Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ, Castlegar, BC

The Doukhobor movement emerged in the 18th century as a Russian Christian peasant reaction to the excessive opulence, elaborate rituals and authoritative practices of the Orthodox Church. Doukhobors practised a simpler form of religion, rejecting the literal Bible and the need for an intermediary priesthood, looking inward within themselves for the Voice of God. Perceiving them as a threat to their authority and concened about the potential for more widespread insurrection, the Russian Orthodox Church and Czarist authorities persecuted the Doukhobors for over two hundred years, particularly at the end of the 19th century when they adopted pacifism and renounced militarism. Assisted by renowned author Leo Tolstoy and Quaker sympathizers, the Doukhobors found refuge from persecution in Canada where they were granted conscientious objector status and were exempted from military service.