Kalmakoff and the LAC will work together in identifying materials dating back to 1899 at the facility in Ottawa. It includes thousands of government records, private manuscript collections, books, reports, periodicals, newspapers, photographs, and sound and video recordings.
The result, a thematic guide, will help one locate the material and assist in research. The guide will be available on both websites when the work is finished.
The Doukhobors were a Christian group that originated in Russia in the 17th century, and were persecuted in Tsarist Russia for their religious beliefs including pacifism, communal ownership, and egalitarianism.
In 1889, over 7,500 Doukhobors immigrated to Western Canada and built settlements in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia, California, and Oregon. Today, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 Doukhobors live in Canada.
On the opening page, Kalmakoff says that it is the primary Internet source for connecting researchers in Duokhobor genealogy.
He says that the "site is dedicated to the reclamation, discovery, collection, preservation and free sharing of information related to Doukhobor family history".
There is ten separate sites to go to on the introductory pages. Some of them are -
Names - There is a guide to Doukhobor Names, a Glossary to Common Russian Names, the Origin and Meaning of Doukhobor Surnames, and the Origin and Meaning of Molokan Surnames. They have both been updated, and there is the Doukhobor Name Changes in Saskatchewan (1917-1975), in Alberta (1935-1975), and in British Columbia (1936-1975).
Research Sources - There are 12 divisions in this section, with many of them either new or updated, ranging from Immigration to Publications.
There is the Index of Doukhohor Ship Lists, to a Guide to Doukhobor Census Records, to an Index of Doukhobors in the WWI Canadian Expeditionary Forces.
Settlements - In this part, there are Historical Maps, and in the Place Names is the Doukhobor Gazetteer (to which have been updates), and the Doukhobor Ancestral Village Finder.
The website has been in existence since 1999, and has been visited over 160,000 times.
"I am pleased to be partnering with LAC to provide guidance and direction to Doukhobor family researchers," said Kalmakoff. "There is a wealth of records that can help those researching their Doukhobor roots understand their past. Being able to find, locate and use them is absolutely essential".
To find out more about the partnership or about your Doukhobor ancestry, please contact Jonathan at jon.kalmakoff@accesscomm.ca
