We also took a short trip to the town of Kenai on the Kenai Peninsula. It's about 11 miles across the woods and over many rivers from Soldotna. We were all surprised at how big this town really was.
One of the things that drew us here was another church. I wonder, is it unorthodox to be fixated on Russian Orthodox churches? I'm still trying to figure that out. Sorry for the diversion.....
This is The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox church. Rich with history, it ha been a Registered National Historic Landmark since 1970. They still have 2 services each week: a Vigil service each Saturday at 6 PM and Divine Liturgy service on Sunday at 9 AM. The first priest to establish this church arrived in 1844 and served until his death in 1869. This church not only served as a religious and educational center for the local natives, it also was the judicial center for the region.
About half a block away sits the Saint Nicholas Memorial Chapel. It was built in 1906 and rests over the graves of Igumen Nikolai Militov (the first priest) and his assistant. Both are located on a bluff overlooking the confluence of the Kenai River and Cook Inlet.
As I walked between the two church structures, I came across this old log structure, leaning slightly toward the north. There was no sign beside it, but I venture to guess this might have been the priest's home at one point.
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