About the Team

Role: Producer, Writer & Researcher

My name is Dr. Ahna Berikoff or simply Ahna. Contributing to this project has been a meaningful and heart-filled experience. I am an educator with my educational trajectory beginning in Community Educational Initiatives and beyond. I have recently retired from teaching and conducting research at MacEwan University in Edmonton. My identity as a Doukhobor – even in small ways – informs my different roles in life as an educator, researcher, writer, mother and grandmother. This project is a wonderful way to share, provide key learning and foster understanding about Doukhobor history, heritage, beliefs and culture.

Role: Administrator & Consultant

My name is Sharon Nazaroff or preferably Nuera in Russian. This project is the culmination of many years of living and being very involved in my Krestova Doukhobor community.  I am an Early Childhood Educator and a School Board Trustee.  In the last few years I have been invited to classrooms in our district to share our Doukhobor history and culture with students.  It was these students that inspired me to take part in this project.

Role: Narrator

My name is Faith Malakoff. I live in Vancouver and work with seniors in recreational therapy. Being a Doukhobor is an important part of my identity. I was raised with Doukhobor values, traditions and the Russian language in my home and community. This project has taught me alot and reconnected me with my roots. I am honoured to be a narrator in these modules and help tell the story of the Doukhobors from Russia to Canada.

Role: Narrator

My name is Ryan Dutchak. I am grateful to be a part of this project that is working to share and preserve Doukhobor history and culture. I am the current Museum Director of the Doukhobor Discovery Centre in Castlegar, British Columbia. I feel extremely lucky to have been given an opportunity to explore my own Doukhobor heritage throughout my post-secondary education and career.  My Doukhobor identity influences much of my daily life and inspires me to promote and share the Doukhobors’ culture, history, and religion with others. This project is a way to share the Doukhobors’ rich and unique history with more Canadians and will to help illuminate Canada’s multicultural heritage.

Role: Videographer & Editor

Carlo Alcos is a videographer and documentary filmmaker living in Nelson, BC with his wife and cat. He mainly works with local non-profits and loves collaborating with artists. When he’s not out filming or editing in his home office he can be found playing tennis, hiking in the mountains, climbing up a steep rock wall, and many other things in nature. View his work at carloalcos.com.

Role: Voice over narrator, Script Editor & Assistant Camera

Robert Chursinoff is the author of The Descendants, a literary thriller about contemporary Doukhobors, he is a professional musician who’s recorded and toured with Tegan and Sara, Ben Lee, Kinnie Starr, Belle Game and many others, and he is a digital content producer, video editor and writer. View his work at https://www.robchursinoff.com/