The following is an overview of the Gromovoye Doukhobor Cemetery Site located 12 miles northeast of Pelly, Saskatchewan. Rural Municipality of Livingston No. 331. Land location: SE 32-34-31 West of First. Latitude: 51°57.643. Longitude: 101°48.946. Compiled by Jonathan J. Kalmakoff with George Negrave on October 20, 2007.
View of the cemetery site (rise of land – centre photo) from the south facing north.
Historical Background
Gromovoye Cemetery was established in 1906 by the Doukhobors of Gromovoye village near Pelly. Following the abandonment of the village in 1913, the cemetery ceased to be actively used. Over the years, it became somewhat overgrown. In the 1970’s, the cemetery site was destroyed and is now under cultivation. It is privately owned.
Layout
According to tradition, the cemetery was approximately a tenth of an acre in size. The cemetery contained 10 interments in one or more rows facing east-west. The graves were unmarked. For many years, the cemetery was marked by two spruce trees. When the site was cleared in the 1970’s, all traces of the cemetery were removed. It is now under cultivation.
Driving Directions
To access the cemetery site from Pelly, travel north on Secondary Route No. 661 for 8 miles (12.9 km). Turn east on the gravel road and continue for 5 miles (8.1 km). Then turn south on the grid road and continue for 1/2 of a mile (.8 km). To access the cemetery site from Arran, travel north for 6 miles (9.7 km). Turn west and continue for 4 miles (6.4 km). Then turn south on the grid road and continue for 1/2 of a mile (.8 km). Ahead, on the east side of the road you will see a farmyard marked by a shelterbelt. The cemetery site is on the west side of the road, approximately 200 yards (182 m) from the road allowance. It is located on a rise of land immediately north of the quarter-section property line. It is on private property and permission to access should be obtained by the owners.
Burials
There is no burial register, cemetery plot map, death certificates, grave markers or other records for this cemetery. However, the following families resided in Gromovoye village and may have members buried at the Gromovoye Cemetery site: Babakaeff, Chernoff, Chutskoff, Davidoff, Demosky, Holoboff, Hoobanoff, Kabatoff, Kazakoff, Kootnikoff, Makortoff, Maloff, Negraeff, Nichvolodoff, Savenkoff, Semenoff, Sofonoff, Stupnikoff, Vanjoff, Vereshchagin.
View from the cemetery site facing south-east. The tree shelterbelt marks a nearby farmyard.
Notes
Various sources of data have been used in compiling this information including: oral tradition. This is a work in progress. If readers have any comments, corrections or additions with respect to the Gromovoye Cemetery site, please contact Jonathan J. Kalmakoff.
