New Leadership

Baranov's tenure in Alaska did not start well. His ship to Kodiak was wrecked off Unalaska, where he was forced to spend the winter.  When he finally arrived in Kodiak, he found a small village and fifty rough men under his command. 

With most Russians being serfs, few were free to travel to Alaska. Those coming to Alaska signed seven-year contracts. Their pay was a share of the company's profits. Most of those who came were illiterate. Some were convicts promised freedom at the end of their contracts. A few were even men who had drunk too much in a bar in Okhotsk only to wake up the next morning on a ship bound for Alaska.

To establish order, Baranov imposed military-style discipline. Men lined up for a parade every Sunday. He drew up a code of conduct that was rigidly enforced. Gambling was prohibited. Baranov often took the lead in the hardest and most dangerous work to earn his men's respect.

Besides establishing order, Baranov also worked to improve morale. Life in Alaska was hard, and the work monotonous. On holidays or other occasions, he would organize festivities. He personally brewed an alcoholic drink made from crab apples, cranberries, and rye meal. Men could drink all they wanted on holidays, but they were forbidden to do so the rest of the year. There was no church or priest, so he presided over Sunday services, reading prayers. Afterwards, there would be singing and dancing, in which Baranov would take the lead. 

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