St. Michael's Cathedral (Sitka, Alaska)
Historic church in Alaska, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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St. Michael's Cathedral (Russian: Собор Архангела Михаила Sobor Arkhangela Mikhaila, also known as the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel) is a cathedral of the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of Alaska, at Lincoln and Maksoutoff Streets in Sitka, Alaska. The earliest Orthodox cathedral in the New World, it was built in the nineteenth century, when Alaska was under the control of Russia, though this structure burned down in 1966.[3] After 1872, the cathedral came under the control of the Diocese of Alaska. It had been a National Historic Landmark since 1962, notable as an important legacy of Russian influence in North America and Southeast Alaska in particular.[4][5]
St. Michael's Cathedral | |
Alaska Heritage Resources Survey
| |
Location | 240 Lincoln Street, Sitka, Alaska |
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Coordinates | 57°03′00″N 135°20′06″W |
Area | 0.16 acres (0.065 ha) |
Built | 1848 |
Architect | Bishop Innocent (Veniaminov); Sergey Padyukov |
Architectural style | Russian |
MPS | Russian Orthodox Church Buildings and Sites TR (AD) |
NRHP reference No. | 66000165[1] |
AHRS No. | SIT-010 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
Designated NHL | June 13, 1962[2] |
Designated AHRS | June 13, 1962 |
An accidental fire destroyed the cathedral during the night of January 2, 1966, but it was subsequently rebuilt.[4] The new building's green domes and golden crosses are a prominent landmark in Sitka.[5] Some of the icons date to the mid-17th century;[6] two icons are by Vladimir Borovikovsky.
St. Michael's Cathedral is located in the downtown business district in Sitka, on the southwestern coast of Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeastern Alaska. Its surroundings along Lincoln Street and Maksoutoff Street, which ends at the cathedral, have not altered much during the last more than 100 years.[5] Harrigan Centennial Hall on Harbor Drive lies behind the cathedral,[7] while Pioneers' Home is to its left.[6] The restored Russian Bishop's House, home of the first Orthodox Bishop of Alaska, Innocent (Veniaminov), is also nearby, operated by the National Park Service as part of the Sitka National Historical Park.