In 1899, the sweep of a religious ideal came to the wide prairies of western Canada.
Russian Doukhobors fled their homeland and settled in the Blaine Lake area of Saskatchewan, Canada.
They adapted to the harshness of their environment by digging into the North Saskatchewan River ravine, where they built a dugout house, in the style of houses in the Caucasus.
Used until 1904 when log houses were built and a village established nearby, it remains a witness to the tenacity of our settlers. It tells a dramatic, compelling tale from the heart of prairie Doukhobor culture. This historic site was chosen for scholarly study, as a unique combination of built heritage and natural history.