Pëtr Vasil’evich’s Message to the Doukhobors Through Ivan Evseevich Konkin

Abstract

Sometime later, Ivan Evseevich Konkin arrived in Shenkursk. He arrived from the Far East and Siberia. He had been in the Akmalinsk Region, Irkutsk, Vladivostok, on the Amur River, and on the Sakhalin Island. He met with the Governor-General. He was sent there by Pëtr Vasil’evich to look for free, suitable land. If such suitable lands were found, under favourable circumstances, the Doukhobors could have resettled there. He was accompanied by a comrade, a Polish man, Evgeniǐ Avsinskiǐ. Avsinskiǐ had completed his exile in Shenkursk and was free. He was a close acquaintance of Pëtr Vasil’evich and upon his request went with Konkin because he understood land matters and was a good agronomist. Pëtr Vasil’evich’s plans were as follows: they were supposed to travel to the Eniseǐ Area, Krasnoiarsk and other places. There was no railroad then, only a post track. From that track, they were supposed to go 500 miles to the south where it was possible to find out whether there were any “cabinet” lands available, and if so, inspect them thoroughly. They were not able to go so far for several important reasons and they returned with no results. This is how their journey ended.