Project

Built in 1896 on the site of an earlier church, Holy Ascension Russian Orthodox Church in Unalaska is a reminder of the sizeable Russian community that once thrived in Alaska. The structure, formerly a cathedral, has a cruciform floor plan with three altars facing east, an apse, and a bell-tower that serves as the entry for the church. (...)

Built in 1896 on the site of an earlier church, Holy Ascension Russian Orthodox Church in Unalaska is a reminder of the sizeable Russian community that once thrived in Alaska. The structure, formerly a cathedral, has a cruciform floor plan with three altars facing east, an apse, and a bell-tower that serves as the entry for the church. The roofs are covered with wooden shingles painted red, with the exception of two onion domes, which are painted green. The interior is brightly painted with blue walls and a red floor. The church was occupied by the American military from 1942 to 1945, when Aleut-Americans living in the villages of the Aleutian Islands were relocated to internment camps. Upon their return to Unalaska, they found the military had provided no maintenance for the building and the roof had begun to leak. Snow in the main vestibule and an ineffectual heating system caused environmental damage to the structure and the holy objects inside. The saline environment of the Pacific Ocean and Bearing Sea, and sunlight shining through unprotected windows, caused various metal and photochemical deteriorations.