“Paris of the Pacific” Sitka, Alaska

April 12, 2013 by Jill's Cabana Stories 2 Comments

St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church, Sitka, Alaska.

Sitka, Alaska was one of the port stops on our Alaskan cruise with Holland America. During our visit, we spent the day walking the downtown area, going through  St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church with its onion dome roof, and taking a three-hour Sea Otter Wildlife Quest boat tour. We had a wonderful day in this charming Alaskan town.

The Native Indian and Russian-American cultural influences we noticed impressed us. As we sailed into port, we were able to pin point all of the Russian inspired onion dome roof buildings, including the famous St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church

Complimenting this we saw all of the Tlingit Indian totem poles in the park and a harbor full of fishing boats. This whole scene was set against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains. The port of Sitka was a fascinating and unique experience.

Russian-American Era

“In 1741, the Vitus Berring expedition recorded the location of the Tlingit settlement at Sitka and recognized the value of the location and resources, recording this in their log books. The world of the Tlingit people came to a calamitous turning point in 1799 when the Russians returned, built a fort and trading post, and named the site “New Archangel.” In 1802, the Tlingit destroyed the Russian outpost; however, the Russians returned in 1804 and retaliated by destroying the Tlingit fort in the Battle of Sitka, a site commemorated at the Sitka National Historical Park. Just a few years later, in 1808, Sitka became the capital of Russian-America, a vast territory that extended from Northern Alaska, south to Fort Ross, California.

Sitka was the capital of Russian-America from 1799 until 1867 and during the mid-1840’s Sitka was the leading economic center of the Pacific Rim with the first boatyard, lighthouse, sawmill, iron, brass and bronze foundries, and flourmill. Sitka, with scenic beauty possessed by few world communities, was known as the “Paris of the Pacific” and was the largest European-style settlement on the West Coast of North America.

When the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, the Stars and Stripes were first raised on Castle Hill in downtown Sitka. Sitka was the capital of the Alaska Territory until 1906 when it was moved to Juneau.”

Article retrieved from http://www.sitka.net/sitka/culturehistory.html

Visiting Sitka, you see both Russian and Tlingit culture and heritage.  You see Native Indian artifacts and dancers, Russian inspired onion dome buildings and churches, and the New Archangel dancers.

Sitka is also teaming with wildlife. We went on a shore excursion called the Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest to see sea otters, harbor seas, bald eagles, and whales.  To our delight, we saw them all.  From bald eagles nests set high in the treetops, to harbor seas laying on the rocky shores, our shore tour guide delivered them all.  We saw coves full of sea otters, swimming on their backs in family groups.  It was amazing.  An onboard naturalist explained the workings of this remarkable ecosystem, as well as how the sea otters recovered from near extinction from the overhunting of Russian fur traders.

Our guide went one-step further and ended the excursion with a whale-watching quest.  He made sure that we saw at least six humpback whales swimming, diving, eating, and showing their tail flukes.

Our day ended with spending time at St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church in downtown Sitka. It was a fascinating experience and a day full of wonderful memories.

Sitka on Dwellable