Doukhobors

The Doukhobors (Canadian spelling) or Dukhobors (Russian: духоборы, духоборцы, romanized: dukhobory, dukhobortsy; lit.'Spirit-warriors, Spirit-wrestlers') are a Spiritual Christianethnoreligious group of Russian origin. They reject the authority of the Russian Orthodox priesthood, icons, and formal church rituals, believing that the journey of each person's spiritual revelations being based on the internalization of the Biblical message, is more important than the physical Bible. They emphasize the presence of God within every person, and pacifism.

The Doukhobors were repeatedly persecuted by the Russian government for their religious beliefs and refusal of military service. After periods of internal exile and resettlement, about one-third of the community emigrated to Canada between 1899 and 1938 with assistance from Quakers, Leo Tolstoy, and other supporters. Most Doukhobors today live in Canada, particularly in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, although communities also remain in the former Soviet Union.

Historically, Doukhobors lived in communal agricultural villages, practised communal living, and preserved a rich tradition of oral history, hymn-singing, and verse. In Canada, disputes over communal land ownership, citizenship requirements, education, and leadership led to divisions within the movement. The principal groups included the Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood, the , Independent Doukhobors, and the radical Sons of Freedom movement.

The movement's origins are uncertain, although it first appears in written records in 1701. The name Doukhobor, originally used as a pejorative by a Russian Orthodox archbishop, was later adopted by the group and reinterpreted as meaning "Wrestlers for and with the Spirit".