1992) 
 Mike (Nikifor) Andruff 		(1993-1994)  
 Arthur Kostiha 			(1995-1997)  
 Igor Chudin 				(1998) 
 Sophia Weremchuk 			(2001-2002) 
 Sandra Ellis 			(2003) 
 Father Michael Fourik 			(2004-____) 

 Church Starostas
 Peter Leakanos Bancroft 	(1926-1928) 
 S M Laschinsky 		(1929-1931)  
 M I Aivazoff 		(1932) 
 N I Zotov 			(1933) 
 V A Podlegaieff 		(1934-1944) 
 F I Atamanenko 		(1945-1947) 
 D N Zotoff 			(1948) 
 Yakov Trifonovich Belonohy 	(1977-1982) 
 Yevgeny Petrovich Rozvaliaev (1948-1961, 1975-1976) 
 S A Levliuk 			(1962-1963, 1965-1968)  
 M L Pirogov 			(1969-1972) 
 N Kuzmin 			(1964) 
 D V Mitianin 		(1973-1974) 
 Mike N Andruff		(1974-1983
 Arthur (Nicholas) Kostiha 	(1983-87, 1992)  
 Walter V Kuc 		(1988)  
 David Kelly 			(1994)  
 Tamara Antonovna Mikhailoff 	(1995-1997)  
 Arthur (Nicholas) Kostiha 	(1998-2002, 2007-____)

 Treasurers
 Mrs.Thodos 			(1926-1928) 
 S M Laschinsky 		(1929-1931)  
 T D Fuyarchuk 		(1932) 
 N I Zotov 			(1933) 
 V Ya Podlegaieff 		(1934-1944) 
 N E Shtykoff 		(1945)  
 I A Vishniakoff 		(1946-1958) 
 Avgustin Ya Adamovich 	(1959-1978) 
 Olga Petrovna Fetissoff 	(1979-2004) 
 Pavel Sorokin 		(2004-____)

Anatole Efimovich Portnoff kept very good records, only a part of which are reflected in this outline of the history of the Sobor of the Holy Resurrection. Here, there appear very many names, and some personal details ; but the list of names of significant persons and personalities in this vibrant community of faithful Orthodox Christians is much longer. Even Anatole Efimovich could not name them all. Indeed, it is likely an impossible task to name everyone with gratitude for their offerings of time, talent, resources, labour and love for the Lord. Nevertheless, it is the Lord Himself who knows each one, and it is He who blesses and gives life and strength to each one.

Interior of the Temple

2024 : 100 years

On the weekend of 19-20 October, 2024, the centennial anniversary of Holy Resurrection Sobor (Cathedral) was marked during the serving of the weekly Resurrectional Vigil and Divine Liturgy. On this occasion, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) presided at both services. The anniversary celebrations had been preceded by a meeting of the Archdiocesan Council of the Archdiocese of Canada.

On Saturday, 19 October, at the Resurrectional Vigil, Archbishop Irénée led the serving of the service of Vespers and Matins. He was assisted by retired Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo), who served despite his weak health. The were assisted by 8 priests, 1 protodeacon, and 2 deacons. Other clergy were present, but not serving. At the conclusion of the Vigil, Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik was presented with a gift from the parishioners on the occasion of his birthday.

On Sunday, 20 October, the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy of Sunday (which marked also the centennial anniversary of the parish) was led by Archbishop Irénée. He was assisted by 12 priests, 1 protodeacon, and 2 deacons. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a Synodal Gramota was presented to the parish by Vladyka Irénée.

Following the service, there followed a festal banquet in the upper parish hall.

This was in turn followed by a special anniversary concert by the parish choir, church school, and parishioners in the upper parish hall.

A "slide-show" of the 2 festival days available here.

Particular parish information

This sobor parish is part of the British Columbia & Yukon Deanery of the Archdiocese of Canada of The Orthodox Church in America. The dean is the Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik. The bishop is Archbishop Irénée (Rochon).

This parish follows the Old (Julian) Calendar.

The Altar Feast-day of this parish is the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple of the Holy Resurrection in Jerusalem, 13/26 September.

In 2024, the pastor of the parish is the Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik.

Attached at the parish are :

Priest Aleksey Isakov (serving as Deanery supply priest) ;

Priest Peter Choi (serving Holy Theophany Mission, Gibsons, British Columbia) ;

Deacon Mikhail Ivanov.

Holy Resurrection Sobor and hall entry

Address :

Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor

75, East 43 Avenue

Vancouver, British Columbia

V5W 1S7

Web-site : http://www.holyres.org

Facebook

Vancouver Orthodox Cemetery

Directions :

The Temple is at the corner of 43rd Avenue and Quebec Street. It is 4 blocks south of 43rd Avenue, along Quebec Street, and 3 blocks west of Main Street, along 43rd Avenue.

By car :

Approaching from the city-centre, drive south on Main Street. Turn right on 43rd Avenue. The Temple will be on the right.

Approaching from 41st Avenue east or west, turn south at Quebec Street. The Temple will be on the right.

By bus :

Vancouver Transit provides bus service along 41st Avenue, and along Main Street.

The 41st Avenue service connects with the Canada Line of the SkyTrain.

Vancouver is accessible by road, chiefly by Highway #1 from the west, and Highway #99 from the south.

It is accessible by various airline companies through the Vancouver International Aeroport.

Vancouver is accessible by railway by VIARail from points to the east in Canada. It is accessible also by Amtrak from Seattle and other connecting stations.

It is accessible by ferry through BC Ferries at either Tsawassen or Horseshoe Bay.

Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik

Telephones : 604-322-0024 ; 778-892-1552

E-mail : michaelfourik@gmail.com

Priest Aleksey Isakov

Telephones : 604-475-5582 ; 778-558-4795

E-mail : isakovaleksey@yahoo.ca

Priest Peter Choi

Telephone : 604-218-8145

E-mail : fr.peter.t.choi@gmail.com

Deacon Mikhail Ivanov

Telephone : 604-445-8228

E-mail : mike.v.ivanov@gmail.com

Two of the domes

References

Archdiocese of Canada – Orthodox Church in America, “The Orthodox Church in Canada : A Chronology” (Ottawa : Archdiocese of Canada, 1988).

Canadian Greek-Orthodox Calendar (Montreal-Toronto : Diocese of Canada, 1960).

A Chronological History of the Archdiocese of Canada, Part 1

Russian Mission in North America

Tarasar, Constance J, ed., “Orthodox America 1794-1976 : Development of The Orthodox Church in America” (Syosset, NY : The Orthodox Church in America Department of History and Archives, 1975). ASIN : B000ZLZAUE.

Tyspin, Archpriest Vladislav, “History of the Russian Church : 1917-1997” (Moscow : Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery Publishing House, 1997). ISBN : 5-7302-0815-4

Parish web-site, history, information

Additional information :

Archdiocese listing

Archdiocese of Canada web-site

Archdiocese of Canada Facebook

Orthodoxwiki article about the Archdiocese of Canada

OCA listing

web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)

Saint Tikhon (Belavin)

(Saint) Archbishop Arseny (Chahovtsov)

Archbishop Alexander (Nemolovsky)

Archbishop Evdokim (Meschersky)

Metropolitan Platon (Rozhdestvensky)

Metropolitan Theophilus (Pashkovsky)

Metropolitan Leonty (Turkevich)

Metropolitan Ireney (Bekish)

Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor)

Metropolitan Herman (Swaiko)

Metropolitan Jonah (Pauffhausen)

Metropolitan Tikhon (Mollard)

Metropolitan Sergei (Petrov)

Metropolitan Mark (Petrovtsiy)

Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns)

Archbishop Irénée (Rochon)

Archbishop Antonin (Pokrovsky)

Bishop Joasaph (Antoniuk)

Archimandrite Cyril (Bulashevitch)

Archpriest Peter Kurzemnek

Archpriest Alexander Kizyun

Archpriest Grigory Prozorov

Mitred Archpriest Oleg and Matushka Natalia Boldireff

Archpriest Andrey and Matushka Henriette Somow

Mitred Archpriest Michael and Matushka Elena Fourik

Anatole and Kathryn Portnoff

“The Right Reverend Joasaph, Bishop of Edmonton 28.12.1897 - 18.10.1978” on Holy Resurrection Sobor Web-site

Wikipedia article about the Russian Diaspora

Canadian Encyclopaedia article about Russian Canadians

Wikipedia article about Russian Canadians

Orthodoxwiki list of Orthodox parishes in British Columbia

Holy Resurrection Sobor’s Stained-glass Windows, the work of Henriette Somow (1989)

Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor’s 90th Anniversary Brochure (24 September, 1994)

75th Anniversary Booklet of the Holy Resurrection Church in Vancouver (19 September, 1999)

First Divine Liturgy in Celebration of Holy Resurrection Sobor’s new By-laws (29 February, 2004)

80th Anniversary of the Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Sobor (12 September, 2004)

Obituary of the Archpriest Andrey Somow (March, 2012)

Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Archdiocese of Canada at Holy Resurrection Sobor (25 September, 2016)

Parish web-site Video of the Ordination of Mikhail Ivanov to the Holy Diaconate (14 March, 2018)

Friendship Festival celebrates Metro Vancouver’s Russian-speaking Communities (25 August, 2019)

Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers in Vancouver (9 March, 2014)

90th Anniversary of Holy Resurrection Sobor, Vancouver (20-21 September, 2014)

Patronal Feast day at Holy Resurrection Sobor in Vancouver (27 September, 2015)

“Festal and Archdiocesan Anniversary Celebrations at Holy Resurrection Sobor, Vancouver” (24 September, 2016)

Diaconal Ordination of Subdeacon Mikhaïl Ivanov at Holy Resurrection Sobor in Vancouver, BC (14 March, 2018)

Archbishop Irénée visits Holy Resurrection Sobor, Vancouver (8 December, 2019)

Archbishop Irénée's Visit to Vancouver (23 February, 2020)

35th Anniversary of Mitred Archpriest Michael Fourik’s ordination to the Priesthood (28 August, 2022)

Vladyka Irénée visits Vancouver Parishes (29-30 July, 2023)

Orthochristian.com : “Canada: OCA’s Vancouver cathedral celebrates 100th anniversary (+VIDEOS)” (4 November, 2024)

Video : Centennial All-Night Vigil [19 October, 2024)

Video : Centennial Hierarchical Divine Liturgy (20 October, 2024)

Video : Centennial Festal Banquet (20 October, 2024)

Video : Centennial Festal Concert (20 October, 2024)

Slide-show : Centennial Festivities photographs (20 October, 2024)

ZIP-file of centennial celebration photographs (19-20 October, 2024)

‘Bishop Ioasaph of Edmonton, 1897-1978’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Summer, 1992), pp. 5-6.

‘Holy Resurrection Church, Vancouver, BC’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (July, 1993), pp. 1-2.

‘The Church and Canadian Culture Today’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (October, 1993), pp. 1-8.

‘Highlights of the 1993 Assembly of the Canadian Archdiocese’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Autumn, 1993), pp. 1-5.

‘Holy Resurrection, Vancouver Celebrates 75th Anniversary’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Winter, 1999/2000), p.5.

‘Our elders in the faith: Tatiana M. Somow’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Winter, 2001/2002), pp. 8-9.

‘Father John Bingham’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Summer, 2005), p. 17.

‘Fall BC Deanery meeting’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Spring, 2007), p. 8.

‘Pochaiv Icon blesses Canada with cross-country Visit’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Winter, 2009/2010), pp. 1-3.