Committee on Design

Leontys Benois, the architect of the Russian Orthodox Church in Darmstadt, was Peter Ustinov's (some of us are old enough to remember) grandfather. The world gets smaller and smaller. ------------------------------------------- Mike Mense FAIA Owner mmenseArchitects Anchorage AK -------------------------------------------

Hello Mike,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but outside of a few pictures, and HABS-AK docs on Russian Orthodox Missions in Alaska, I find no documented plans or drawings of the Mission churches in Alaska.  Do you know of any good resources?  Being of Aleut (Unangan) and Alutiiq (Sugpiat) descent, the Russian Orthodoxy has been intertwined in my family history.  As an architect, I would like to see the architecture and construction methodology of these simple, but fine masterpieces of architecture.

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Sonny Vinberg, AIA, AICAE, ASHE
Health Facilities Engineer/Architect
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)
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Hello Sonny,

Here is a link to an easily accessible much documented Russian Orthodox Church in California....a church that I have visited that stands in what once was the demilitarized zone between Spanish California and Russian Alaska - caution, you have to drive past Russian River vineyards to get there...

http://www.fortross.org/chapel.htm

the Alaska Office of History and Archaeology has documentation of Russian Orthodox churches in Alaska, many of which still stand in communities like Kenai and Juneau and other more remote locations...

I was able to locate the National Register of Historic Nomination Form on the AK DNR web site

http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/oha/publications/rocsites.pdf

these simple buildings all share a unique ability to create a sacred space using the humblest of materials...

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James Malanaphy AIA
Saint Paul MN
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-03-2014 18:44
From: Hubert (Sonny) Vinberg Jr.
Subject: Beyond Berlin, another nugget

Hello Mike,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but outside of a few pictures, and HABS-AK docs on Russian Orthodox Missions in Alaska, I find no documented plans or drawings of the Mission churches in Alaska.  Do you know of any good resources?  Being of Aleut (Unangan) and Alutiiq (Sugpiat) descent, the Russian Orthodoxy has been intertwined in my family history.  As an architect, I would like to see the architecture and construction methodology of these simple, but fine masterpieces of architecture.

-------------------------------------------
Sonny Vinberg, AIA, AICAE, ASHE
Health Facilities Engineer/Architect
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)
-------------------------------------------

Hello again Sonny,

I remembered that the National Park Service just finished producing a fly through of the church in Juneau...

Here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN_DQxyx2Hg

I hope...it opens up for you...

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James Malanaphy AIA
Saint Paul MN
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-03-2014 18:44
From: Hubert (Sonny) Vinberg Jr.
Subject: Beyond Berlin, another nugget

Hello Mike,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but outside of a few pictures, and HABS-AK docs on Russian Orthodox Missions in Alaska, I find no documented plans or drawings of the Mission churches in Alaska.  Do you know of any good resources?  Being of Aleut (Unangan) and Alutiiq (Sugpiat) descent, the Russian Orthodoxy has been intertwined in my family history.  As an architect, I would like to see the architecture and construction methodology of these simple, but fine masterpieces of architecture.

-------------------------------------------
Sonny Vinberg, AIA, AICAE, ASHE
Health Facilities Engineer/Architect
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)
-------------------------------------------