Diocese: Diocese of Alaska
Deanery: Kenai / Prince William Sound Deanery
Address
1105 Mission Ave.
Kenai, Alaska 99611
Website: holyassumptionkenai.org
Home: 907-283-4122
Parish Contacts
Directions
General Location
Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church is located on Mission Avenue in Old Town Kenai.
From the Spur Highway downtown Kenai
Turn south on Main St. Turn right on Overland Ave. Turn right on Mission Ave.
Schedule of Services
6:00 PM Vigil followed by Confessions.
Saturday Evening
8:40 Hours; 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy followed by Sunday School for children (see heading under Ministry Groups for Sunday School schedule).
Sunday Morning
For a complete list of upcoming services, please visit the Monthly Calendar on the parish website.
Parish Background
1845
Fr Igumen Nikolai Militov established a permanent parish in Kenai. Fr Nikolai, son of a reader, was born in 1810 in Russia. He was a student in the Tambov Theological School and became a monk in 1837. In 1840 he went to Sitka, AK with Bishop Innocent. In Sitka he was a member of the Ecclesiastical Consistory and the head of the Bishop’s residence. On December 15, 1843, he was ordained Hieromonk. His travel journals are in the Archives of the Alaska Diocese, and the originals are in the Library of Congress.
1849
The first church in Kenai was built.
1859
Records indicate there were already 1,432 newly baptized Kenaitze Indians.
1860
Makary Ivanov, the reader, began traveling the peninsula to inoculate the Dena’ina for smallpox.
1867
Fr Nikolai died after serving the Kenai area for 22 years.
Alaska was purchased by the United States.
1867-1877
Makary Ivanov serves the church as Reader.
1881-1886
Hieromonk Nikita assigned to Kenai Mission.
1888-1892
Fr Nicholas Mitropolsky served the church.
1893
Fr Alexandr Yaroshevich was the parish priest.
1887
Parish house was built. Today it is the oldest standing building in the Cook Inlet region.
1895
The present church was built to replace the first one with a grant of $400 from the Holy Synod of St Petersburg.
1895-1906
Fr John Bortnovsky was the rector.
1906
The St Nicholas Chapel was built as a memorial to the heroic deeds of Fr Nikolai and Makary Ivanov, both of whom were instrumental in saving the lives of hundreds of Dena’ina from smallpox. The chapel was constructed on the site of the original 1849 church which was in the northwest corner of the original Russian fur trading post, Fort St Nicholas.
1907-1952
Fr Paul Shadura was the rector, serving the mission without salary and building chapels for the mission in Tyonek and Seldovia.
1952-1972
Deacon Alexander Ivanoff served the parish since a resident priest had not been assigned. Fr Michael Oskolkoff and Fr Simeon Oskolkoff served as visiting priests for Easter and other various services.
1959
Alaska became the 49th state.
1969-1973
Fr Cyril Bulashevich was the rector.
1970
Church was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark.
1970-1973
Frs Michael Oskolkoff and Simeon Oskolkoff served the parish as visiting priests.
1973
St Herman’s Seminary started in Kenai.
1975-1991
Fr Macarius Targonsky served as resident priest.
1992-1993
Fr Paul Merculief assigned temporary priest on a visiting basis.
1993-1997
Fr Sergie Active served as resident priest.
1998
Fr Michael Trefon is serving as priest-in-charge.
2003
Fr Thomas Andrew appointed resident priest
2018
Fr. Daniel Charles appointed resident priest
2020
Fr. Peter Tobias appointed resident priest
Our Church Building
Built between 1894-96, the Holy Assumption Orthodox Church is the principal and most enduring example of Russian culture in south central Alaska. For the Kenaitze Indians, who comprise a significant portion of the population, this church constituted a major link to western culture.
A simple, wood-frame structure with clapboard siding, Holy Assumption Church features a square two-story bell tower and a distinctive crown-shaped cupola, both with the three-bar Orthodox Cross. Of particular interest to historians is the interior. The icons, religious artifacts, and historic objects are important not only for their connection to the specific structure, but for the larger symbolic association with the Russian Orthodox faith. In addition to being the oldest standing Orthodox Church in Alaska, it is an excellent example of Pskov (ship or vessel) design. For its exceptional value in our Nation’s history, the Secretary of the Interior designated Holy Assumption Church a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
