There's a new addition to the Doukhobor Dugout House Heritage Site near Blaine Lake - a Doukhobor Prayer Home.
The Prayer Home was moved in from an old Doukhobor village site a few miles away, says Brenda Cheveldayoff, owner of the dugout house property and founder of the heritage site.
"It will serve as kind of interpretive centre and a tool to educate people about what a prayer home is and everything to do with the Doukhobor faith."
A sign on the property explains it this way: "The religious philosophy of the Doukhobors is based on the commandments of Jesus in Matthew 12:28-31: 'Love God with all your heart, mind and soul' and 'love your neighbour as yourself.' The word 'doukhobor' means 'spirit wrestler.' Doukhobors believe God's Holy Spirit dwells in every person."
July 2, the Doukhobor Dugout House Heritage Site will open for the 2011 season and the celebration will feature the inauguration of the prayer home plus a traditional Doukhobor service.
"The service will be held outside as happened when the Doukhobors first came to Saskatchewan," says Jeanette Stringer, an elder in the Doukhobor community. "Doukhobors in British Columbia still do it that way.
"The services we hold today have a little different format," she adds, "but this one will revive the old traditions. The men will be seated on the left, the women on the right. And we will integrate some of the traditional elements that Saskatchewan Doukhobors have left behind."
As the choir begins to sing, four men in the front row stand.
"The second man will go to the first man and they will shake hands and bow to each other three times," says long-time community member Bill Kalmakoff. "The significance of the three bows is this: the first acknowledges God as Father and Creator; the second shows forgiveness and love for one another; and the third is a symbol of dedication to following Christ's teachings in our daily lives."
The pair then turn and bow to the women and the women bow back. The symbolic ritual is repeated down the line of men and among the women, as well.
Stringer says another difference in the traditional service is that after the Lord's Prayer is recited and sung, the front row of men and women kneel and bow three times, touching the forehead to the earth.
"The first bow is to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The second bow signifies everlasting consciousness for all the deceased Doukhobor martyrs who struggled for the truth. The third bow asks forgiveness and strength to follow the pathways of God.
"The bows to the earth are to express that God's will - following the path of good, love and truth - is our ultimate desire."
The service will include a good deal of music which is a big part of Doukhobor worship. Says Stringer, "Our ancestors said that singing cleanses the soul."
J.J. Verigin, who is a descendant of Peter Verigin and is currently chair of the USCC (Union of Spiritual Communities in Christ), will lead the prayer service along with Jeanette Stringer.
"In regular worship, most of the hymns and prayers are still done in Russian," Bill Kalmakoff says. "For the July 2 service, we will have the Russian hymns transliterated into phonetics so our visitors can sing along." Stringer will also translate the words after each song.
Attendance is always excellent at Dugout House season-openers, and Brenda Cheveldayoff expects the same this year. Special invitations have been extended to members of the Christian community, as well as federal, provincial and municipal governments to be present and participate.
"This year we've planned the day in association with the Heart and Stroke Foundation," Cheveldayoff adds. "The foundation's Big Bike will be on site, and instead of Doukhobors in costume pulling a plow, we'll be riding the 30-seat Big Bike. We've already raised significant sponsorship money. Once we're done, the public can have a turn."
The prayer home will be a new attraction for visitors.
Donna Choppe will be in costume as Lukeria Vasilevna Kalmykova, wife of the first Doukhobor leader who died in Russia at the age of 28. Following her husband's death, Lukeria served as the group's beloved leader from 1864 to 1886. She groomed her nephew Peter V. Verigin for the position, which he assumed after her death in 1886. It was under Peter Verigin's leadership that the Doukhobors relocated to Canada. Choppe, as Lukeria, will explain the role of the Prayer Home in the Doukhobor faith.
The July 2 program begins at 11 a.m. with the enactment of the Doukhobor service. This will be followed by the Big Bike ride, then buildings will be opened to public. One of the most popular site activities is touring the ravine and the dugout house. Cheveldayoff says there will be continuous tours throughout the afternoon.
"We will take groups of 50 at a time all afternoon long. Those who aren't on a tour can visit the prayer home or enjoy Doukhobor bread and other refreshments which we will have available for sale."
Admission is $20 per car (with up to seven passengers) or $8 per person. Children 12 and under are free. All profit from the gate and sale of refreshments and souvenirs goes to the Doukhobor dugout house non-profit organization to be used for site maintenance and upkeep.
The site will also be open every Saturday for the month of July with four tours of the dugout house daily.
To reach the Doukhobor Dugout House Heritage Site, drive north on Highway 12 and watch for site signs a few kilometres south of Blaine Lake.
Attendance at last year's opening event was 750, so Cheveldayoff recommends coming early in order to get a good parking spot.
