“Orthodoxy in Alaska”

A Photographic Exhibition of Alaskan Icons

Yekaterinburg, Russia

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A photographic exhibition of Alaskan icons organized by the American Consulate in Yekaterinburg, Russia received considerable attention at its recent opening.  Although the founding of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska dates to the arrival of the first mission team from Valaam monastery in 1794, formal diplomatic relations between the United States and Russia began later in 1807.  To commemorate this 200^th anniversary, the American Consulate in Yekaterinburg has organized a series of events for this year-long celebration.  This exhibition, “Orthodoxy in Alaska,” is one of the events and it opened at the Sverdlovsk Regional State Museum on April 25, 2007.   The exhibition features Native Alaskan iconographers and is on display through May 12, 2007. 

Iconography was taught at the seminary established by Bishop Innocent (Veniaminov) in Novo-Arkhangel’sk (present day Sitka, Alaska) in 1845.  There are several well-known Native Alaskan iconographers including Grigorii Petukhov and Vasilii Kruikov.   However, since icons are not signed, it is difficult to determine with certainty the iconographer of surviving works.  It is a blessing that many of these early icons written in Alaska survive to this day.  (Note:  Bishop Innocent, canonized in 1977, is now recognized as St. Innocent Metropolitan of Moscow and Enlightener of the Aleuts.)

Five of the Alaskan icon reproductions exhibited in Yekaterinburg are featured here.

Click this link to see the original article from the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr - Moscow

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St. Michael the Archangel.  It is believed that this icon was written by Georgy Petukhov in 1850 in Sitka.  The iconographer used oil paint on canvas and its size is approximately 70 x 54 cm.  This icon has been fully restored.   After its restoration it was exhibited for the first time at the Russian History Museum, Moscow, Russia in 2004.  It is currently on loan to the Russian Orthodox Museum in Anchorage from the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church, Kenai, Alaska. 

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St. Innocent of Irkutsk.  Although the iconographer is unknown, this icon bears evidence of Aleut artistry.  In particular, the treeless landscape is typical of the Aleutian Islands and not of Irkutsk.  Like the other icons featured here it was probably written in the mid-nineteenth century and is painted with oil on canvas, measuring approximately 91.1 x 64.8 cm.  It was restored in 1993 and is venerated in the Chapel of St. Alexander Nevsky, Akutan, Alaska. 

Archangel Gabriel.  This icon is thought to be a ‘companion icon’ to the St. Michael the Archangel and it is assumed that it was written by Gregory Petukhov.  This icon is roughly the same size as the St. Michael the Archangel icon and was painted with oil on canvas.   Together with its companion, it was exhibited at the Russian History Museum and is currently on display at the Russian Orthodox Museum in Anchorage.  The Kenai Church inventory indicates that both icons were acquired for the first church in Kenai which was built in 1848.

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St. Luke.  This icon is one in a set of four that embellished Royal Doors in the village church of Kashega on Unalaska Island.  It may have been written by the Aleut artist Vasily Kruikov in the mid-nineteenth century.   The medium is oil paint on canvas and it measures 30 x 26 cm.  The Japanese scholar Sava Michitaka Suzuki has done an extensive survey on the work of Kruikov but his publications have not yet been translated into English.

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St. Andrew, the First Called.  This icon is in the Church of the Holy Ascension in Unalaska, Alaska.  It bears evidence of Aleut origin.  If you look carefully an Aleutian volcano is depicted in the background.  It was written in the nineteenth century on wood, using oil paint, gesso and shellac.  It measures approximately 58 x 41 cm.