| What is it? |
St. Michael Cathedral is the oldest Russian Orthodox cathedral in the Americas! |
| What makes it historical? |
Sitka was the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Americas from 1840 until 1872! This cathedral, built of native logs and wood shingles, was designed by Father Ioann Veniaminov, also known as St. Innocent of Alaska! He was a talented linguist, who transcoded the native Tlingit language into Cyrillic, then translated Orthodox texts into their language! The original cathedral burned to the ground in 1966, and this one was rebuilt using drawings from the Historic American Buildings Survey! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? |
HERE’S HOW:
- Donate to St. Michael Cathedral!
- Donate to the Alaska Historical Society!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
|
| Where is this place? |
240 Lincoln St
Sitka, Alaska 99835
From Anchorage: ~589mi (948km) — 3hrs
From Fairbanks: ~677mi (1090km) — 5hrs
From Juneau: ~93mi (150km) — 1hrs
From Nome: ~1122mi (1806km) — 9.5hrs |
| When should I go? |
The cathedral is open from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM daily between May and September! You’re most likely to find service in session around 6:00 PM Monday through Saturday, and at 9:30 AM on Sundays! |
