Russian* graves halt construction on road project

Community Development Administrator Bob Spaulding said the city was unaware that the graves existed until he was contacted Thursday by members of the Church of the Spiritual Molokans of Arizona, the incorporated name for this Dukh-i-zhiznik faith congregation. 

The Dukh-i-zhizniki Molokans, descendants of Russian Spiritual Christian immigrants from Russia, own a small cemetery [1 acre] on the northeast corner of 75th and Maryland avenues, across the street from Independence High School. There are 98 marked graves and about 65 unmarked graves, Dave Tolmachoff, spokesman for the congregation church, said. [Of 4-6 Dave Tolmachoffs, this is probably presviter Dave Wm. (David Vasillich)]

At least two one unmarked graves of a non-member is are eight to 10 feet inside the city's 33-foot right-of-way, he added. It is not known if others are within the right-of-way. [An immigrant resident-worker from Eastern Europe nick-named "Pollack" was buried, date unknown, outside the cemetery between the fence and "Pancho's lane."]

The Dukh-i-zhizniki Molokans were unaware that Maryland Avenue would be widened until a developer moved the cemetery's fence back eight feet last week. [Discovered by Harry Pete Tolmachoff, who immediately phoned his sister Mary Tolmachoff-Long.]

Dunlap and Magee Inc., the developer of a 361-lot single-family subdivision near the cemetery, is required by the city to widen a quarter mile of Maryland Avenue east of 75th Avenue into a standard two-lane street and install curbs, gutters and sidewalks. The street ["Pancho's lane"] currently is an oil-caked access road to farm land owned by the late presviter William Sergei Tolmachoff. Work a safe distance from the cemetery will continue. 

The unmarked graves supposedly is are along Maryland Avenue within 250 feet of 75th Avenue, Spaulding said. [The cemetery dimensions are 250 feet deep from 75th Ave and 200 feet wide.]

Spaulding said the city would realign the street after the congregation church says where the graves is are.

"We don't disapprove of progress but we don't want to disturb our heritage," Tolmachoff said.

"There was a flu epidemic in 1918 and many children died. During World War I, there was a depression and families moved to California and left the children behind," he said. 

He said the cemetery has been used continually since 1912 by a group of Russian families from Russia who had immigrated to an 8-square-mile area 3 miles west of Glendale extending from Northern to McDowell along 75th and 83rd Avenues. They were mainly cotton farmers and grew sugar beets, vegetables, wheat, and many had dairies. At their peak in 1920, they probably farmed up to 10 square miles, before most relocated to California and a few to Mexico or Russia.

"The graves originally were, marked with cedar but some stakes rotted and others were burned in a field fire several years ago. The first big fire was in the 1930s, with about one a decade afterward because few cut the weeds.

Tolmachoff said he has been unable locate records, which do not exist, about where the graves are  but some of the elders of the church can remember at least two graves in the city's right of way. 

According to the deed of trust for the church's cemetery, a 33-foot right-of-way, originally owned by William Sergei Tolmachoff to access his field (later named Pancho's lane, after the man who lived in in the center of the section), was designated for Maryland Avenue. The property was in Maricopa County when it was established as a cemetery, and Glendale continued the right-of-way designation after it was annexed into the city, City Attorney Nick Dotterman said.

According to sparse Glendale historical society records, the Dukh-i-zhizniki Molokan are Russian Spiritual Christians from Russia whose ancestors did do not believe in bearing arms. But many raised in America are as "red-neck" as their neighbors, and some had reputations as bar fighters. During WWII, 90% of Spiritual Christian boys in America enlisted. Most in Arizona who went to alternate service CPS camps never paid half their camp fees, owing over $4,000.

During World War I, 34 35 Russian youths born in Russia who lived in the west Glendale area refused to register for the draft and were served sentenced to 10 months in jail, of a 12-month sentence in Prescott. Members of the 4 congregations church protested the ruling and 28 people were arrested for inciting a riot. Of the 34 youth jailed, 6 were imprisoned for another 4 years for being absolutists, who did not register with the others to get released after 10 months.

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