Sitka in Sitka Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
Russia Intrudes on the Land of the Tlingit
Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 11, 2026
1. Russia Intrudes on the Land of the Tlingit Marker
In 1802 the Russian-American Company sailed into the harbor here to establish its new base of operations - Novo-Arkhangelsk - on the site of an already well-established Tlingit village. The Tlingit resented the invasion and the Russians were able to remain only by military force. After bloody fighting, the Russians fortified their new village by building a tall wall of sharpened logs connecting three blockhouses.
The 1867 "Transfer Map" at right was hand drawn just before Russia turned Alaska over to the United States. This map, laid over a recent aerial photograph, spotlights many of the changes that have occurred in the last 140 years.
You are standing where the wall ran between the two most western blockhouses during the Russian era. At this site there was a D-shaped blockhouse where the current blockhouse stands, and Holy Trinity Church.
This blockhouse, St. Yakov's grave, and the adjoining burial ground surrounding you are important pieces of Sitka's history. Please respect this solemn place.
(Captions):
Beyond the blockhouse a Tlingit village called the "Ranche" spread north along the Western Channel.
Beneath
this page online
From early times this ridge was a place of Tlingit burials; later Russian Orthodox, Finnish Lutherans and Americans also came to share Sitka's thin earth. Today the forest across the street shelters many more graves.
Sea captains referred to this remote Russian outpost as the "Paris of the Pacific" because of its beauty, cultural amenities, and hospitable people.
Erected by U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Forts and Castles • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1802.
Location. 57° 3.039′ N, 135° 20.324′ W. Marker is in Sitka, Alaska, in Sitka Borough. It is on Marine Street just north of Seward Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 205 Marine Street, Sitka AK 99835, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Alaska, in Tlingit and Haida & Tsimshian Region. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, in the Inside
Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 11, 2026
2. Russia Intrudes on the Land of the Tlingit Marker
The marker is in the front right.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Sentinel of a Divided Town (here, next to this marker); Russian Blockhouse #1 (here, next to this marker); Church Between Two Peoples (a few steps from this marker); Saint Yakov Netsvetov (within shouting distance of this marker); In Appreciation (within shouting distance of this marker); 250th Anniversary of the Bering-Chirikov Expedition (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Sitka's Pioneer Home (about 300 feet away); Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sitka.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 21, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 21, 2026, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 21, 2026, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
