Old Terpeniye Cemetery – Blaine Lake District, Saskatchewan

The following is an overview of Old Terpeniye Cemetery site located 12 miles south-east of Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan. Rural Municipality of Blaine Lake No. 434. Land location: SE22-43-7 West of Third. Latitude: 52°42.855. Longitude: 106°47.247. Compiled by Jonathan J. Kalmakoff on July 7, 2007.

View of the cemetery from the “T” in the grid road facing north-east. It is located mid-photo on the rise to the left (north) of the bluff of trees.

Historical Background

Old Terpeniye Cemetery was established in 1899 by the Doukhobors of Terpeniye village near Blaine Lake. Following the abandonment of the village in 1911, the cemetery ceased to be actively used.  Thereafter, the Doukhobors living in the vicinity established a newer, second cemetery site nearby.  In the 1980’s, the cemetery site was destroyed and is now under cultivation.  It is privately owned. 

Layout

According to tradition, the cemetery was approximately half an acre in size. The cemetery contained approximately 15 interments in one or more rows facing east-west. The graves were unmarked. From the Teens to the Eighties, the cemetery was partially overgrown. When the site was cleared in the 1980’s, all traces of the cemetery were removed.

Driving Directions

To access the cemetery, travel south from the Town of Blaine Lake on Highway No. 12 for 8 miles (12.9 km). Then turn east on Township Road No. 443 and continue for 3 miles (4.8 km) until you reach a “T” intersection.  The cemetery site is 3/4 miles (1.2 km) northeast, on a rise in the land in the centre of the west half of the quarter-section. This cemetery 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 Old Terpeniye Cemetery. However, the following families resided in Terpeniye village and may have members buried in Old Terpeniye Cemetery: Dorofaeff, Karaloff, Vereshchagin, Antifaeff, Chernoff, Wasilenkoff, Zarikoff, Soukeroff, Perepolkin, Kuznetsoff, Perehudoff, Bonderoff, Podovilnikoff, Popoff, Ewashen, Zibin, Nichvolodoff, Fominoff, Kabatoff.

Notes

Various sources of data have been used in compiling this information including oral tradition. Special thanks to Walter Dargin for assisting in locating the cemetery.  This is a work in progress. If readers have any comments, corrections or additions with respect to Old Terpeniye Cemetery, please contact Jonathan J. Kalmakoff.