Episodes from the confessional history of Alaska: Nikolay Ziorov’s missionary service

Abstract

The paper deals with one of the outstanding hierarchs of the late 19th - early 20th century - Nikolay (Ziorov) and his missionary activity in Alaska. It is noteworthy that the peculiarity of his Ministry was that a diverse national staff distinguished all three departments that he led (Aleutian, Taurida, Warsaw and Privislenskaya), so he had to defend the rights of the Orthodox population and to try to harmonize interethnic relations at the level of his ideas. The path of Nikolay (Ziorov)’s Episcopal Ministry began with the appointment in 1891 to the Aleutian diocese, which was responsible for all Orthodox parishes in North America, including Alaska. When Nikolay (Ziorov) arrived in the United States, the local Church Department was located in San Francisco, which made it impossible for the Bishop to have a regular presence in Alaska. Moreover, even the possibility of moving the Department to Alaska was not considered acceptable, since the conversion of the Uniate population living in other States was seen as more promising perspective for the Hierarch at that time. It is established that the Bishop traveled a lot in Alaska, advocated for the rights of the Orthodox population, had a diary and appealed to central and regional authorities. At the initiative of the Minister, the sacred texts were translated into the languages of the indigenous peoples of the region. The views that Nikolay (Ziorov) developed while serving in North America were continued in his later work in other dioceses. Largely, this affected inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations. In both Taurida and Warsaw dioceses, he positioned himself as a defender of the Orthodox faith among the gentile environment. It is shown that Nikolay (Ziorov) used the methods of missionary work, developed in Alaska, later in Taurida and the Kingdom of Poland.