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Russia's Colony
The Russian Orthodox Mission
The Russian fur traders came from a culture that believed in Christianity. The Russian religion, Russian Orthodoxy, had been established in the 8th century. Links:
 Greek Church Sitka, Sunday, c. 1890. St. Michael's Cathedral, Sitka Many of the Orthodox missionaries defended Alaska Native people. The tsar in St. Petersburg had always prohibited the poor treatment of Natives, but many fur traders ignored his orders. The government officially reprimanded Gregorii Shelikhov for making war on the people of Kodiak Island when he established his settlement there. Several remarkable men served the Orthodox mission in Alaska. None was more important that Ioann Veniaminov, later named Bishop Innocent, the first Orthodox bishop in Alaska. Links:
On Unalaska beginning in 1824 he worked with Native leaders to develop an alphabet for the Fox Island Aleut language. He and the Aleut Ivan Pan'kov then translated some Russian liturgical texts into the Aleut language. He also made comprehensive notes on the population of the islands and on various aspects of Native culture.  John the Baptist's Society Group portrait of men on the beach in front of the village. In the center of group are two Russian Orthodox priests. Links:
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