Church of the Holy Ascension
Church of the Holy Ascension | |
Church of the Holy Ascension on a sunny day, with red roofs, green onion domes, and a small churchyard. | |
| Location | Unalaska, Alaska |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°52′32″N 166°32′11″W / 53.87556°N 166.53639°W |
| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1826 |
| Architect | Mooser & Piser; Alaska Commercial Co. |
| MPS | Russian Orthodox Church Buildings and Sites TR (AD) |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000112 |
| AHRS No. | UNL-005 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 15, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | April 15, 1970 |
| Designated AHRS | June 6, 1971 |
The Church of the Holy Ascension (Russian: Церковь Вознесения Господня), also known as the Holy Ascension Orthodox Church, is a prominent landmark in Unalaska, the major community of the western Aleutian Islands in southwestern Alaska. The current church was built in 1894, probably on the site of an 1826 church, and likely using timbers and other elements (including one iconostasis) from the older church. It is one of the oldest churches in Alaska, and is significant as the site from which missionaries brought their religion to the local Aleut people. This evangelization effort was so successful that today's Aleut population is still strongly Orthodox. The church was declared a National Historic Landmark for its architecture, and for its role in the history and culture of Alaska. It is the second cathedral church of the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of Alaska, after St. Michael's Cathedral in Sitka (which is also a National Historic Landmark).