ST. MICHAEL’S CATHEDRAL

Sitka, AK

From the founding of Russian America in 174l, attempts were made to Christianize the native Indians. In 1794, the Russian Orthodox Church established its first mission in North America at Kodiak Island in southeastern Alaska. The first American Bishop was appointed in 1700, and by 1808 the capital was moved to Sitka. In 1848, the Cathedral of St. Michael was built there, and served as the seat of the Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kurile and the Aleutian Islands, and Alaska -- a vast expanse stretching over 2,000 linear miles. The Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel is the principal example of Russia’s cultural influence on North America in the 19th century. Notice the ‘onion’ dome. From 1840 to 1872, Sitka was the seat of the Russian Orthodox Diocese, which governed all of North America, and thereafter it continued as the seat of the Diocese of Alaska. This example of Russian church architecture was by far the largest and most imposing religious edifice in Alaska until well into the 20th century. This Golden Age of the Orthodox Church in Alaska ended with the sale of Alaska to the United States in 1867. The present cathedral is a reconstruction of the original building, which burned to the ground in January, 1966.

A senior member of my Rotary club proposed a fundraiser: “Let’s get a great price for an Alaskan cruise, mark it up a little, raising money for Rotary”, so sixteen members signed up, and had a fun trip. One of our group was a former national yo-yo champion, and gave some entertaining demonstrations. I won the cruise ping pong championship, as usual, and wore my medallion proudly to dinner each night. At the stop in Sitka, there were no significant buildings, but I noticed the unassuming Cathedral. It was the only structure in town worth sketching, so I did. I begged permission to sit in a nearby store window (it was very cold), and sketched in the warmth as shoppers meandered by.