Doukhobors in Canada
By: Joe Smith
Doukhobors are a group of Russian pacifists , In the end of the nineteenth century two thirds of the doukhobors left Russia. They chose Canada for its Peacefulness and that the Canadian government welcomed them.
Despite all obstacles facing the doukhobors they still immigrated to Canada and created a unique identity of Canada and traditional values. I will analyze the reason that the Doukhobors left Russia. As well as the impact they have made in Canada and the resocialization.
The word doukhobor means a person who is wrestling the holy spirit. The doukhobors left Russia mainly because they did not believe in war and they wanted to be peaceful. They rejected militarism, the doukhobors were harshly repressed in Russia.They came to Canada because of its peacefulness and isolation and that the Canadian government welcomed them. The most famous and well known leader of the doukhobors, who is still highly respected and thought of to this very day by the doukhobors is the lordly Peter Verigin. He tried to stop the militancy of the sect, for this he was exiled to Siberia in 1887, out of his exile he advised his followers to change their ways, to abstain from alcohol , tobacco and meat. In todays society very little doukhobors go by this. So he wanted to implement their pacifism. Some of the men had been drafted to military services in 1883, but seven thousand followers decided to resist military services. In June of 1895 , several great pyres were built in fields and the arms (guns) were burnt. In 1898 Czar ( the emperors of a Russia ) finally allowed them to leave Russia. Some of the doukhobors went to Cyprus , but the experiment failed. Canada was the next choice. A lot of the doukhobors came to Canada in 1890. The Canadian government agreed to grant them land under the homestead act. After this the first shipload of Doukhobors left the...