Russian Old Believers Church
by Eva Lechner
Title
Russian Old Believers Church
Artist
Eva Lechner
Medium
Photograph - Photograph/selective Coloring
Description
On the Kenai Peninsula, a village by the name of Nikolaevsk is what, around 400 hundred people, the majority of them Russian Orthodox Old Believers, call home. In history, it is said that every time Old Believers felt that their life style was threatened, they would pick up and move to a region where their religion could be practiced in isolation.
Fast forward to 2012, and Nikolaevsk, 10 miles east of Anchor Point, is still a village where traditions are taken seriously. The women wear blouses under a jumper, called a sarafan in Russian and are sometimes worn with an apron while the men appear in long shirts, or a rubashka, encircled with a belt. Girls of different ages can be seen adorning bright, colorful clothes with lively patterns on them.
The Old Believers split from the church in the 17th century because of some slight changes that were imposed. Oregon became their place of solace in the 60s and after half a decade in that area, part of the community moved away and settled down in Alaska. Their children wouldn’t be as culturally influenced by Americans in their new settlement, Nikolaevsk.
Old Believers stick to their regime, one being to wear the proper type of clothes. Some people may think they have gone back in time, once they encounter this lush village that has a surplus of forest area and warm welcomes.
Even though this village is a small dot compared to nearby towns like Anchor Point or Homer, they have all the amenities needed to be considered a functional village such as a post office, a school, and the one and only Samovar Café. Regardless of their accomplishments, problems persist in this part of Alaska. The Russian language is starting to vanish, as the younger generation is showing more distaste toward it.
Uploaded
September 1st, 2019
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