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![On-line Book](on-line_book02%281%29.gif)
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National Park Service
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ST. MICHAEL'S CATHEDRAL
excerpts from National Register of Historic Places
Inventory—Nomination Form
1. Name
Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel
St. Michael's Cathedral
2. Location
Lincoln and Maksoutoff Streets
Sitka, Alaska
3. Classification
Category: Building; Ownership: Private; Status: Occupied; Accessible: Yes, restricted;
Present Use: Religious
4. Owner of Property
Orthodox Church in America
c/o Diocese of Sitka and Alaska
Box 697
Sitka, Alaska
5. Location of Legal Description
Borough Recorder
City and Borough of Sitka
Sitka, Alaska
6. Representation in Existing Surveys
Title: | Alaska Heritage Resources Survey (#SIT—010) |
Date: | June 13, 1962 State X |
Depository for Survey Records: |
Office of History & Archeology
State Division of Parks
Pouch 7001 (99510) or 3601 "C" Street
Anchorage, Alaska 99503 |
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Title: | Historic American Buildings Survey (AK—1) |
Depository: | Library of Congress
Washington, D. C. |
Date: | 1962 Federal X |
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St. Michael's Cathedral on Lincoln Street, ca. 1890s, courtesy the
Anchorage Museum of History and Art.
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7. Description
Condition: Excellent, Altered, Original Site
Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance
The cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel (commonly
known as St. Michael's Cathedral) is in the center of the business
district of Sitka, Alaska, the town which was the capital of Russian
America from 1808 to 1867. Sitka is on the southwestern coast of Baranof
Island in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeastern Alaska and is today a
community of 8,000. The cathedral stands at the junction of Lincoln and
Maksutoff Streets, the former being a through-street, which divides
and flows around the cathedral, while the latter dead-ends at the
cathedral. The site is surrounded closely on all sides by the activities
of the small town; a Lutheran church, an apartment house, and small
businesses are across one street or the other from the cathedral. The
visual appearance of the cathedral in respect to its surroundings has
changed little in over 100 years. Its green domes and golden crosses
dominate the skyline today as in the past, while the life of the
community flows around it (Figures 1-6).
The present cathedral is a reconstruction of the
original building which burned to the ground in January 1966. The first
structure was built between 1844 and 1848 and had had relatively little
modification or renovation in 118 years. At the time it burned, it was
the oldest church structure from the Russian era in Alaska. The initial
cathedral was built of native logs with clapboard siding. The roofs,
with the exceptions of the domes which were metal, were of wood shingle
and later replaced with asphalt shingles. The architect was the first
Orthodox Bishop of Alaska, Innocent (Ioann Veniaminov) (Figure 7).
After the cathedral was destroyed in 1966, it was
reconstructed using drawings made in 1961 by the Historic American
Buildings Survey. The object of the reconstruction was to create a
reproduction of the original structure, while incorporating modern
fire-resistant materials. The building today is constructed of
concrete and steel walls with vinyl siding recreating the original
texture, with asphalt roof shingles and copper roofing on the domes. As
the HABS drawings with measurements are available, and the cathedral is
built to these specifications, only a general description will be given
of the exterior and interior design, the emphasis here being on the
interior furnishings, which will be described in detail (see HABS
drawings, Nos. AK—1).
The Cathedral of the Archangel Michael is constructed
in the form of a Greek cross with a belltower, with the exterior
elevations expressing interior spaces. The design of the church is
described by one authority as "neither Byzantine nor Gothic. One often
encounters churches of this style in St. Petersburg in Russia. It
originated at the end of the last (18th) and beginning of the present
(19th) centuries."1 The favored architects of this era of the
European Enlightenment in Russia were two Italians, count Bartholomew
Rastrelli and his son, who designed such Rococco edifices as the Winter
Palace and the Smolny Institute. The cathedral, while a simple wooden
building, bears the hallmarks of the Rastrelli touch, that is, a large
dome with interior expression, affixed on a typical Russian village
church with chapel wings. The origin of this concept in Alaska may be
seen in drawings of another church designed by Bishop Innocent, the
Church of the Holy Ascension, built at Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands
in 1825. There, too, the church had two domes, one reflecting the inner
space of the center of the cross (Figure 8).
The cathedral is 67 feet in facade by 96 feet 8
inches in depth. It is painted light blue-grey, with white trim. In
the center of the western facade is a 40 foot-one inch belltower topped
by a cupola with eight arched openings and a bell in each, a
needle-like dome and a three-bar Orthodox cross. A balustrade
encircles the cupola. On the top half of the tower all of the windows
are false. Between two 15-light false windows on the north, south,
and west elevations is a round clock with Roman numerals and a pediment.
The entrance to the cathedral is through central double doors in the
lower floor of the belltower into the vestibule or narthex. The nave is
directly east of the narthex. Its exterior walls extend west of the two
chapels which form the arms of the cruciform plan. The dome is
octagonal, each side having a window. An eight-sided cupola with an
onion-shaped dome is atop the structural dome. On top of the decorative
onion dome is a three-bar cross. The apse is the easternmost
section of the cathedral and exactly duplicates the exterior walls of
the nave in dimension. Two chapels extend from the north and south sides
of the nave and are identical in measurements. In both the north and
south elevations there is a double door, neither of which is in use. The
public areas of the cathedral are well-lighted by the windows in
the dome, two large windows in each chapel and a window on the north and
south walls of the nave. There are, in addition, a number of false
windows decorating the exterior elevations (Figures 10-15).
The interior of the cathedral is similar in design,
for the most part, to the original, but there are a few significant
variations. The cruciform plan of the interior is immediately apparent
as one enters the doors from the west, as it would have been prior to
1966 (Figures 16-23). The walls and ceiling are covered in a rough
natural-colored sailcloth, as was the original, although in
the prototype the cloth was painted blue.2 The ceiling over
the western portion of the nave is horizontal and also covered with
natural-colored sailcloth. This gives way over the center to an
open dome which covers the middle of the naves and is centered over the
Bishop's Throne. In the original church this dome was supported by eight
columns; in the present structure there are four columns. Now the columns are of
steel and concrete, covered by sailcloth (Figure 24); they
formerly were of wood painted to look like marble (Figures 25, 26).
It is the presence of a remarkable collection of
Russian religious art, encompassing the entire epoch of the Russian
presence in America that distinguishes this cathedral. Works of
extraordinary beauty are on the ikon screens which divide the nave and
the chapels from the altars, and because this is still an active church,
several of the cathedral's most valuable ikons, in terms of age and
quality of workmanship, are hung on the walls. Many additional ikons
which once were displayed on the walls of the chapels or in the
sanctuaries are now protected in five sealed cases. All of these ikons
were preserved when the original cathedral burned.
In the center of the nave on a raised dais is a
backless cushioned seat which is the Bishop's Throne, designating this
as the ruling cathedral of the diocese. On the floor in front of the
throne is an elaborately embroidered rug or "orlets" upon which the
bishop stands during divine services. This item and a companion orlets
in front of the altar behind the ikonostasis are associated with the
cathedral from its earliest days.3
The ikonostasis in the main sanctuary is dedicated to
the Archangel (or St.) Michael. The framework is a reconstruction, while
the Deacon's Doors, the Royal Doors, and all but one of the ikons are
original. The Italian Rococco design of the framework is in marked
contrast to the simple lines of the exterior and interior walls of the
cathedral (Figures 27, 28). The screen is of wood, painted white with
lavish gold trim along the margins of the screen and around the ikons,
and is a copy of the original, a fragment having been saved from the
fire. There are twelve ikons on this screen, six large ones on the
screen itself and six on the Royal Doors in its center. All are from the
original building. Both the ikon of Christ the Savior to the right of
the doors and of the Virgin to the left are partially embellished by a
silver riza, skillfully carved to render the draperies of the figures'
clothing. There is little known about the origin of these ikons, except
that they are of the 18th- and 19th-century naturalistic style
of ikonography popular in Russia at the time the cathedral was built.
They, as all of the six large ikons on the screen, are built into the
wooden frame and each is surrounded by an elaborate gilt frame. Also of
note on the ikonostasis are the ikons of the Archangel Michael on the
far right (Figure 29) and of St. Nicholas on the far left (Figure 30).
Both of these figures are also draped in silver robes. The Royal Doors
in the center of the ikonostasis are ornately carved in silver, covered
with gold paint. The six
ikons in the door are carved in relief in silver and represent the four
evangelists on the four corners while the Annunciation and the Theotokos
(Mother of God) are in the middle tier. It is reported that "For the
twelve ikons which adorn the entire screen, over fifty pounds of silver
were used, of the aggregate value of no less than 6,000.00."4
All of these ikons and the Royal Doors were in the original church and have
been recently restored (compare Figures 31, 32).
On the walls of the dome and of the chapels are a
number of large paintings of fine quality which are representative of
western religious art (Figures 33, 34). They depict scenes from the Old
and New Testament, and according to one authority, were presented to the
cathedral by Count Victor Kochubei and/or Countess Anna Orlova, closely
identified with both Tsars Alexander I (1800-1825) and Nicholas I
(1825-1855).
The ikon screens of both side chapels are in reality
walls which project several feet into the chapel interiors, with central
double doors and ikons hung on either side (Figures 35, 36). The chapel
on the north is dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan. On the left side of the
Royal Doors, leading to the chapel's sanctuary and altar, is an ikon of
the Virgin of Kazan (Figures 37-39). It is popularly known as "the
Sitka Madonna" and is frequently on tour throughout the United States
and Europe. This ikon has a finely carved silver riza with gold
highlights covering all but the faces of the Virgin and child and the
latter's right hand. This ikon has been attributed to a famous Russian
portrait artist, Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky (1758-1826), who was
a favorite of Empress Catherine II (the Great). Also by Borovikovsky is
an ikon to the right of the chapel doors of Christ Pantocrator, or
Christ the Judge (Figure 40). It too has a riza of silver and gilt which
drapes the figure, and is the same size as the Sitka Madonna. The two
are clearly a pair, the intricate working of the riza as well as
the haloes being the same.
The chapel on the south was dedicated originally to
St. John the Baptist and Prince Alexander Nevsky. Following the
cathedral's reconstruction, this chapel was dedicated in 1978 to honor
the builder of the cathedral, Bishop Innocent, who in 1977 had been
declared a saint by the Orthodox Church. Hence, the chapel once known as
the Chapel of the Precursor (St. John the Baptist) is today the chapel
of St. Innocent. Its "ikon screen" duplicates the pattern of the other
chapel, being a wall with double doors and ikons hung on either side.
Above the door is an ikon of the Last Supper with a riza artfully
carved to form the bodies of Christ and His disciples with silver rays
forming haloes around each figure (Figures 41-43).
There are five display cases containing some of the
notable treasures of the cathedral, two in each chapel and one in the
nave (see drawing of interior and Figures 44-46). The lists of case
contents which follow do not, however, include every item in the cases,
but those about which information is available or positive
identification has been made.
Case One (in the north chapel, Figure 47):
The Festival Ikon of St. Michael, with a riza
stamped 1815, is oil on canvas. There is a central panel of the
Archangel Michael with a snyaxis (gathering) of angels and 24
surrounding scenes, twelve representing the major feasts of the church
calendar and twelve being scenes depicting the miracles attributed to
the Archangel. The scenes are depicted in the neoclassical style.
Repousee silver covers much of the surface, each scene being well
defined in relief.
A large Gospel with silver detailing and a chalice of
silver. These are a set which were taken to Fort Ross, the Russian
colony in California, in 1816 and brought to Sitka in 1841, when the
Russians sold their possessions there to John Sutter. The Gospel has a
red velvet binding. The silver plaques on the corners are stamped 1814,
with the inspection stamp of Moscow. There is a central scene of the
Resurrection with the evangelists represented on the four corners. St.
Luke is missing, and the plaque has been replaced by a plain metal
corner. It is inscribed to the church by the Russian Imperial Chancellor
Nicholas Rumiantsev. The Gospel itself bears the date of publication of
1809.
Two silver chalices, one dated 1819 and another,
1821. The former has four miniatures on its base and cup; those on the
cup are painted on mother-of-pearl, while those on the base are
painted on silver. This distinctive piece, with filigree detailing, is a
companion to a Gospel in Case 5 (below) and a crucifix in Case 3.
A pair of wedding crowns used in Orthodox marriage
ceremonies. They are of silver and gilt and date from 1866. Each has
four oval porcelain enamel medallions.
A chalice cover which was once used in the Chapel of
the Annunciation in the Bishop's Residence. It is embroidered with pure
gold thread.
Richly embroidered vestments also are in this
case.
Case Two (in the north chapel, Figure 48):
The oldest ikon in the cathedral's collection. This
is an ikon of the Holy Trinity, which originally hung on the wall of the
south chapel across the cathedral. This ikon is in the Byzantine
style.
Another early ikon, the Virgin of the Sign, also in
the Byzantine style.
An ikon of the Annuciation rendered entirely in
ivory.
Case Three (in the front left of the nave, Figure 49):
Items associated with the designer and builder of the
cathedral who was also the first Orthodox Bishop of Alaska, Bishop
Innocent (Veniaminov), including:
A crucifix inlaid with pearl, which was presented to
Bishop Innocent upon his consecration as bishop in 1840.
A Gospel printed in 1759 which was donated to Bishop
Innocent in 1846 by the Archimandrite of Holy Trinity and St.
Sergius Monastery in Russia.
A Gospel bound entirely in silver, in Aleut,
translated by Bishop Innocent himself using the alphabet which he
created. It was originally completed in 1828 and published in 1840.
Bishop Innocent's miter (Figure 50).
An embroidered communion set for the sick.
A heavy silver crucifix, made in 1824 and decorated
with six cloisonne miniatures.
A chalice cover embroidered in silk thread.
Case Four (in the south chapel, Figure 50):
A scale-model 13-inch miniature of the cathedral made of silver
with gilt overlay. The domes and the cupola of the bell-tower are
of cloisonne. There are three oval porcelain enamel plaques on the bell-tower
representing the Sitka Madonna, St. Michael the Archangel, and
Bishop Innocent of Irkutsk (not to be confused with Bishop Innocent of
Alaska). This exquisite tabernacle which, before the fire, was used to
carry communion to the sick, was made in Russia and donated to the
cathedral by its St. Nicholas Brotherhood in 1906.
An ikon, almost entirely covered by a silver
riza, of Sts. Zosimas and Sabbatius. It bears the date 1843 and
an inscription indicating that the ikon was presented to the cathedral
by the crew and passengers of the ship "Heir Alexander" in gratitude for
their survival through a severe storm in 1842. A companion of this ikon,
presented by one George Chernik, is in an adjoining case and is known as
"The Protection of the Virgin" (see below).
A Gospel, weighing some 25 pounds and bound entirely
in silver with repousee scenes of the Resurrection (on the front) and
the Nativity (on the back) This Gospel originally stood on the altar
of the main sanctuary. It is part of a set with a Chalice and Crucifix
which both bear the dates 1819; these companion pieces, however, are in
other cases (see Case 1 and Case 3 above).
Case Five (in the south chapel, Figure 52):
An ikon of Our Lady, Joy of the Afflicted, which
bears the date 1763. It is of tempera on wood with a silver gilt frame
and appliqued pearls, beads and semi-precious stones decorating the
robes of the Virgin. This ikon was in the Chapel of Our Lady of Kazan
prior to the fire.
An ikon of the Protection of the Virgin, which is the
companion to the ikon of Saints Zosimas and Sabbatius, noted above. It
bears an inscription commemorating a perilous escape at sea in 1842 and
the riza is stamped "1843." Its elaborately carved riza covers
all but the faces of the figures.
An ikon of Our Lady of Vladimir with the date 1847
stamped on the silver gilt riza. The haloes of the Virgin and Child are
of semi-precious stones.
An ikon of the Appearance of the Virgin to St.
Sergius of Radonezh, which is tempera on wood with a silver gilt
riza. The date is illegible, but the Moscow inspection seal has
been dated ca. 1780.
An ikon of the Image of Christ Not Made by Hand, of
tempera on wood with a silver riza and a silver gilt halo. The
riza bears the date 1826.
An ikon of St. Nicholas, oil on wood, with silver
riza and silver gilt halo. The date on the riza is 1825. The ikon
is painted in the naturalistic Western style.
An ikon of St. John the Baptist, an ikon believed to
be from the 17th century, with a silver riza of later origin.
The above items do not exhaust the treasures of the
Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel. On the walls and behind the
ikonostasis within the three sanctuaries are other ikons, church
utensils, and furnishings which have been identified with Orthodox
worship in Alaska from the middle of the 19th Century when the diocese
was created and the cathedral built (Figures 53-37). They are
displayed in a manner consistent with the atmosphere of the cathedral,
which is still a house of worship.
FOOTNOTES
1. Archimandrite Anatolii (Kamenskii), "Sitka.
Istorichesko-statisticheskoe opisanie sitkhinskago pravoslavnago
prikhoda [Sitka. An Historical-Statistical Sketch of the Sitka
Orthodox Parish]," Russian Orthodox American Messenger, II
(1898), 12:366.
2. Bishop Gregory (Afonsky), ed., "St. Michael's
Cathedral: Its History and Restoration of Icons," (Sitka, Alaska: n.d.),
p. 5.
3. Rev. A.P. Kashevaroff, "St. Michael's Cathedral,
Sitka, Alaska," (Juneau, Alaska: Empire Printing Co., n.d.), [8].
4. Hieromonk Antonii (Dashkevich), "The Russian
Orthodox Cathedral of the Archangel Michael at Sitka," Russian
Orthodox American Messenger, III (1899), 10:284.
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St. Michael's Cathedral interior, by Kathleen Lidfors, 1985.
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8. Significance
Period: 1800-1899, 1900-; Areas of Significance: Architecture,
Art, Religion
Specific Dates: 1844-48/1972-76; Builder/Architect: Bishop Innocent
(Veniaminov)/Sergei Padukov
Statement of Significance
Significance
The Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel in Sitka,
Alaska, is the principal representative of Russian cultural influence in
the 19th century in North America. Sitka was the capital of Russian
America from 1808, and after 1867, the capital of Alaska until 1906.
From 1840 to 1872, Sitka was the seat of an Orthodox diocese which
governed all of North America, and thereafter, it continued as the seat
of the diocese of Alaska. The cathedral was at the geographical center
of the community and was also its educational and religious hub. From
this post the church reached thousands of Native Alaskans, having a
profound cultural impact, offering them not only a new religion and way
of life, but also providing them with education, health care, and often
protection against civil authorities. The cathedral was by the far the
largest and most imposing religious edifice in Alaska until well into
the 20th century. It was, as well, an excellent example of Russian
church architecture, incorporating classic Russian features of the
cruciform design with elements of the Italian Rococco, popular in Russia
in the early 19th century. Although the present cathedral is a
reconstruction of the original, it has lost none of its significance.
Nearly all of the ikons and religious artifacts, many donated by wealthy
Russians and Imperial government officials in the early 19th century,
were saved from the fire which destroyed the cathedral in 1966 and have
been replaced in the new building. The structure itself has been rebuilt
on the original site according to measured drawings of the Historical
American Buildings Survey. The building, although varying from the
original in use of fire-resistant materials and some interior
details, is a very close reproduction. The cathedral is also intimately
identified with its designer and first officiant, the first Bishop of
Alaska, Innocent, renowned not only for his religious writings, but also
for works on the ethnography of Alaska, linguistics, and history, and as
a church designer. In 1977, Innocent was declared a saint by the
Orthodox Christian church. Under the bishop's aegis, the cathedral was
closely associated with a Seminary and a school, both of which operated
for many years. These were housed in the bishop's residence, the Russian
Bishop's House, which is now a National Historic Landmark within the
Sitka National Historical Park. The cathedral is still in use as a house
of worship and is still the seat of the Orthodox Bishop of Sitka and
Alaska, thus providing a continuing link with America's Russian heritage.
History
In 1808, the Chief Manager of the Russian American
Company, Alexander Baranov, moved his main office from Kodiak to the
newly fortified site of New Archangel (Novo-Arkhangel'sk) in
Southeast Alaska. The town, which came to be called Sitka after the
Russians left America, thus became the administrative center of Russia's
possessions not only in Alaska but also in California. In 1867 Russia
sold her possessions in Alaska to the United States. Sitka continued as
the administrative center of the region, and when a Territorial
Government was formed, it became the capital. It was the seat of
government and principal town of Alaska until 1906, when the capital was
moved to the new boom town of Juneau.
From the first, Alexander Baranov envisioned Sitka as
more than just another fortified post. Although he had shown little
interest in the Orthodox Mission at Kodiak and had often been at odds
with its leadership, he set about equipping the new town with a church
suited to the grand role he foresaw for his capital. He requested that
the finest of church furnishings be sent to Sitka from Russia for use in
the chapel which one of his employees had erected. He also asked for a
priest. In 1813, a quantity of religious treasures destined for Sitka
were lost when the Russian ship "Neva" sank off the coast of Baranoff
Island, not far from Sitka. A number of items were salvaged from the
wreckage, however, most notably a large silver-covered ikon of the
patron saint of the chapel, St. Michael the Archangel.1 Three
years later, in 1816, Fr. Alexander Sokolov arrived from Russia to
become Sitka's first priest; he brought with him the Festival Ikon of
St. Michael.2 Both of these ikons of St. Michael are still
part of the interior furnishings of the present-day reconstructed
cathedral, the silver-covered ikon being on the right side of the main
ikonostasis and the Festal Ikon of St. Michael in a display case in the
Chapel of Our Lady of Kazan (Case 1). In 1834, the Russian American
Company replaced the old and decrepit chapel-church with a new one,
also dedicated to St. Michael.
The construction of the new church coincided with the
arrival in Sitka of a new priest, Fr. Ioann Veniaminov. This
Siberian-born priest had had experience in Alaska, having served
for ten years at Unalaska, where he had designed and built a
two-domed church, introduced an alphabet and literacy to the
Aleuts, founded a school, and prepared extensive analyses of Aleut
customs. In New Archangel he conducted the same kind of
broadly-conceived evangelizing. The Tlingit Indians of Southeast
Alaska had been resistant to Christian missions, but Father Veniaminov
won the confidence of the Tlingit chiefs by introducing smallpox vaccine
to them in 1836 and saving many lives. He also developed a Tlingit
alphabet and vocabulary, thereby encouraging literacy. In 1840, the
Russian Holy Synod consecrated Fr. Ioann as Bishop Innocent, the first
Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kurile and Aleutian Islands (that is, Alaska).
New Archangel was designated as the seat of a diocese which spanned the
Pacific, embracing all of Russia's easternmost territories. In
1858 Innocent became an Archbishop retaining jurisdiction over Alaska
but with his headquarters in Siberia. Innocent became the head of the
church in Russia when, in 1868, he was named Metropolitan of Moscow. In
1977 the Orthodox Christian Church declared him a saint. Innocent's
career in Alaska embraced architecture, linguistics, ethnography,
history, public health, education, as well as ecclesiastical
administration. His books on Aleut ethnography are still considered
authoritative; the cathedral which he designed was considered the finest
representative of Russian church architecture in North America; the
schools which he founded operated well into the 20th century, educating
scores of Native Alaskans for participation in public life. The
instructions which he gave the Russian missionaries serving in his
diocese were extremely tolerant of Native customs and helped to ease the
meeting of western and Native cultures.
In his first year as Bishop at New Archangel Innocent
began to design a cathedral for the new diocese. Three years later, in
1844, the cornerstone was laid and on November 20, 1848, the Cathedral
of St. Michael the Archangel was dedicated. It was constructed with
funds provided by the Russian-American Company. The bells were
forged in the local foundries, and Bishop Innocent himself built the
clock which was placed in the belltower.
From the outset and until the present day, St.
Michael's Cathedral has served as the hub of an educational and cultural
center which influenced lives as far away as Russian Mission on the
Yukon River and Atka in the Aleutian Islands. In 1841, Bishop Innocent
founded a Seminary, attached to the Cathedral. This institution offered
a rigorous curriculum of higher education, designed primarily for
Natives destined to serve the church in Alaska, but it also provided the
education that gained many Natives and creoles (those of Russian and
Native parentage) access to upper-rank employment with the
Russian-American Company.3 In addition to the Seminary,
the Bishop started a school for elementary and secondary education;
orphanages were often associated with these schools. These
establishments functioned throughout the bishop's term in Alaska and
sporadically thereafter. Not until 1929 were the school and orphanage
permanently closed. The seminary transferred to Siberia when Bishop
Innocent moved there as Archbishop, but re-opened again in 1906 and
functioned for several years thereafter. The students of these schools
came from all over Alaska; most returned to their home communities to
take up leadership positions there, but many went on to advanced work in Russia
and were posted to churches outside Alaska, elsewhere in North America.
The schools were housed in the bishop's residence, which is now known as
The Bishop's House, or the Russian Orphanage, and is a National Historic
Landmark currently being restored by the National Park Service (Figure
58).
The Orthodox Church in Alaska went into a period of
decline after Bishop Innocent and particularly after the see was removed
to San Francisco in 1872. For thirty years, the Bishop of Alaska lived
outside Alaska and only visited the northern parishes on occasion. Many
of the treasures of the cathedral were taken to San Francisco. But in
1904, Alaska was made a vicariate and received its own bishop for the
first time since 1872. For a period of 20 years, that is until the
Soviet government in Russia cut off all funds for the American Orthodox
church, there was a revival of diocesan life and new forms of activity.
In addition to the school-orphanage and seminary which were
re-opened, a Temperance Society and Brotherhood were formed within
the Cathedral. The latter, with the dean of the cathedral always as
president, promoted health by financially supporting literacy through a
program of translations and teaching the membership to read. The
Brotherhood, which included women members, also was responsible for a
number of gifts to the cathedral, most notably an exquisite golden
miniature which was used to carry communion to the sick.4
This organization also proved vital in maintaining the cathedral
throughout the many lean years after Russian funds were cut off and in
promoting projects aimed at repair and restoration of the project; in
1909, the Brotherhood, for example, financed another scale-model
replica of the cathedral, this designed for display at the Smithsonian
Exposition in San Francisco (Figures 59 and 60). The Temperance Society
was somewhat older than the Brotherhood, being formed in 1896, and
included non-Orthodox members, both male and female. It was active
for several decades in promoting sobriety and producing educational
literature on the dangers of alcoholism. Under the leadership of the
cathedral deans and, subsequently, the resident bishops, similar
brotherhoods and societies were formed in other parishes, providing
education, health, and charitable support for many
communities.5
Besides the support from its Brotherhood, the
Cathedral of St. Michael received the patronage of many wealthy Russians
and grateful parishioners. Until the North American Orthodox see was
moved to San Francisco, the Sitka Cathedral was the only Orthodox
Cathedral in North America. And, thereafter, the cathedral and its
diocese were recipients of gifts through the Russian Imperial Mission
Society, founded by Metropolitan Innocent, the same who had been the
first bishop in America. Some gifts were from the humble workers of the
Russian-American Company; most notable among these is the icon of
Our Lady of Kazan, or the Sitka Madonna.6 Other gifts were
from the exalted ranks of the nobility, such as Prince Kochubei and
Countess Orlova, associates of the Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I.7
Survivors of shipwrecks presented the cathedral with works of art in
gratitude.8 The Orthodox hierarchy in Russia looked fondly on
the fledgling mission and supplied the cathedral on the far reaches of
empire with costly utensils and elegant books. This rich collection of
art and artifact accumulated through 120 years.
The cathedral structure itself influenced church life
elsewhere in Alaska. The architectural style of the cathedral was copied
at Russian Mission on the Yukon River. In 1894, the priest there,
Zakharii Bel'kov, who had spent several years in Sitka as a young man,
designed and built a domed church which closely resembled the Sitka
Cathedral. This church graced the shores of the Yukon until 1930 (Figure
61). The present Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross on the same
site is designed to recall the features of that original "cathedral on
the Yukon," and is, therefore, an echo of the Sitka cathedral.9
In 1962, St. Michael Cathedral was named a National
Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. At the time of its
nomination it was the oldest surviving church of the Russian era in
Alaska and, therefore, in all of North America. Its exceptional
architecture, its identification with Bishop (Saint) Innocent, its
artistic treasures representing the best of the Russian ecclesiastical
art in North America—all were mentioned as justification
for the honor of NHL status.
On Sunday, January 2, 1966, tragedy struck. A fire
which destroyed much of downtown Sitka, also razed the cathedral (Figure
62). Residents and parishioners were able to save nearly all of the
cathedral's artistic and religious treasures, including the Royal Doors
in the center of the ikonostasis and the chandelier. Of the most
valuable or revered items, only the bells, hand-wrought in Sitka,
the large ikon of the Last Supper above the Royal Doors, and the clock
in the bell-tower, constructed by hand by Bishop Innocent, were
lost. Almost immediately state government and community leaders began an
ecumenical and secular campaign to rebuild the cathedral. Measured
drawings made by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1961 were
used in the reconstruction by the project architect, Sergei Padukov of
Toms River New Jersey, and an extensive project to restore the ikons was
undertaken.10 Although the building today appears to be a
faithful reconstruction of the original, there are some variations from
the first structure due to the requirements of fire-resistant
materials and structural safety, and limited funds. In 1976 the newly
reconstructed Cathedral of St. Michael was dedicated, and in 1978
the old Chapel of St. John the Baptist (The Precursor) was rededicated in
honor of St. Innocent (Veniaminov) of Alaska.
The minor deviations on the exterior and the
incomplete or nonhistoric appearance of certain interior finishings do
not affect the basic significance of the structure. The interior
failings are overshadowed by the presence of the original furnishings,
ikons, and paintings. In 1973 the cathedral, while under reconstruction,
was re-entered in the National Register of Historic Places because
of the church's social and cultural impact, the priceless ikons,
furnishings, and metal items from the original building, and because of
the near-accurate reconstruction made possible by the availability of
HABS drawings.11 Those considerations remain valid today.
St. Michael's Cathedral is viewed by residents and
visitors alike as a unique representative of the Russian presence in
Alaska. Its location on its original site in Sitka, its continuing use
as an Orthodox house of worship and as the seat of the Bishop of Sitka
and Alaska, its store of priceless and beautiful ikons and other art, all
evoke the days when Sitka was the capital of Russia's easternmost
territory, and the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel was its
crowning jewel.
FOOTNOTES
1. P.A. Tikhmenev, A History of the
Russian-American Company, trans. and
ed. by Richard A: Pierce and Alton S. Donnelly
(Seattle, Wash.: University of Washington Press, 1978), 146; Hieromonk
Antonii (Dashkevich), "The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the
Archangel Michael at Sitka," (in English) Russian Orthodox American
Messenger, III (1899) 10: 284.
2. Tikhmenev, p. 146.
3. Tikhmenev, p. 379.
4. "Zolotaia tserkov' [The Golden Church]," (in
Russian), Russian Orthodox American Messenger, X (1906),
6:101-104.
5. Barbara S. Smith, Alaska Names
and Places in the "Russian Orthodox Messenger": An Index and
Annotated Bibliography, Alaska Historical Commission
Studies in History, No. 136 (Anchorage, Alaska: Alaska Historical
Commission, 1985). This index and annotated bibliography contains
notices of many such organizations under town and parish headings.
6. Rev. A.P. Kashevaroff, "St. Michael's Cathedral,
Sitka, Alaska," (Juneau, Alaska: Empire Printing Co., n.d.), [23].
7. Archimandrite Anatolii (Kamenskii), "Sitka.
Istorichesko statisticheskoe opisanie sitkhinskago pravoslavnago
prikhoda [Sitka: An Historical-Statistical Sketch of the Sitka
Orthodox Parish]," Russian Orthodox American Messenger, II
(1898), 12:367.
8. R.L. Shalkop, "Russian Orthodox Art in Alaska,"
(pamphlet) (Anchorage, Alaska: Anchorage Historical and Fine Arts Museum,
1973), 17, Illustrations Nos. 23 and 24.
9. Barbara S. Smith, "Cathedral on the Yukon," Alaska
Journal XII, No. 2 (Spring, 1982), pp. 4-6, 50-55.
10. Bishop Gregory (Afonsky), ed., "St. Michael's
Cathedral: Its History and Restoration of Icons," (Sitka, Alaska: n.d.).
11. John E. Cook, memorandum to Associate Director,
Archeology and Historic Preservation, National Park Service, Washington,
D.C., 23 April 1982.
9. Major Bibliographical References
Bibliography
Afonsky, Bishop Gregory. A History of the Orthodox
Church in Alaska (1794-1917). Kodiak, Alaska: St.
Herman's Theological Seminary, 1977.
______. "St. Michael's Cathedral: Its History and
Restoration of Icons." n.p., n.d. Pamphlet.
Anatolii (Kamenskii), Archimandrite. "Sitka.
Istorichesko statisticheskoe opisanie sitkhinskago pravoslavnago
prikhoda [Sitka: An Historical-Statistical Sketch of the Sitka
Orthodox Parish]." Russian Orthodox American Messenger, 2
(1898):364-367.
Antonii (Dashkevich), Hieromonk. "The Russian
Orthodox Cathedral of the Archangel Michael at Sitka." Russian
Orthodox American Messenger, 3 (1899):277-286, 296-305.
Kashevaroff, Rev. A.P. "St. Michael's Cathedral,
Sitka, Alaska." Juneau, Alaska: Empire Printing Co., n.d. Pamphlet.
"Saint Michael the Archangel Cathedral in Sitka,
1848-1978: Consecration of Chapel and Altar of St. Innocent Equal
to the Apostles, Enlightener of Alaska." n.p., October 1978. Pamphlet
for the Consecration services.
Shalkop, R.L. "Russian Orthodox Art in Alaska."
Anchorage, Alaska: Anchorage Historical and Fine Arts Museum, 1973.
Pamphlet for an art exhibition of the restored icons.
Smith, Barbara Sweetland. "Cathedral on the Yukon." Alaska
Journal, 12 (Spring 1982), 4-5, 50-55.
______. Alaska Names and
Places in "The Russian Orthodox American Messenger." Alaska
Historical Commission Studies in History, No. 136.
Anchorage: Alaska Historical Commission, 1985.
Tikhmenev, P.A. A History of the
Russian-American Company. Translated and edited by Richard A.
Pierce and Alton S. Donnelly. Seattle:
University of Washington Press, 1978.
10. Geographical Data
Acreage of nominated property: 0.16 acres; Quadrangle name: Sitka (A-5), Alaska;
Quadrangle scale: 1:63,360; UTM References: 08 479830 6322740
Verbal Boundary Description
St. Michael Cathedral is on Tract L of the Russian
Greek Church Mission Reserves pursuant to Act of Congress, June 6, 1900,
and recorded on U.S. Survey No. 404, 1905. It consists of 0.16 acres.
Commencing at corner number 1 as designated on the
plat of U.S. Survey No. 404, situate at Sitka, District of Alaska, such
corner being the point of beginning, thence S. 29° 36' E, a distance of
0.39 chains to corner number 2; thence S. 88° 45' E. a distance of 0.79
chains to corner number 3; thence N. 62° 31' E. a distance of 0.60
chains to corner number 4; thence N. 22° 34' E. a distance of 0.50
chains to corner number 5; thence N. 27° 49' W. a distance of 0.52
chains to corner number 6; thence N. 64° 59' W. a distance of 0.41
chains to corner number 7; thence S. 63° 53' W. a distance of 0.78
chains to corner number 8; thence S. 29° 33' W. a distance of 0.77
chains to corner number 1, the point of beginning.
The boundaries of St. Michael Cathedral National
Historic Landmark conform to the historic plat contained in the U.S.
Land Survey conducted in 1904 and recorded in 1905. Widening of Lincoln
Street on the north side of the Cathedral has intruded approximately
4-5 feet into the property, rounding corner number 8, but not
affecting the structure.
The dotted line on the accompanying site drawing
represents the original boundary as described above, while the solid
line marks the curb around the structure.
11. Form Prepared By
Barbara Sweetland Smith
National Park Service
2525 Gambell Street
Anchorage, Alaska
11/29/85
12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification
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