Self Guided Historic Walking Tour of Castlegar - Life of the Doukhobors

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About

This tour will introduce you to the fascinating history of the Doukhobor people. We will start with their origins in 18th century Russia, where they were persecuted by the Czar for their religious beliefs which denounced religious icons and emphasized peace and equality. Eventually, in the 1890s, they fled Russia to come to Canada in search of religious and political freedom.

The Doukhobors who settled in British Columbia were immensely hardworking, setting up a number of successful industries, including a prosperous jam factory, while also living in communal village settlements. They were steadfast in their beliefs of equality and pacifism and wanted to live in accordance with their religious principles with minimal government intervention. When they immigrated to Canada, they brought their rich cultural traditions with them, including their rich choral singing tradition, which has grown out of the oral transmission of their prayers and psalms.

Not long after their arrival, Doukhobors came under immense pressure to assimilate into wider Canadian society from the Canadian government and news media sources. While Doukhobors in British Columbia no longer live in communal village settlements, their culture and traditions have survived despite intensive assimilation pressure.

This tour covers the former townsite of Brilliant, beginning at the scenic Brilliant Suspension Bridge, which was built by Doukhobors, and continues across the river to see where the famous jam factory once stood, along with the many other buildings that once made up the community here.

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• Learn more about On This Spot onthisspot.ca
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Organizer

On This Spot

On This Spot​ guides people on a tour back in time, showing & telling the history that surrounds them. On each spot, users will find themselves standing in the footsteps of a photographer who took a historic photo. On site tourists/users can use the built-in camera feature to create their own then-and-photos, which can be shared on social media and saved as a digital souvenir. Selections of these photos are chained together into walking tours that take a deep dive into local history.

On This Spot​ strives to make history engaging, educational, and accessible to all with a focus on easy to use features and a succinct writing style. The aim is to create an intuitive user experience that provides historical unparalleled depth without overwhelming or confusing users.