The American island that was once Russian

The American island that was once Russian

The island of Unalaska in the Aleutian archipelago is one of the most inhospitable places on the planet. In the late 1700s, the Aleuts became a colony of the Russian Empire, and to this day many local residents — Russian names. There is also the Orthodox Church, only the congregation can see only a dozen.

The island of Unalaska climate — one of the harshest places on the planet. In the late 1700s the Aleutian archipelago became a colony of the Russian Empire, and to this day many local residents — Russian names. There is also the Orthodox Church, only the congregation can see only a dozen.

On the border with Asia

This American island is one of those in the ridge of the Aleutian archipelago separates the North Pacific from the Bering sea. From the continental United States it is even further West than Hawaii.

In fact, he is in the transition zone from North America to Siberia. The island’s location — literally on the doorstep of East Asia — makes it one of the most remote and most distinctive areas of Alaska.

Where the winds are born

As part of the Aleutian Islands, the volcanic archipelago stretching for 1,100 miles to the West in the form of a huge sickle on the surface of the ocean, the end of which is just 600 miles from the Russian Kamchatka, Unalaska is one of the most inhospitable places on the planet, except the polar regions.

The newsTribe wild

Blown by the incessant wind, almost devoid of trees, the coast looks severe and unapproachable.

The Aleutian Islands are located in the so-called Pacific ring of fire, is prone to earthquakes. Half of the 70 local volcanoes, including the active volcano Makushin on Unalaska erupted in the past 250 years at least once.

“Cradle of storms” and “the Place where the winds are born” — these nicknames Aleutian Islands are absolutely well deserved.

Adjacent each of the sea create their own weather conditions, and the collision of these two systems is constantly producing cyclones, storms, hurricane winds, torrential rains and thick fog. It is having a serious impact on the weather of Canada and the continental United States.

9000-year-old culture that disappears

Now in the city of Unalaska is home to around 5 million people. Most are employed in the fishing industry. Among the population remained a small percentage of the indigenous inhabitants, the Aleuts.

The newspromised Land

The people inhabiting the Aleutian Islands for at least 9,000 years, and his lifestyle reflects the harsh life when you have to use to the maximum the little things that give people the local land and sea.

In the last century, the Aleut population has been steadily decreasing and because of diseases brought from the outside, and the dying of their culture with the arrival on the island “white man”.

Today all of Alaska and the Aleutian archipelago there are only about 3 800 Aleuts. 24-year-old Śaila, Shernicoff and her 17-year-old brother Talon, Shernicoff (pictured) is among those two hundred indigenous people that still live on the island of Unalaska.

A piece of Russia in the United States

After Russian Explorer, Danish by origin, Vitus Bering and his assistant in the expedition, Alexei Chirikov were the first Europeans who visited the Aleutian Islands in 1741, to the archipelago influx of Russian fur traders. They were drawn the living wealth of the Islands, the sea otters and seals.

In the late 1700s, the island became a colony of the Russian Empire. Today, many of their inhabitants — Russian names.

After the fur traders to the archipelago came the Russian Orthodox Church. The Islands were built little churches, many Aleuts were converted to Christianity.

And when in 1867 the United States bought Alaska along with the Aleutian Islands from Russia, Orthodox heritage has been preserved.

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