This file consists of a couple of statements (1911) by Petr Kazakoff and Nikolai Khabykin witnessed by I. Makhonnin and I. Podovinnikoff, Russian language summary of William Blackmore Royal Commission report (1912); a “public speech” (1913) from the group of Doukhobors departing from Saskatchewan to BC (mimeographed document with manuscript corrections); a document entitled “Counsel and decisions of the Deputies of the Doukhobor Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood” (1915) containing information regarding the state internal discipline, work for coming summer, etc.; “Kanada and Doukhobors” an open letter of James Merv (Mavor?) to Sir Thomas White (1919), document is in Russian, but file contains also translation of the letter in English. In addition, the file contains document signed by J. Obed Smith with seal affixed and a photostatic version. This document is handwritten in Russian and it reads “Office of the Immigration Commissioner in Winnipeg. I, John Obed Smith, city of Winnipeg (…) bear witness to the following”. This document was assuring the Doukhobors that they indeed had received exemption from military service as per the Order in council of December 6, 1898 that expressly included them in the provision of the Militia Act. J. Obed Smith, Commissioner of Immigration in Western Canada, was instructed (or volunteer) to sign individual Russian language copies of this document, possibly one for each of the 50+ villages at that time that the Doukhobors were fearful the Canadian government would change its mind about this policy, just as it did about “hamlet” feature of the Land Act in 1902. The fact that the Doukhobors adopted this Russian text as a “psalm” indicates the value they placed on this actual document, which for the vast majority was the only tangible evidence of the recognition of their pacifist status in Canada. Most documents are mimeographed and are in Russian, some have handwritten notes.
