Kerman Is
Haven For Oppressed Russian Families
By Karl
Kidder, Fresno
Bee Staff WriterKERMAN—A prophecy made nearly 100 years ago that the United States one day would be a haven for the oppressed is coming true for several score Russian families who now are becoming Americanized in this district. Some of them heeded the ancient prophecy years ago and today are living In comfort still remembering the trials the tribulations and the oppressions which, resulted from their desire to worship as they please.
Others are comparative newcomers, lured here by the promise held out by their forebears that "in this country, truly one finds the opportunities for life liberty and the pursuit of happiness denied us in our fatherland."
Hope For Children
One of the older settlers near here is the Rev. Nick Nazaroff, at 60 years of age the pastor of one of the Molokan
Churches. One of the newer ones is
Karney Goosev, at 26 the owner of a 12 acre ranch and a new car and with hopes his five children never will know the hardship he suffered before he came to this country In 1949.
The Rev. Nazaroff was born in southern Russia in a district now incorporated in Turkey. The faith of his forefathers refused to countenance war, hate and bloodshed. He grew up in the midst of all three.
"In 1856 a prophet of our church said the United States would be a haven for the oppressed people of all nations," the bearded patriarch said. "Many of us remembered this prophecy, and In 1905 broke away from the parent church, the
Greek Orthodox Church, and came to
America."
One of the principal reasons for the break from the mother church was the fact the
Greek Orthodox faith prohibited its followers from drinking milk on Friday.
Called Milk Drinkers
"We felt milk was a good food and as such should be drunk any day of the week," the Rev. Nazaroff said. "Ever since we have been called the molokans, or milk drinkers, and this name now identifies our congregation."
For many years the Nazaroff and other Russian families lived In the
Los Angeles area, but In 1917 started a mass migration to the
Kerman district. Today there are about 120 such families, mostly living In their own colonies, and supporting two churches of the Molokan faith.
The Rev. Nazaroff and the Rev. J. K. Mendrin are the pastors. They frequently exchange pulpits, and their congregations are equally at home in the church on Lake Avenue between
McKinley and Clinton Avenues and the one on Siskiyou Avenue between
Olive and
Belmont Avenues. "Most of us have achieved citizenship, and most of the members of our families were born here and thus arc citizens," the clergyman said.
Years Of Wandering
Goosev is one of 10 Russians who brought their families here after years of wanderings from Russia through European countries seeking freedoms and a way of life which ever were denied them. "For five years we tried life in Turkey. Syria. Iraq and elsewhere before we tried settling down in
Persia, now Iran," Goosev said. "Always In the back of my parents' mind was the word of our prophets:
America will become the haven for the oppressed. We always felt it would be the best place to go if we could get there."
Those who came earlier provided the necessary help, which included money for passage and affidavits none of the newcomers would become welfare burdens. None of them has. "We work hard here, harder than we ever had to work before, but that is good," Goosev declared. "Without work we cannot feed our families. In Iran we worked only part of the year, and that was not good."
Three Born Here
Two of Goosev's children,
Pete, 8, and
Nick, 6, were born in Iran. George, 4, Michael, 2, and Jane, 8 months, were born in this country. Goosev said he was too young when his family left Russia in 1933 to know much about the Communist regime and what it means living under it.
Another newcomer is
Stephan Kashergen, 26, who lives in a rented home with his wife and four children. He also was born in Russia but left with his parents who desired to worship God without the hindrance of the Communists. "We like the life here very much," Kashergen said. "We work hard, yes, but we also eat."
One of Goosev's proudest possessions is a late model automobile he bought with money realized from the sale of grapes and raisins from a 40 acre vineyard he leases. It is the first car he has over possessed, outside of a broken down jalopy acquired a few years after he arrived in
Kerman.
Few Left In Iran
He answered a question about how many of his people still are in Iran this way: "I believe the country now is pretty well cleaned out of my people. Most of those who left Russia when my family did have either died or have come to
America. We found life in Iran, among the Mohammedans, not to our liking. We wanted the society of our own people and in our own churches. "We have found it in
America, and in
Kerman."
There is a strong family feeling among the Russian. Many of them, particularly the later arrivals, brought their aging parents with them. These still cling to much of the dress and other habits of their homeland, but they are Americanized to the extent where they grumble about cotton acreage allotments.
Having many children is considered a blessing to these people. The Rev. Nazaroff, for example, had 11 of which seven are living. A nephew and neighbor is John Nazaroff who is one of 12 children, most of whom still live in this district. Others have joined Russian colonies in
Los Angeles or San Francisco where they work as tradesmen.
All are Americans because, like John Nazaroff, the father of five, they were born in this country. The newcomers, almost to a man, are attending night school to acquire knowledge and learning necessary to achieve another of their hearts' desires - American citizenship.
Transcribed to the best of my ability from an electronic copy of:
Fresno
Bee Republican, The | Fresno,
California | Sunday, January 10, 1954 | Page 5B & 6B
