Russian Heritage in the United States

It may seem like Russia is millions of miles away from American, but there are pieces of Russian culture all over Alaska. An example of this is The Russian Bishop's House in Sitka. This is one of the few remaining examples of the colonial architecture of Russian immigrants left on the continent. For over a century Russia was the dominant power in the Northern Pacific area and the town of Sitka was a Russian colonial capital. The Bishop's house was built in 1842 and it was considered the center of the Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church had a large diocese in the area that stretched all the way from the state of California to Siberian Kamchatka. The Bishop's House was closed in 1969 and the building began to deteriorate. The roof experienced leaks, the floors and doors became crooked. In 1973 when the building faced collapse, the National Park Service stepped in and started a nearly two decade long renovation. The goal was to restore the building to its original appearance. Today, visitors are able to step back in time and visit this piece of Russian and American history. It is a great way for people to understand what life was like in the town of Sitka when it was under both Russian and American control.