MOSCOW, October 6. /TASS/. An old village Varzuga in the Murmansk Region is located on two shores of the Varzuga River, which runs into the White Sea. A local resident Pyotr Zaborshchikov sees his life task in keeping the traditions and culture of the Pomors. He has restored a house and organized a museum there, reconstructed a house of the early 20th century. Fighting to save the beauty of old churches, in the 1990s he had to throw himself under a tractor.
The other shore
"Is it true that cows swim here?" I asked a boatman, who took us to the Varzuga’s other shore, to meet Pyotr Zaborshchikov.
"Why not! Can you see an island in the middle of the river? The grass there is the best, and they swim to it. It’s cool now, so cows are kept further from the water, to make sure they are warm," the guy smiled. He is Alexei Chersunov - a boatman and an electrician in the village.
On the wild shore - we can hardly believe what we see - is a modern bus stop. Inside it we see the bus schedule and Alexei’s phone number. He is the only person, who takes people from the village to the other shore. He charges 10 rubles ($0.13). There has never been a bridge across the river, and thus every house has a boat.
"You must have come to meet Zaborshchikov?" Alexei asks us. He’s an outstanding person. Now he works on another museum.
The river in this place is about 200 meters wide. The motor boat took us to the other shore in just two minutes. We see a man, walking to us.
"How comes you are here? Well, let’s go, I’ll show you about."
He welcomes guests quite often. However, he prefers not to talk about himself. At the same time, his stories about the Pomors may continue for hours.
The childhood
His father was killed in Yugoslavia in April, 1945. One month before the victory.
"My brother and I rush into the house. There’s mom sitting on the floor. 'You don’t have a father now,' she said through tears. I can barely speak about that day. It hurts," Pyotr said as he brought us to the village memorial, which he had made with other locals.
Before the war, more than 700 people lived in the village. 162 went to the front. 75 never returned. The memorial on the left shore was organized to coincide with celebration of the 60th anniversary of victory in World War II. And another five years later, the locals placed pictures of the killed soldiers and their widows on the memorial.
"After so many years, next to their husbands, they look like mothers. But we here say they also were heroes - they saved the children, houses, and they deserve our memories. To their children they were moms and dads, " his voice trembled. "Our parents, our mothers are our roots."
Village Varzuga and Communism Seedlings
In 2019, Varzuga turned 600. The distance between Murmansk and the settlement is 500 kilometers. The district spreads from west to east along the Kandalaksha Bay and the White Sea, taking the peninsula’s southernmost part.
In 1896, the population was 396 men and 426 women - a big village. The main occupation was fishing salmon. They brought fish here and supplied it to the tsar’s kitchen.
After the revolution in 1917, people in the village continued fishing, and besides grew vegetables in greenhouses and had a herd of cows.
The village’s farm is still called Communism Seedlings, like in the past. It is the main employer in the village. The fishery sector employs 300 people.
"This name was given by a man, who, like others, dreamed, hoped, loved. All the people expected better lives, they believed in good future. Why changing names? I don’t support the practice of changing names."
Why a communist would rescue churches?
The village is known for its churches. Two on either side of the river. One of them, a wooden church, was built in 1674 without a single nail. Pyotr Zaborshchikov protects those sacred churches.
"A pit for construction of a new restaurant was dug out some 30 meters from the Cathedral of the Assumption. Back then, during the perestroika, many would say - why keep churches here? I tell them - are you crazy? I had to throw myself under the tractor. The driver was taken aback and stopped the vehicle. The officials went mad. … It was so disgusting. It was a crime. How can you explain to people they must take care of their past, their roots, the memory of those who have made this beauty," Pyotr said.
However, the churches are still at risk. One of them, the Church of Peter and Paul, built in 1864, has not been renovated and may ruin any time.
In summer, Pyotr received a delegation of officials from the Murmansk Region, which arrived in the village to greet him on the jubilee. The high-ranking guests from the local Ministry of Culture promised assistance with the renovation. The local budget has allocated 650,000 rubles ($8,300) for the works. Thus, Zaborshchikov is rescuing another cathedral in his native village. Though he never attends services. What a paradox!
"Since childhood, I do not have a habit," he said. "I used to be a member of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party, and I support the communists nowadays. Their program has many norms similar to those in the Orthodox Church: not to kill, not to steal…
The museum
We come to a big house with a carved porch. Inside it, we know it, is a Museum of the Pomors’ Culture, which Pyotr Zaborshchikov opened in 2009. The exposition comprises more than 1,000 items. The wooden house was built in 1904.
"Like I say, my profession first of all is a constructor-restorer - since youth I have been lucky to have great teachers. We used to build a hydro power plant, and there I met Vasily Ivanovich, a great master, " Zaborshchikov said.
When the farm’s former leader, in his later years, began restoring churches and organizing museums, many used to laugh.
"Why would you need it?" Pyotr smiled. "People will come here, children, and they will learn how their predecessors lived. As for me, my life continues in new generations."
Another house, which Pyotr managed to rescue, is an old house, where the Pomors lived. Everything inside the house has remained unchanged: the benches, the shelves, two ovens, and wooden beds. Every building in the yard has been preserved. The house was built in 1905.
"It was built amazingly! Like in the far past," Pyotr said. "Nobody nowadays can build houses like that."
The locals say Pyotr works and builds almost without breaks. When the local farm supports him with money, he often spends the money on those who may assist him. The museum is open for any visitor. Pyotr refuses any fees, explaining "everything here is public. Almost all objects have been given to the museum for free."
Pyotr has finished building the third museum - the exposition is devoted to the Communism Seedlings farm.
The Varzuga River: Salmon and Pearl
The secret of long lives is in the Varzuga’s quick waters. The river is famous for its salmon, and also for pearls.
"You may ask - what is the connection between a fish and a shell? Absolutely direct. In autumn, at about the same time, in September-October, salmon goes to spawn in the river, and the pearl shell lays larvae. They get into the fish when it buries its future offspring, eggs, in a hole in the river bottom. And these larvae live there, without paying any taxes, until they become independent, then they go and bury themselves into the river bottom and live there for a few more years until they become adults. This shell is long-lived, almost 100 years of age," the Pomor said.
Salmon’s eggs survive only in pure water. According to the Koltsov Institute of Biology Development, about 140 pearl shells lived in the river in 1992.
"Back then, scientists proved this ecosystem has existed for thousands of years. The Pomors knew: salmon comes to areas where pearls grow. They understood that fish and shells depend on each other, " Pyotr said.
The Pomors knew how and where to fish, what equipment to use not to damage the nature.
"For centuries, this heritage has been preserved. And within just three decades we’ve managed to lose everything!" Pyotr said bitterly. " 30 years ago, the local farm, Communism Seedlings, fished 170 tonnes of salmon within one season and let passing more than 90,000 fish to spawn. In 2017, the farm fished less than one tonne - 300 fishes! Thus, from the sea into the Varzuga have come so few fish, that we can say this population is almost dead. I am a local, I’ve lived here all my life, and I see - the tragedy is here. Wild salmon must be rescued."
The Pomors say current licenses are issued for the time of spawning. They cannot understand this decision of the officials and are extremely sorry their objections have been ignored.
" In the past, in the Soviet times, the river remained closed for tourists, and productions grew. The last big production in the Varzuga was in 1987. In the late 80, with the perestroika, the river was re-opened. Tourists were arriving from everywhere. They came mostly for rafting, not caring much about where fish spawned. Luckily, rafting has been outlawed recently. However, we still suffer from poaches, " Pyotr said with a sigh.
We were about to leave, and Pyotr suddenly confessed he had not dreamed of another life for himself. He has given his life to Varzuga and does not regret it. The only regretful thought is that he does not have followers. He seems to be the last local, caring for traditions, who does not want the connection between generations to vanish.