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Sitka: Alaska's Russian Capital
With all of Alaska’s natural wonderment, it’s easy to forget about the blending of Russian and Native cultures that make it unique. Not so in Sitka. From architecture to dance, the two prongs of this area’s history meld into one rich historic pot…and an interesting short visit.
Sitka is perhaps the most beautiful of the Southeast Alaska communities and that, combined with its dense history, means you should plan on at least a day to look around. Nestled on the west side of Baranof Island, midway between Ketchikan and Skagway, it’s flanked on the east by majestic snow-capped mountains and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Its natural history is exemplified in the Alaska Raptor Center, a nonprofit rehabilitation center for bald eagles, hawks, owls, and others. But the town’s focal point is St. Michael's Cathedral and its magnificent copper domes. The church is a fitting symbol for the town: finished in 1848, it was the first Russian church built in America.
Still, the rich, sophisticated Tlingits were here earlier, and their influence lives on here as well. It’s well deserved: The natives put up quite a fight after the Russian Alexander Baranof established a headquarters here 1799 to grow even wealthier in the trading of sea otter fur. Two of the bloodiest encounters of the era were fought near here, with the natives winning round one and the Russians trumping them with cannons to win round two. The fighting is preserved in Sitka National Historic Park, along with a collection of amazingly detailed totem poles, collected from all over Southeast Alaska. And you’ll find one of the best native Alaskan collections anywhere at the Sheldon Jackson Museum.
Yet even after the Russians sold Alaska to America in 1867 (another event that happened here), the Russian influence lives on. With much of the rest of Alaska still relatively young, Sitka is the place for a dash of fascinating history—along with its gorgeous scenery.
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