Religion

Encouraged by the government and supported by the Russian-American Company, the Orthodox Church sent new missionaries to Alaska in the 1820s. These missionaries began to train Alaska Natives for the priesthood and lay positions in the church. The latter was very important because the small number of priests meant that some villages, particularly in interior Alaska, might be rarely visited by a priest. Lay readers could perform all church services except for the Liturgy and Sacraments between priest visits. The Russian missionaries also began to translate religious books into Native languages.

In 1840, there were four Russian Orthodox priests in Alaska, four churches at Atka, Kodiak, Sitka, and Unalaska, and eight chapels on the Aleutian Islands besides Atka and Unalaska. By 1867, there were over 30 Russian Orthodox clergy in Alaska, nine churches, and 35 chapels. The Russian Orthodox Church activity continued in Alaska after 1867. The strong traditions established by the Church between 1794 and 1867 have continued to present-day Alaska.

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