St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Cathedral

Americas First Russian Orthodox Cathedral - Since 1834

St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Cathedral in Sitka, Alaska is the first Russian Orthodox cathedral built in America and a National Historic Landmark. The parish has worshiped here continuously since 1834, holding five services a week, including Sunday Divine Liturgy, Saturday Vigil, and weekday Akathists. The Cathedral is also home to the wonderworking Our Lady of Sitka icon, painted in St. Petersburg in the late 1700s and carried across the ocean to Alaska.

The original cathedral was designed by Bishop Innokenty Veniaminov, the first Russian bishop of America, and built between 1844 and 1848 with funding from the Russian America Company. The builders were shipbuilders by trade, and they used sailcloth in the walls - an unusual construction method that blended 19th-century Russian design with the materials available in Alaska at the time. A fire swept through downtown Sitka in 1966 and destroyed most of the original structure, though parishioners managed to save most of the icons, furnishings, and books. The Cathedral was rebuilt from the original blueprints and reconsecrated in 1977, and services have continued there ever since.

Today the Cathedral remains an active parish rather than a museum, and is open to visitors daily from 10am to 3pm. Small souvenirs and candles are available near the entrance, and parishioners are happy to share the history of the church and its relics with guests.