On March 17 our Seminary enjoyed a visit from the Yakutsk delegation, consisting of administrative workers, businessmen, and archivists. In just two days or, rather, a day and a half that the delegation spent in Kodiak, they managed to cover it all: they venerated the relics of St. Herman at Holy Resurrection Cathedral, visited the Seminary, went on a pilgrimage to Monk’s Lagoon, attended St. Patrick’s dinner at High Tide, worked in the Diocesan archives, made friends with an Alutiiq elder, ate some local foods, visited with St. Innocent’s Academy, and even took the steam at the Seminary’s banya! Below is our photo-report of some of the events that took place at the Seminary.

IMG 01 -The delegation was warmly welcomed by Father John, Father Juvenaly, Father Simeon, and the seminarians, some of whom seemed to have recognized “cousins” in our visitors.  Father Deacon Simeon (Berezkin) presented the Seminary with the gifts from the Diocese of Yakutsk: three journals published by the Diocese and newly published volumes of collected works of St. Innocent, Apostle to Alaska.

IMG 02 - Newly tonsured Reader (and also banya-master) Alex Larson and Archivist Panteleimon Petrov discuss the peculiarities of Yupiq and Yakut steam taking.  Later in the  evening, Alex Larson and Deacon Jason checked Panteleimon Petrov’s, Alexander Savvinov’s, and Alexander Pavlov’s heat resiliency at the Seminary banya.

IMG 03 - After working in the archives, Panteleimon Petrov shared lunch with seminarians. After lunch he talked about the history of Orthodoxy in Yakutia and about his own ancestors - Orthodox priests.  Seminarians asked lots of questions, especially about the original, pre-Christian beliefs of the Yakut people.

IMG 04 - Alexander Savvinov, Chairman of Yakutsk City Council presented Father John with a CHORON, a communal cup for horse milk used during summer festivities in Yakutia.

IMG 05 - Iosif Nikolaev, Alexander Savvinov, and Alexander Pavlov try Alutiiq specialty – frozen salmonberry with sugar prepared by the Alutiiq Elder, Florence Pestrikoff.

IMG 06 - All members of the delegation, with no exception were immersed into reading  the journals of St. Innocent, located in the Diocesan archive.

IMG 07 - Russian, Alutiiq, Yakut, and Yupiq: cultures galore! Alutiiq Elder Florence Pestrikoff talks to Panteleimon Petrov, with Zlata Lund interpreting and Alex Larson listening.

IMG 08 - Father John (Dunlop) and Deacon Simeon (Berezkin).

IMG 09 - Father Simeon and Panteleimon Petrov.