Archimandrite Isidore travelled to Nikolai, Alaska to celebrate the funeral of a village elder, Mary Evan.  In addition to the funeral, he celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the village church.  Nikolai is one of the stops on the Iditerod trail, a dog mushing race which is now world famous (http://www.iditarodnationalhistorictrail.org/History.htm).

While in Nikolai, Archimandrite Isidore was informed of an interesting discovery the church starosta had made several years earlier while renovating the altar. In a metal box, vintage 1930's, was the consecration document for the church in Nikolai. To Fr. Isidore's surprise, the village church was consecrated in the name of the Holy Apostle Peter in 1935 by Bishop ALEXEI of Alaska. How the church came to be popularly called St. Nicholas (except that the village is named Nikolai) is a mystery.

Click here to see the consecration document.

Approximately 100 people live in Nikolai, an Athabaskan village on the uppermost part of the Kuskokwim River at the foot of Denali (Mt. McKinley). Only one more village is further upriver, that of Telida which is only home to a handful of people. The village of Nikolai has petitioned His Grace Bishop NIKOLAI for a full time priest to serve the village.

Published with the blessing of
His Grace The Right Reverend NIKOLAI, Bishop of Sitka, Anchorage & Alaska
©2005 Russian Orthodox Diocese of Alaska

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