Alfiorov on Russian ‘diplomacy’ in Alaska: death and slavery

by Oleksandr Alfiorov, historian, officer in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory

Source: Alfiorov on Facebook

Today marks 241 years since one of the most brutal crimes committed by Russians in the area known then as Refuge Rock that is now in modern-day Alaska. 

In 1784, during a brief stay in the region, Russian colonizers cannonaded over 500 indigenous people — men, women, and children — and then captured more than a 1,000 people. 

The Russian Empire not only fought for territory but also sought to destroy the identity, culture, and history of the native peoples.

This episode is just one of many examples of Russian aggression that brought death and destruction. Russia’s cruelty has never been confined to a specific land or era. Its crimes against Ukrainians, European peoples, and Caucasus nations are well documented, yet even in Alaska, where Russians were present only briefly, they left devastation behind. 

The best thing that happened for Alaska was that the United States purchased it, saving it from the “Russian world.” This remains a stark reminder of the dangers of Russian aggression.

Now, the U.S. and Russia are set to hold a diplomatic meeting just 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the site of this tragedy, a place where Russia left its bloody mark more than 200 years ago.