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By the time the Kootenay Doukhobor Historical Society was formed in 1966, there was not a complete village in sound condition left suitable for a museum. The society listed among its projects; 'The building of a communal house as the first stage in the reconstruction of a complete village'. This premise was adopted as a Castlegar-Kinnaird BC Centennial '71 project, 1971 marking the Centennial of the province of British Columbia.

Since its inception, the KDHS has created a unique tourist destination not only for British Columbia, but for the world at large, as a window to the vibrant Doukhobor culture of Canada as well as its links to its Russian ancestry. The last major construction took place in 1995, with the assistance of an Infrastructure Grant, which provided a modern water system and the basic completion of the Village buildings.

The Doukhobor Village Museum continues to provide a community, educational and tourist resource for the local residents and global travelers. Through word-of-mouth advertising, and promotion including a significant Internet presence, and frequent appearances in film documentaries, the Doukhobor Village Museum has attracted worldwide attention. The guest book includes visitors from Russia, Kazakhstan, Alberta, BC, Quebec, Oregon, Washington, England, Ontario, Texas, Germany, Montana, Australia, Austria, Wisconsin, Holland, Idaho, Switzerland, Minnesota, California, Belgium, South Carolina, Scotland, Hawaii, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, France, Ireland, and Norway, a total of 73 other worldly points of origin to date.

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Peace and welcome sign at the Doukhobor Village Museum
29 July 2003
Castlegar, BC, Canada

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The DVM has featured new exhibits yearly, presenting aspects of Doukhobor history and culture. The 2002 season featured special events to celebrate nearly thirty five years of operation, as well as a major exhibit which featured the Agricultural History of the Kootenays, with special emphasis on the agrarian accomplishments of the Doukhobors. Other exhibits included a major Doukhobor settlement lantern slide (Autochrome) exhibit, an international exhibit featuring Sergei Tolstoy and his assistance brought from the Museum of Lev Tolstoy in Russia, an exhibit by Russian Doukhobor artist Volodya Gubonov and other feature exhibits of Doukhobor culture and heritage. A community AGM and opening has been adopted for the last Sunday in April, and official guest openers have included dignitaries such as the Lieutenant Governor and Vladimir Tolstoy, great great grandson of the famed author.

With increased support from local institutions, and with an emphasis on heritage and scholarship as well as attractive visual displays, a well stocked bookshop of publications and Doukhobor crafts and paintings and prints, the DVM looks forward to serving an ever increasing tourist audience in the coming years and to continue providing a unique attraction to this area, serving historian and educational purposes as well as the visiting tourist public.

Combining the Russian heritage with the Canadian experience, it presents a fascinating portrait of an age gone by including heritage and history, and the attendant development of the region as well.

We hope you've enjoyed learning about the Doukhobors of Canada, and hope you enjoy the next short visual/virtual slide show of some of the buildings, implements, activities and displays one can usually see in person at the Doukhobor Village Museum.

Thank you!

Merci!

Spasibo!