If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 406

St. Michael’s Cathedral, Sitka, Alaska, ca 1895

We found this postcard with a vintage photo of St. Michael’s Cathedral from ca 1895 in the small store affiliated with and across the street from the church.  The card is blank on the backside and had no information about the photographer or an exact date the picture was taken. 

Side view of St. Michael’s Cathedral, Sitka, 2019

Front view of St. Michael's, 2019

The wooden Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel, was built between 1844 and 1848 when Alaska was under the control of Russia.  Constructed of native logs with clapboard siding the domes were made of metal, the roof had wood shingles.  There were limited modifications and the original structure was in good shape until it burned down in 1966 the result of an accidental fire.  Rebuilt following the fire the roof was changed to asphalt shingles.  Saved from the fire were a wall of icons and religious paintings, silk and brocade vestments, and the chandelier.  Lost were handmade bells, the clock in the bell tower, a large icon of the Last Supper that decorated the top of the royal doors, and a large library containing books in Russian, Tlingit, and Aleut languages. 

Interior view

This postcard with a photo by Michael Anderson shows the interior of St. Michael’s with chandeliers, wall of religious paintings and icons from the 18th and 19th centuries and painted in Russia.  St. Innocent Veniaminov who was the first bishop of Alaska and founder of St. Michael’s built the Cathedra or Bishop’s Throne and the chandeliers.  The card is an “Alaska Joe” original, Greatland Classic Sales, Co. Inc. with the number 79-18.

 One of two crosses on the steeples

Close up of the bells in the tower

The Cathedral is located in the downtown area of Sitka, Alaska.  There are several mid 17th century icons including two by the Russian portrait artist Vladimir Borovikovsky.  In his later years Borovikovsky mostly painted icons.  The golden crosses on the steeples and green domes are prominent landmarks in Sitka. 

One of the icons, this one is named Our Lady of the Inexhaustible Cup, and is known for healing those who suffer from alcoholism or drug abuse.  This was another photograph that had been made into a postcard but had no additional information on the reverse.

A few blocks away from the church is the Bishop’s house

This card has photos by Michael Anderson and is another “Alaska Joe” original distributed by Greatland Classic Sales, Inc.  It has the number 82-18CA at the lower left on the reverse.  In addition to views of the Cathedral and the Bishop’s House it also has the statue of Alexander Baranof, sometimes spelled Baranov, who brought the Russian American Capital to Sitka from Kodiak, and the Block House, seen between the statue and the dome and cross.

Totem pole and dancers, St. Michael's, and Sitka harbor

And finally, this three-panel card with photos by Randy Brandon/Alaska Stock Images, distributed by I.A.A.C. Inc., Seattle, WA. Showing the totems poles and dancers, the cathedral and the harbor with mountains in the background.  

Sitka was colonized by the Russians in 1799 and originally known as New Archangel or Novo-Arkhangelsk when it was under Russian rule.  The name Sitka was derived from the Tlingit name which means "People on the Outside of the Baranof Island."  It is thought that the original Tligit people settled here over 10,000 years ago. Tlingit warriors destroyed the first settlement killing many of the Russians.  Baranov levied 10,000 rubles to ransom the safe return of surviving settlers.  Returning in 1804 with a large force, Baranov launched attacks on the Tlingit fort until they "hung out a white flag" and deserted the fort.  Following that victory the Russians established New Archangel as a permanent settlement.  Alaska was purchased by the United States from Russians in 1867 and became a U.S. Territory with Sitka its capital from 1867 to 1906 when the capital was moved to Juneau.  Alaska was officially proclaimed a State in 1959.



For additional information, see:

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Michael’s_Cathedral_(Sitka,_Alaska)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Borovikovsky
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inexhaustible_Chalice
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitka_Alaska