The following is an overview of the Otradnoye Doukhobor Cemetery located 7 1/2 miles north of Veregin, Saskatchewan. Rural Municipality of Keys No. 303. Land location: NE 27-31-1 West of Second. Latitude: 51°41.421. Longitude: 102°03.488. Compiled July 11, 2004 by Jonathan J. Kalmakoff.
View of the cemetery from the north facing south. It is marked by a bluff of trees.
Historical Background
Otradnoye Cemetery was established in 1899 by the Doukhobors of Otradnoye village near Veregin. After the abandonment of the village in 1918, the cemetery continued to be used by local Doukhobors until 1928. Thereafter, it ceased to be be in active operation. Over the years, it has become badly overgrown. The cemetery is privately owned.
Layout
The cemetery is approximately one acre in size. There is dense scrub and brush throughout. The cemetery contains approximately 75 interments in several rows facing east-west. The graves are unmarked and leveled. Today, all that remains is a bluff of trees in the middle of a cultivated field.
Driving Directions
To access the cemetery, travel north from the junction of Highway No. 5 and the Village of Veregin Exit on gravel Secondary Route No. 637 for 7 1/2 miles (12 km). The cemetery is on the west side of the road, approximately 300 yards (274 m) from the road allowance. 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 Otradnoye Cemetery. According to tradition, the following people are known to have been buried there:
| Surname | Name | Birth Date | Death Date | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horkoff | Polly N. | 1892 | 1928 | No Marker |
| Makortoff | Ivan F. | 1805 | – | No Marker |
| Verigin | Anastasia V. | 1817 | 1905 | Mother of Peter "Lordly" Verigin – No Marker |
| Verigin | Ivan V. | 1844 | – | Brother of Peter "Lordly" Verigin – No Marker |
In addition, the following families resided in Otradnoye village and may have members buried in Otradnoye Cemetery: Demosky, Danshin, Holoboff, Konkin, Maloff, Morozoff, Obetkoff, Podovinnikoff, Popoff, Salikin, Samorodin, Scherbakoff, Semenoff, Verigin, Ziebin.
Notes
Special thanks to Kerry Horkoff for assisting in locating the cemetery and in identifying additional interments. This is a work in progress. If readers have any comments, corrections or additions with respect to Otradnoye Cemetery, please contact Jonathan J. Kalmakoff.
