1974 Helen Verigin interviews 88 year old Mr. Peter Ozeroff

[Terpenie in Kars]

. . . I remember the burning of the arms. It was done in secret. The wood cut and taken to the plain near us. Then the guns and weapons. We found out next day that the arms were burned. Our Karahonski spies reported to our village guard and military that we burned the arms. The military said ‘What of it? They belong to them and if they aren't afraid of the Tartars, it's up to them.'  He was a very smart, religious and good man. The matter ended there. But in the Wet Mountains people were really beaten because the Gubonoffs of the minority party reported to the military of the district that the people were collecting arms for an uprising. So a lot of military and Cossacks were brought into the area. In those villages near the caves or peschchari there was a holy holocaust.

I remember when they were marching a battalion of Doukhobor men, the ones that refused to serve in the army. All our village went to see them because there were quite a few there of ours. The small children hanging on to their fathers' legs, crying and begging them to come home and the soldiers, cuffing and booting them away from their fathers. The fathers were being marched to penal servitude.

Yes, I remember John Fomenoff, he was my mother's brother and Masha's husband. He was in the above battalion and sent to the Tartar's colony or aool. My grandfather and his wife Masha went to see him because he was very sick. When they arrived there he was crawling with lice. They were practically eating him alive. Your grandfather Sookeroff was not too far away and tried to do all he can for him but he was beaten so bad he was helpless. Grandfather, Masha and your grandfather buried him when he died. Buried on Tarter soil but in our religious ritual. . . .