E-mail: marina.raskladkina@gmail.com Tel.: +7 (495) 739-73-85
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PhD in Political Science, Leading specialist, SCANEX Ltd
Several researchers consider Russia’s colonization of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska to be a natural continuation of the colonizing of Siberia. Russia’s activity in this territory lasted a little over 120 years, from the moment of its “discovery” by the Second Kamchatka Expedition of V. Bering and A. Chirikov in 1741. However, traces of Russian influence in this largest American state remain until the present time. These include a continuing awareness of the connection of Alaska’s historical past with Russia; the importance of the Orthodox religion in a number of places (there are about 90 Orthodox parishes in Alaska, and 5% of the population practices Orthodox Christianity); and a special variant of the Russian language, Alaskan Russian. This language was formed among Creoles, descendants of Russian fathers and aboriginal mothers. It was used in communication until the mid-20th century. At the present time, Alaskan Russian is sometimes spoken but it is largely a vestige of the past. The article examines the historical role of the Russian language in the colonization of Alaska and its contact with indigenous languages and with English.
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