The following is an overview of the Smireniye Doukhobor Cemetery located 8 miles north of Veregin, Saskatchewan. Rural Municipality of Keys No. 303. Land location: SW 35-31-1 West of Second. Latitude: 51°41.884. Longitude: 102°02.542. Compiled by Jonathan J. Kalmakoff with Fred S. Petroff and Fred J. Strelieff on April 30, 2005.
View of the cemetery from the south facing north. It is marked by a bluff of trees.
Historical Background
Smireniye Cemetery was established in 1899 by the Doukhobors of Smireniye village near Veregin. Following the abandonment of the village in 1920, the cemetery ceased to be actively used. Over the years, it has become badly overgrown. The cemetery is privately owned.
Layout
The cemetery is approximately half an 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 3/4 miles (12.5 km). Then turn east on the grid road and continue for 1/2 a mile (.8 km). The cemetery is on the north side of the road, approximately 650 yards (580 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 this cemetery. The following families resided in Smireniye village and may have members buried in Smireniye Cemetery: Chernoff, Chutskoff, Holoboff, Horkoff, Konkin, Makortoff, Popoff, Ribalkin, Salikin, Samoiloff, Vereschagin, Voikin.
Notes
Special thanks to Kerry Horkoff for assisting in locating the cemetery. This is a work in progress. If readers have any comments, corrections or additions with respect to Smireniye Cemetery, please contact Jonathan J. Kalmakoff.
