Hi there, !
Thu 08/14/2025 Wed 08/13/2025 Tue 08/12/2025 Mon 08/11/2025 Archives
Rantburg
561446 articles and 1933578 comments are archived on Rantburg.

Today: 68 articles and 115 comments as of 11:39.
Post a news link    Post your own article   
Area: WoT Operations    WoT Background    Non-WoT    Opinion    Politix   
Multiple deputies shot in incident near Virginia, North Carolina border
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
Page 5: Russia-Former Soviet Union
0 [24] 
0 [19] 
0 [19] 
0 [24] 
1 11:22 Grom the Affective [25] 
Page 1: WoT Operations
3 11:12 NN2N1 [49]
0 [24]
1 02:40 Grom the Affective [54]
1 09:40 Glenmore [83]
0 [26]
0 [62]
1 08:34 Albert McCoy9505 [51]
0 [26]
0 [28]
Page 2: WoT Background
4 11:20 Grom the Affective [64]
3 09:45 Glenmore [60]
2 09:47 Glenmore [46]
0 [20]
1 10:13 Grom the Affective [25]
0 [21]
1 10:29 Elmomoter Mussolini9149 [33]
1 10:04 Skidmark [33]
6 09:56 Glenmore [100]
3 10:06 Grom the Affective [52]
3 10:06 Skidmark [71]
0 [16]
0 [22]
7 11:35 Grom the Affective [106]
1 10:36 Skidmark [30]
0 [32]
3 09:54 Skidmark [66]
0 [27]
0 [20]
2 08:43 mercutio [46]
Page 3: Non-WoT
0 [44]
0 [20]
0 [22]
1 02:16 Besoeker [57]
0 [27]
0 [34]
0 [26]
5 09:11 DarthVader [112]
3 09:30 Skidmark [65]
0 [34]
7 10:31 Skidmark [106]
1 06:02 Skidmark [47]
1 08:52 mercutio [43]
1 06:37 MikeKozlowski [48]
Page 4: Opinion
3 10:45 Skidmark [59]
3 10:34 Skidmark [76]
3 09:36 Skidmark [44]
0 [29]
4 09:38 Skidmark [91]
6 09:37 Skidmark [90]
Page 6: Politix
4 11:36 Grom the Affective [56]
4 06:36 Super Hose [112]
12 11:36 Secret Master [143]
2 07:49 Besoeker [55]
6 10:16 Skidmark [97]
2 07:26 Besoeker [49]
1 06:11 Super Hose [42]
1 06:09 Super Hose [33]
1 06:07 Super Hose [28]
-Lurid Crime Tales-
Informalist who accidentally killed Islamist is suspected of rehabilitating Nazism
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] An informal from Evpatoria, who accidentally killed an Islamist who attacked him, is suspected of rehabilitating Nazism. A new criminal case has been opened against him and his girlfriend after offensive photos from the "Mass Grave of Victims of Fascist Terror" were found on the young men's phones.
Good lord. The only thing missing in this tale is a dead girl or a live boy.
In addition, videos of animal abuse and desecration of symbols of the Orthodox faith were found on the young men's smartphones. The informal's lawyer told IA Regnum that he is currently undergoing a psychological and psychiatric examination.

On August 13, the Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol reported on the progress of the investigation of the criminal case under the article "Murder" against 22-year-old resident of Yevpatoria Kirill (name changed). On July 14, while walking with his girlfriend Alisa (name changed) and a friend, the young man ran into 33-year-old resident of Dzhankoy Eredzhep M.

IA Regnum found out that he supported the founders of a terrorist organization promoting radical Islam. The tipsy Eredzhep reacted to their informal appearance, began calling the young men gays* (an obscene synonym) and swinging a glass bottle at them. A scuffle ensued, as a result of which Kirill stabbed Eredzhep. The man died on the spot, Kirill was arrested on charges of murder.

The young man was placed in a detention center, and his phone was confiscated. During the smartphone's contents, investigators for especially important cases and operational officers of the Center for Combating Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Republic of Crimea found materials that violated the law.

According to law enforcement officials, a month before the brawl, in June 2025, Kirill climbed the memorial "Mass Grave of Victims of Fascist Terror of 1941-1942", where he took a photo insulting the memory of front-line soldiers. He sent it to his girlfriend, and she published the image on a Telegram channel, accompanying it with an obscene description.

"A criminal case has been opened against them under Part 4 of Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - insult to the memory of defenders of the Fatherland, committed publicly by a group of people by prior conspiracy using the Internet. The young man and woman also stored photos and videos on their phones in which they cruelly deal with animals, dissect them, accompanying the process with cynical comments. In addition, a fact of desecration of the symbol of faith on the territory of an Orthodox church was revealed," the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol reported.

19-year-old Alisa has already been charged under the article "Rehabilitation of Nazism", the rest of the actions captured on photo and video are being given a legal assessment. Expert examinations have been ordered.

IA Regnum contacted the lawyer of 22-year-old Kirill, who said that the guy does not yet know about the new criminal case, since he himself is undergoing a psychiatric examination.

"The investigator has not yet notified me and my client about the new charge, so I cannot comment on it, we have not been officially informed about it. At the moment, my client is undergoing a psychological and psychiatric examination under the supervision of specialists. It will last about two more weeks," the lawyer told IA Regnum.

Earlier, Regnum news agency reported that Kirill has already been diagnosed with moderate depression.

Posted by: badanov || 08/14/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [25 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The Lord moves in mysterious ways?
Posted by: Grom the Affective || 08/14/2025 11:22 Comments || Top||


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian General Staff on the new successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Sumy region
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Ukrainian troops are taking active steps to disrupt the plans of Russian occupiers, the General Staff noted.

Since the beginning of the current day, 49 combat clashes have occurred on the front. More than half of the battles are in the Pokrovsk direction, and in the Sumy region, the Ukrainian military has achieved certain successes. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational report as of 16:00 on Wednesday, August 13.

"In the Severo-Slobodskoye (Sumy region – ed.) and Kursk directions, the enemy attempted to carry out offensive actions three times, at the moment one combat clash is ongoing... Our units are carrying out active actions to disrupt the occupier's plans, and have had certain successes in certain areas," the report says.

In the South Slobodskoy direction, our military repelled an enemy assault near Vovchansk.

In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy attacked once in the Golubovka area.

In the Liman direction, four attacks were repelled in the areas of the settlements of Novovodanoye, Karpovka, Ridkodub and Torskoye. Another attack is still ongoing.

In the Seversky direction, our soldiers repelled one enemy attack, another battle is currently ongoing. The occupiers tried to advance in the areas of Grigoryevka and Novosyolovka.

In the Toretsk direction, the Russians attempted to advance in the areas of Shcherbinovka, Yablunovka and Rusiny Yar. Ukrainian units repelled four attacks.

In the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy carried out 27 assaults in the areas of the settlements of Vladimirivka, Nikanorovka, Chervony Liman, Novoekonomicheskoe, Rodynskoe, Promen, Chunyshin, Zvirovoe, Kotlin, Udachnoe, Gorikhovoe, Novoukrainka and Dachnoe. Our defenders have already repelled 23 attacks, the fighting continues.

In the Novopavlovsk direction, the invaders launched three offensives near the settlements of Maliyevka and Shevchenko.

In the Dnieper direction, two assaults have been repelled, and another battle continues.

At the moment, no military clashes have been recorded in the Kramatorsk, Gulyai-Pole, Orekhovsky and Orekhovsky directions.

Earlier on Wednesday it became known that the Ukrainian military blocked and destroyed those small units of the Russian troops that were advancing near Dobropillya in the Pokrovsk direction. This was stated by the representative of the OSUV Dnepr Viktor Tregubov.

Also this week it became known that the Ukrainian Armed Forces cleared two villages in Sumy region of Russians.

Posted by: badanov || 08/14/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [24 views] Top|| File under:


Two cities almost surrounded. Situation in Donbass
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Yesterday, the enemy set a daily record for the area of captured territory since 2024, ISW analysts write.

The Russian army made its biggest 24-hour advance since late May 2024 on August 12, capturing 110 square kilometers, the US Institute for the Study of War reports. According to statistics, it usually takes the enemy at least 5-6 days, sometimes more, to capture such territory.

The most difficult situation is currently observed in the Donetsk region. According to military information, Pokrovsk and Mirnograd are almost surrounded.

ENEMY TARGET
Deputy Commander of the 3rd Assault Brigade Maxim Zhorin stated the day before that the situation in the Pokrovsk direction is practically out of control. Among the main problems that led to the enemy's breakthrough, he named the following: poor communication between units, ineffective use of troops, lies at all levels and the lack of adequate solutions.

Today Zhorin added that Moscow has thrown enormous resources into advancing in almost all directions of the front, and most of all into capturing Pokrovsk.

"The goal of reaching the borders of Donetsk Oblast has been set for Russian troops for a long time. They are ready to do absolutely anything for such tasks... I know that Ukrainian units are currently being reinforced there and are making every effort to stabilize their positions. It is very important to understand the seriousness of the situation in this direction," he wrote.

THE VICE IS TIGHTENING
Due to the difficult situation at the front, the former chief of staff of the 12th special forces brigade Azov Bohdan "Tavr" Krotevich on his page on the social network X addressed the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to him, Pokrovsk and Mirnograd in Donetsk region were practically surrounded due to the enemy's offensive actions. The enemy is also advancing in the direction of Kramatorsk and Druzhkovka, which is worsening the situation at the front.

Problems in this combat area have been intensifying since 2024, Krotevich insists.

"This was publicly warned about, and that is exactly what happened. The reason for this problem is not the newly created corps, which inherited a disastrous situation with subordinate, understaffed units, and not the OTU or OSUV, which for the last year and a half have not actually managed anything, but only transmitted orders "in accordance with the order from the General Staff," he wrote.

The Washington Post, citing Pentagon sources, also writes that Ukrainian troops were under threat of encirclement in Pokrovsk. According to the American official, the Defense Forces were likely preparing defensive lines in the region similar to attempts to contain a Russian offensive on Bakhmut in 2023.

Urban fighting was then advantageous for the Ukrainian side, but now the Russians are implementing a different tactic.

Pokrovsk, which was a key logistics hub and supply center for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was subjected to massive Russian strikes, damaging most of the transport routes.

ATTRACTING RESERVES
Krotevich's information was officially confirmed today by Viktor Tregubov, a representative of the operational-strategic group of troops "Dnepr". According to him, the Russians are trying to take Pokrovsk in a vice.

"There are ongoing battles around Pokrovsk. The enemy is trying to encircle the city from two sides: from the north and southeast, and simultaneously from the south and southwest," the representative noted in a commentary for Ukrinform.

Tregubov also confirms the enemy’s significant numerical superiority, which is why Ukraine has brought in reserves to contain the enemy in the direction of Dobropolye.

At the same time, Tregubov emphasized that the situation is gradually changing in favor of the Defense Forces, although the pace is not fast enough. According to him, the occupiers are using the tactics of small groups, which was also in the Kupyansk direction.

"They were accumulating infantry behind the first line and, when a certain number had gathered, they moved it forward. Now this group is already operating behind our first line. The task is to destroy it," added Tregubov.

Posted by: badanov || 08/14/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [19 views] Top|| File under:


Current information on the situation on the front line on August 13 (updated)
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 19:33 Russian Ministry of Defense published footage of aerial ramming by the crews of the Rubicon Center for UAVs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

19:15 Units of the "Center" group of forces continue fierce battles for the Krasnoarmeysko-Dimitrov agglomeration.

19:09 North group burned all transport of the 57th, 80th, 92nd and 95th brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Yunakovka.

18:29 In the Khar'kov direction, assault engineers of the 44th Army Corps of the North group daily demining logistical routes along which ammunition, evacuation of the wounded and humanitarian aid to civilians are carried.

18:11 From 13.10 to 17.30 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed seven Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.

17:39 Calculation of the ATGM "Metis" of the "West" group of forces destroyed stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Krasnolimansk direction.

17:07 From 12.45 to 13.50 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Kursk region.

16:24 Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Andrei Belousov spent another meeting with military correspondents. A wide range of issues related to the development and use of unmanned aircraft were discussed.

In addition, at the meeting, war correspondents addressed the Russian Minister of Defense with a number of initiatives on issues of improving social support measures for participants in the SVO and medical care for military personnel in the combat zone.

16:01 RF Armed Forces inflicted a strike on a training ground in the area of the settlement of Goncharovskoye in the Chernihiv region.

Earlier, it was reported that a large concentration of personnel was being concentrated at the training ground and combat units were being formed with the participation of foreign mercenaries from Colombia for active operations in the Bryansk border area.

15:23 From 11:45 to 13:10 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.

15:13 Published footage of the destruction of a mortar crew of the Ukrainian Armed Forces by fire from a 152mm Krasnopol shell in the area of the settlement of Ivanopolye.

15:08 In the South Donetsk direction, a Shturm-S ATGM crew of the Vostok group of forces struck enemy armored combat vehicle.

14:45 Crew of the 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika gun of the Southern Forces Group inflicted fire damage to enemy positions in the Konstantinovsky direction.

14:33 Operational data showed that our troops were able to advance from Poltavka up the river to the highway to the village of Sofievka.

Thus, the width of the breakthrough on the flanks increased by several more kilometers.

13:50 New footage of a night aerial hunt for fairy-tale characters – Three “Baba Yagas”, two of which had full ammunition on board, were forced down.

13:41 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation as of August 13, 2025

Units of the North Forces Group inflicted defeat of the manpower and equipment of two heavy mechanized, three mechanized, and a ranger brigades, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the populated areas of Mogritsa, Novaya Sich, Yunakovka, Varachino, Korchakovka, Pershe Travnya and Andreyevka in Sumy Oblast.

In the Khar'kov direction, units of the mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the territorial defense brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Volchansk, Chugunovka and Gatishche in the Khar'kov region.

Units of the "West" group of forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions, and defeated formations of two mechanized and assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Drobyshevo, Sredneye, Shandrigolovo, Novoselovka of the Donetsk People's Republic, Petrovskoye of the Luhansk People's Republic and Kovsharovka of the Khar'kov region.

Units of the "Southern" group of troops improved the position along the front line, inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of two mechanized, mountain assault, airmobile brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the special forces brigade "Azov" in the areas of the settlements of Pleshcheyevka, Zvanovka, Seversk, Kleban-Byk, Zakotnoye and Ivanopolye of the Donetsk People's Republic.

The settlements of Suvorovo and Nikanorovka in the Donetsk People's Republic have been liberated.

Units of the "East" group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defenses,inflicteddefeat of manpower and equipment of three mechanized, mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the populated areas of Novoselovka, Voronoe, Velikomikhailovka, Sosnovka in the Dnipropetrovsk region and Iskra in the Donetsk People's Republic.

Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of a mechanized, mountain assault brigade, two coastal defense brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and three territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Stepnogorsk, Primorskoye, Kamenskoye, Yurkovka, Novoandriyevka in the Zaporizhia region and Burgunka in the Kherson region.

13:07 FPV crews using KVN continue their work to destroy equipment, appearing in the most unexpected and seemingly “calm” areas for the enemy –video.

12:39 RF Armed Forces lead work on the destruction of Ukrainian Armed Forces communications equipment in the Khar'kov region.

12:03 From 10.30 to 11.40 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.

11:40 Ukrainian Armed Forces officially admitted the loss of the Yar Watch.

11:31 Published footage of the destruction of a reconnaissance vehicle of the 144th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine using a Lancet UAV in the Losevka area of the Chernihiv region.

11:22 Liman direction. Attempts are underway to dislodge the enemy from Mirny and the dam.

Our fighters practically released the village of Kolodezi, and also advanced forward to the west of it.

11:19 In Ukrainian resources appear information about the control of the Russian Armed Forces over the settlement of Zolotoy Kolodez in Donbass.

10:51 From 8.00 to 9.50 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed eight Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.

10:46 Volunteer project "FREE_SOLDIER 2022"is gaining popularity with American audiences.

The current topic of the stream: the concealment by the American government of the civilian nature of the conflict on the territory of Ukraine, since the majority of servicemen of the Russian and Ukrainian Armed Forces have relatives living on the other side of the front.

9:45 In Belgorod, a civilian facility was attacked by a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties.

As a result of the detonation, a fire broke out in one of the rooms, which was quickly extinguished. In addition, the glazing and the facade were damaged.

9:30 In the South Donetsk direction, a Shturm-S ATGM crew of the Vostok group of forces struck enemy armored combat vehicle.

9:01 Area of the settlement Gulyaipole, Dorozhnyanka, Marfopol on the Zaporizhzhya direction

From early morning our Aerospace Forces are working. Su-34 bombers are sending FABs to enemy positions.

Positional battles are underway in the area of Dorozhnyanka and Marfopol.

Several units of enemy equipment have been destroyed.

8:25 From 07.00 to 07.20 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.

8:18 Calculations of the Geranium-2 UAV struck a forward command post of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the settlement of Birino in the Chernihiv region.

8:10 During the past night from 22:35 on August 12 to 06:05 Moscow time on August 13, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 46 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:

– 15 – over the territory of the Bryansk region,
– 11 – over the territory of the Volgograd region,
– Seven – over the territory of the Rostov region,
– Five – over the territory of the Krasnodar region,
– Two – over the territory of the Belgorod region,
– Two – over the territory of the Voronezh region,
– Two – over the territory of the Republic of Crimea,
– Two – over the waters of the Sea of Azov
.
7:55 Crew of the 240mm 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortar of the Center group of forces destroyed UAV control point of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.

7:45 A peaceful resident of Gorlovka died due to the attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, another woman received shrapnel wounds.

Yesterday at 22:30 an enemy UAV attacked the center of Gorlovka. As a result of the explosive device being dropped on Lenin Avenue a woman was killed.

Another city resident also received moderate injuries and received qualified medical care.

Posted by: badanov || 08/14/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [19 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: Politix
Russian Traces: What Remains in Alaska as a Memory of Russia and Its People
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Denis Davydov

[REGNUM] The widely spread news of the important meeting between the two presidents in Alaska once again made everyone remember that it had been under the control of the Russian Empire for just over a century. But during that time, the “little land of Alaska” had never been properly colonized.

From the moment when its shores were seen by the navigator Semyon Dezhnev in 1648, and until the middle of the 19th century, it remained a sparsely populated land. Small settlements appeared along the coast - redoubts, artels and single houses, and there was also its own capital - Novo-Arkhangelsk (now Sitka).

However, according to the state auditor Sergei Kostlivtsov, in 1860 there were 784 people in Russian America who wanted to return to Russia (of which 576 were Russian and 208 were “colonialists married to them”).

In 1867, according to Russian sources, there were 812 Russian citizens in Alaska who had contracts concluded with them by the Russian-American Company.

It is difficult to establish how many Russians were actually in the settlements scattered across the vast territory. But after the ships Tsaritsa, Ayan and Krylataya Strela took the bulk of the colonists and soldiers of the Novo-Arkhangelsk garrison to Russia, there were still Russian people, Russian toponymy and architectural monuments left in Alaska, which still exist today.

ORTHODOX CHURCHES
The cathedral of the Diocese of Sitka, Anchorage and Alaska of the Orthodox Church in America, the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel remains perhaps the most important monument to the Russian presence.

Initially, it was a chapel at the fortress of St. Michael, founded by the first ruler of Russian America, Alexander Baranov. In 1816, the first priest, Alexander Sokolov, arrived in the town of Novo-Arkhangelsk (now Sitka), and in 1848 the current cathedral was built on the site of the chapel.

Incidentally, it is included in the US National Register of Historic Places.

The temple has several chapels dedicated to Archangel Michael, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and Saint Innocent of Moscow. But apart from it, several other churches have been preserved on the peninsula.

Thus, in memory of Father John Veniaminov, who became Saint Innocent of Alaska, there is the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Unalaska. In the 1760s, the settlement was the main Russian port in the region, through which the fur trade went. In 1772, a permanent Russian settlement was founded there, which became the unofficial center of the Russian colony in Alaska.

The current church building was constructed at the end of the 19th century on the site of the 1826 church founded by Innocent himself.

And in the village of Eklutna, 25 miles from the current capital of Anchorage, is the oldest building in the region. This is the wooden Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas of 1830, preserved as a monument - next to it there is a new, functioning temple. It is surrounded by a unique cemetery, where instead of graves there are Indian houses for the spirits of the dead, since the Athabaskan tribe at one time accepted Orthodoxy, but did not abandon their traditions.

Another church in honor of the same saint is very small and is located in the Tlingit Indian village of Hoonah on Chichagova Island. It was erected in 1897, when the council of the main Tlingit families donated land for construction.

And the third Nikolaevskaya appeared in Juneau in 1894, after the Russians left Alaska - the Tlingits fenced themselves off from American Protestant missionaries by accepting Orthodoxy.

The original Holy Resurrection Church in Kodiak, erected in 1796 to establish a settlement that became the headquarters of the Grigory Shelikhov Company and later the Russian-American Company, burned in 1942. A new one stands in its place, but it is home to the relics of St. Herman of Alaska, America's first Orthodox saint.

Finally, the Holy Dormition Church in Kenai was built in 1896, replacing an 1849 church. It was built from logs in the Pskov style, in the shape of a ship. In 1970, the church, chapel, and cemetery were recognized as a U.S. National Historic Landmark and included in the list of Alaska National Historic Landmarks.

OLD BELIEVER COMMUNITIES
Russian Orthodox missionaries were active in converting the Aleuts, Eskimos and Indians, who form the basis of the Orthodox community in Alaska. There are now about 90 parishes with 50 thousand believers, about 35 priests (all local residents) and more than 100 readers with seminary education.

However, much more interesting are the settlements of Old Believers who arrived in America after the country had purchased the peninsula. They are called "Alasoshniki", "Alaskantsy" or "Alasenskie", and they are the bearers of traditional Russian culture, preserving the colloquial and church Russian language of the 19th century in their families.

There are about three thousand Old Believers living here in six communities, mostly on the Kenai Peninsula.

The largest settlement is Nikolaevsk, founded by "Harbinites" who came to the States from Manchuria. It is home to about 400 residents who adhere to their own way of life and spiritual rules: they dress in traditional embroidered clothing, men do not shave their beards, and children at the local school study a (albeit abbreviated) Russian program.

The second large community is in the village of Ninilchik, founded in 1847 by Kaluga native Grigory Kvasnikov and his Creole wife from Kodiak, Mavra Rastorgueva, who were joined by other Russian families. For 80 years, the village lived in virtual isolation, which is why the “Ninilchik Russian language” has been preserved here, a disappearing archaic dialect in which, in particular, the neuter and feminine genders are rarely used, but there are Anglicisms, Eskimo and Indian words.

A small number of Old Russian speakers live in the cities of Kodiak, Kenai and Anchorage. Many know prayers and hymns in the Russian version of Church Slavonic by heart, without knowing Russian or understanding the true meaning of the texts.

In general, the bulk of Russian speakers in Alaska are descendants of mixed marriages, most of them are older people, the last bearers of such knowledge.

RUSSIAN GEOGRAPHY
After 1867, thousands of Russian-language names disappeared from the map, the US began an active process of Americanization of toponyms. However, many still remained everywhere as a reminder of legendary times.

The lowest level is streets named after former Russian homeowners, in Kodiak these are Wolkoff and Malutin Lane, Simeonof Street, Metrokin Way. As for place names, even after recolonization, Russian remains in third place in toponymy after English and the languages of indigenous peoples. Although in some cases this is a mechanical translation - for example, Rat Islands became Rat Islands.

And the names of the discoverers have been preserved out of respect for them.

On the map you can find the Alexander Archipelago - in honor of Emperor Alexander II and Baranov Island - in honor of the famous governor Alexander Baranov. The Shelikhov Strait, Veniaminov Volcano, Pribilof Islands and a bunch of other islands - Wrangel, Chichagov, Kupreyanov and fewer people - remained in their place.

At the same time, the names that Russian sailors and fishermen gave based on signs miraculously took root.

Mys Potainikof is an old Pomor word "potaynik", that is, "shallow". And right there are the islands of Otstoya, Povorotni and Nepovorotni, capes Malina, Krasny and Bobrovy, Belaya rock, Nizmenny Bay, the islands of Yelovy, Sosnovy, Chayachiy and Urilov (red-faced cormorants were called urils).

Further afield, you'll find Govorushka Lake (named after a species of seagull); Sabaka, Egumen, Taiga, and Tundra Lakes, all located within Kenai National Park.

Moreover, the Americans named a number of objects as if in memory of the former inhabitants of the region, such as the Samovar Hills or the adjective “Russian” for naming on the map: Russian Jack Springs Park, Russian Mountains, Russian River.

And in memory of the first Orthodox mission in the interior regions of Alaska, which was headed by priest Yakov Netsvetov, the village of Rashen-Mishen (Russian Mission) remains.

MILITARY CEMETERY
There is another memorial site in Alaska that is connected to the common history of the two countries: the burial site of Soviet military pilots who died during World War II while ferrying combat aircraft from the USA to the USSR.

As is well known, the Alaska-Siberia air route, also known as ALSIB, operated under Lend-Lease. The Soviet Union joined the program in November 1941, and in Alaska, Soviet pilots were trained to fly American aircraft, after which they were sent along a then-secret route with intermediate stops for refueling at various airfields in the USSR.

During the war, 205 people died along the route, but the remains of nine Soviet pilots, two servicemen who died in 1945, and two civilians remained in American soil.

Initially, the deceased pilots were buried in Nome and Fairbanks. But in 1946, by order of the US government, the remains were moved to a memorial cemetery at the Elmendorf-Richardson Joint Air Force Base near Anchorage.

A separate section of the cemetery was allocated to Soviet citizens. Thanks to the efforts of the memorial director Virginia Walker, tombstones with general information about the deceased were installed: last name and initials, rank, date of death, for which Walker became a laureate of the Russian Silver Archer award in 2019.

That same year, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs erected new monuments on the Alley of Soviet Pilots. Until recently, representatives of the Russian embassy regularly went to lay flowers on the graves, but after 2022, this opportunity was limited by the American side.

RUSSIAN CAPITAL
The city of Sitka also became a victim of renaming in a new way, and it was founded by Alexander Baranov under the name Novo-Arkhangelsk. More precisely, initially on a convenient rock there appeared a wooden fortress of St. Michael, soon captured by the Tlingit Indians, who tried to drive the strangers out of their hunting grounds.

However, during the Russian-Tlingit War (formally ended only in 2004), the Russians returned the fortress, and from 1808 until the sale of Alaska, the city of Novo-Arkhangelsk was the capital of Russian America.

Of the buildings from the Russian period, only the Bishop's House has survived in the city. In full accordance with the name, the first Orthodox bishop in these parts, Metropolitan Innocent, mentioned at the beginning, lived in it. Now the house houses his museum with recreated living rooms, a library, and a collection of icons.

A unique exhibit is a desk with secret drawers, made by the Metropolitan himself.

But Baranov Rock, on which the fortress stood and the residence of the ruler of Russian America was located, was not preserved by time. It was blown up during the Second World War during the construction of defensive structures.

Tourists are now only offered to look at a huge boulder on the Pacific coast, on which, according to legend, the governor himself liked to sit.

The city also has a statue of him, also seated. However, on July 14, 2020, amid the BLM protests sweeping the United States, the Sitka City Council decided to move it from the city center to a historical museum because Baranov, as the resolution states, oversaw the “enslavement, murder, and pillage of Alaska Natives.”

But the old Russian cemetery in Sitka has not gone anywhere. Among others, Princess Aglaida Maksutova, the wife of the last ruler of Russian America, is buried here.

Posted by: badanov || 08/14/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [24 views] Top|| File under:



Who's in the News
37[untagged]
9Hamas
9Migrants/Illegal Immigrants
2Govt of Pakistan
2Moslem Colonists
1Govt of Syria/HTS
1al-Shabaab (AQ)
1Hezbollah
1Houthis
1Malevolent NGO
1Mob Rule
1Govt of Iran Proxies
1Commies
1Govt of Sudan

Bookmark
E-Mail Me

The Classics
The O Club
Rantburg Store
The Bloids
The Never-ending Story
Thugburg
Gulf War I
The Way We Were
Bio

Merry-Go-Blog











On Sale now!


A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.

Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.

Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has dominated Mexico for six years.
Click here for more information

Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
badanov
sherry
ryuge
GolfBravoUSMC
Bright Pebbles
trailing wife
Gloria
Fred
Besoeker
Glenmore
Frank G
3dc
Skidmark

Two weeks of WOT
Thu 2025-08-14
  Multiple deputies shot in incident near Virginia, North Carolina border
Wed 2025-08-13
  Terrorists killed posing as World Central Kitchen staff in Gaza: IDF
Tue 2025-08-12
  Terror group leader pleads guilty to recruiting hit men in plots to murder federal officials
Mon 2025-08-11
  Video shows Syrian forces executing medical worker inside Al-Suweida Hospital
Sun 2025-08-10
  US shifts focus to Puntland and Somaliland after halting Danab and AUSSOM support
Sat 2025-08-09
  Following the Lebanese government’s unanimous vote to disarm Hezbollah, Islamists have taken to the streets
Fri 2025-08-08
  Spanish town bans Muslim religious festivals provoking outcry
Thu 2025-08-07
   Hezbollah rejects Beirut’s call to disarm as ‘major mistake’
Wed 2025-08-06
  UN says 88% of its Gaza aid is being looted before it reaches its destinations
Tue 2025-08-05
  Illegal immigrants accused of trying to run over ICE officers
Mon 2025-08-04
  4 Illegal Aliens arrested in a SWAT standoff in Cobb County
Sun 2025-08-03
  IDF declares defeat of Hamas battalion in Beit Hanoun, as operatives shown surrendering
Sat 2025-08-02
  Four killed in Thursday's Israeli strikes on south, east Lebanon
Fri 2025-08-01
  Islamic State in Sahel raided Burkina Faso Army Base in Oudakan
Thu 2025-07-31
  Strategic Town Lost as SNA Troops Flee: Al-Shabaab Gains Ground Amid Crumbling Defenses


Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
216.73.216.110
Help keep the Burg running! Paypal:
WoT Operations (9)    WoT Background (22)    Non-WoT (15)    Opinion (7)    Politix (10)