Posts tagged unexpected

Most cruise passengers and tourists expect

Alaska whales and glaciers, bears and mushing dogs, and national parks and historic towns to see gold rush saloons and houses of ill repute – but few are prepared for the rich evidence of Russian history.

In fact only very few are aware of that fact for a period of time, a large enough piece of history, Russia controlled Alaska.

The Russian occupation of Alaska began in the mid 1700s, started when Russian explorers like Vitus Bering, to extend the field, and when fur traders began to settle in places like Iliuliuk on Unalaska.

offers today Unalaska on the Aleutian island chain lies visitors an insight into what happened with the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Assumption of mind. Built in 1825, with red roofs, green onion domes and a small cemetery was declared a historical monument, the Church in 1970 and was last restored in 1998. It now houses one of the largest collections of religious artifacts and icons in the United States.

As the fur trade has increased and more Russians ventured into the region, the first permanent Russian Alaska was in 1784 by Gregory and his company Shelikoff fur on the island of Kodiak established, rule, eight years later site of today’s Kodiak was moved.

Kodiak still much of its Russian flavor, complete, even with the street name in Russia. save

The Baranov Museum, a warehouse in the 1790s by Alexander Baranov built furs, is the oldest remaining Russian structure of the state and houses a fine selection of artifacts from the time of Kodiak as a Russian colony.

Other attractions in the theme of Russia: the beautiful Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Church, founded in 1794 is now a saint, complete with icons and links to St. Herman, the first priest in the United States. There is also the Veniaminov Research Institute Museum, bibles and icons of Orthodox missionaries in the

used presents an annual event at Monks Lagoon Kodiak 1800 celebrates the canonization of Father Herman Herman and the Holy Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kodiak is named after him.

In 1799, the Russian fur trade is booming in Russia, founded by Alexander Baranov, the new head of the company’s late Gregory Shelikoff, a new colony of New Archangel, which was the capital of Russian America. It was later developed into the present city of Sitka.

Sitka is located on the coast of today’s aptly named Baranof Iceland was.

pride of the city is the Cathedral of St. Michael, a bright blue onion dome Russian Orthodox Church, which dominates the skyline of Sitka. Although the original cathedral was built in 1844 by a fire in 1966 the rebuilt church where a church to worship the living continues, many features of icons and relics, which were destroyed in the fire again.

The Russian Bishop’s House, part of the Sitka National Historical Park, is the oldest building in Russia in Sitka. Built in 1842 for Veniaminov Bishop Ivan, now St. Innocent Orthodox Church, the buildings have been restored to reflect his time as a school, a chapel and residence.

The 107 acre Sitka National Historic Park interprets the site of the battle between the Russians and the Tlingit in 1804. Battles between indigenous peoples and the Russians were disastrous for Alaska Natives, as well as diseases of foreign origin as white explorers came to Earth.

One of the most romantic sights is the Protestant Cemetery, where visitors can find the grave of Maksoutoff Russian princess, the wife of the governor of Alaska last Russian Dimitrij Maksoutoff.

complete the picture, leading New Archangel Dancers Sitka his own authentic Russian dances for visitors to the city – usually when cruise ships

But coming rule of the Russians was in Alaska to an end .. In the early 1800s, Americans began over a portion of the fur trade, which had been prepared by the Russians to take, and it was only a matter of time before, in 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William Seward H offered Russia, 200,000 or two cents per acre for Alaska.

Americans called the purchase “Seward’s Folly” and considered it a waste of money. But it was not long before gold was discovered, causing some prospector stampedes north.

Alaska was a territory in 1912 and finally a state in 1959 and the Russian occupation of Alaska has become a distant memory – but for those who see the usual attractions of a trip to Alaska, evidence for the time and pride still lives.