Burned Church Relics Irreplaceable !
(continued from last week)
The $20,000 insurance on the
church was divided evenly, half
on the building and half on the
contents, but in each case the a
mounts would come far from re
placing either. The church build
ing, finished in 1875 when the
maximum daily wage for labor
on it was 50 cents, cost $8000 to
build. The church parsonage, a
cross from the church, was built
6 years later, in 1881, and cost
$3430.37.
Of the church contents, the
most valued were the chalices, 4
in number, 2 Bibles, 3 crosses,
and numerous ikons. The ikons
were a total Ios3, but the largest
Bible and one chalice were re
covered, although badly
damaged.
In an inexplicable manner the
chalice and Bible that were
saved escaped the flames al
though they were in the hottest
part of the fire. Both were on
the top of the open Holy table,
and even more strange was the
fact that the cloth on the Holy
table, of white silk with gold em
broidered cross and edging, also
suffered not a single burn, al
though all other cloths and vest
ments were burned, at least in
part. The Bible was one of the
church’s most priceless posses
sions, having come from Russia
and consisting of a volume a
bout 12 by 10 inches with gold
hinges ami with the coveis of
heavy silver finished in gold.
The front cover is elaborately de
corated with carved work. It
bore the date 1765 and was
printed in Slavonian, which is
the language of the services of
the church.
The pages are badly charred
oh the three open sides and the
book is -moke- and water dam
aged from the fire but with very
little restoration the Bible can
still be used.
Njw & Used
mmu
BOUGHT
SOLD
&
EXCHANGED
Rhoades
Furniture Store
Wes Rhoades, Prop.
The only chalice saved was of
solid silver, heavily gold-plated
inside and out. The outside of
the chalice is fire tarnished
and 4 medallion-shaped ikons
melted off the cup from the in
tense heat and only three have
been recovered. This chalice was
a gift of Prince Roomyantzov to
the North American Mission in
1803 and was sent here from San
Francisco, this being the first
and original Orthodox church in
North America and deserving
itF custody.
(This chalice was valued at
550 rubles This valuation, like
others mentioned hereafter, was
made some time ago when the
ruble was worth $2 in our mon
ey. The valuation was set for in
ventory purposes and would be
far below what they would bring
if offered for sale.)
ihe largest chalice was of
solid silver, gold-plated and de
corated with brilliants and china
ikons, and stood about a foot
high. Described as being “large
enough to give communion to
the whole congregation’’ this
chalice was valued at 888 rubles.
It melted down in the fire as did
two smaller ones. One of the lat
ter was the Receptacle of the
Host, a small chalice of silver
and gold used in visiting the |
I homes of the sick. Most of the
melted metal from these chalices
is believed recovered
Two Bibles besides the large
one mentioned above were lost,
one of which had a silver and
g-dd cover. These two were val
ued at 375 rubles each.
The church also owned 3
crosses used in the various ser
vices and two of these were de
jstroyed. A th rd one was found
I a week after the fire, hidden a
mong a pile of books in a shelf
in the right wing. The. cross was
also of silver with gold plating,
with china ikons on each arm of
the cross. The top end of the
cross evidently protruded from
the books and was in a melted
condition. Of the crosses 2 were
silver with gold plating and one
of silver alone, and each was
valued at 375 rubles.
Carrying the lowest inventory
value and yet probably repre
senting the g eatest loss were
the ikons of the church. These
representations of sacred images
(the church forbids use of sculp
ture) consisting in the most part
of oil paintings on canvas, were
hung in the main cupola and on
the ikonastas, or false w^all of
the main altar. Their low in
ventory value, many of them
being appraised at 25 rubles,
was due to the fact that in the
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main they were painted by raon- j
astery workers in Russia, but an
artist who once visited the
thurch is reputed to have said
they would be worth $100,000
in the open market of today.
There were 12 large ikons and
about 35 small ones.
One was painted in Russia in
1894 to commemorate the 1st
centennial of the estabbshment
of the church in North America,
and was received here in 1896.
Some of the ikons dated back to
the first mission of 1794 and
had been transferred from Three
Saint’s bay to Chiniak to the
two church’s of Kodiak. Others
were moved from the church
which was abandoned at Old
Harbor and yet others were
moved here from the deserted
Russian church which stands a
bandoned at Eagle Harbor,
former settlement on Ugak bay,
the next large bay south of
Chiniak. The ikons were original
ly unframed but in 1890 this
church had frames added to
them.
First priest in charge of the
Kodiak parish was Father
Afanasie, a haro monk, or priest
who has taken monastic vows.
Rev. Gregory Gleboff is the 13th
priest of the church.—The End.
(Copyrighted, 1943, by the
Kodiak Mirror. Not to be re.
printed in whole or in part with
out permission.)
(The Mirror is indebted to
Father Cecil R. King, formerly
priest of the local church, for
material contained in this 1
history.)
Members of the Rotary Clubi
at their regular meeting this
week beard an occupational talk
by member Harry Christopher
son owner of Christy’s Bakery,
who described the processes in
I volved in the making of varied
bakery products. The talk was
one of a series by members.
Emil Knudsen, owner of the
Kodiak Fountain, was a guest.
ARIRERMA
The soap for dry skin
♦ Soaps by *
Wrisley — Lentheric
»
Soap
wristlet’s
A Registered Pharmacist always on hand
Kodiak Jewelry
GIFTS
JEWELRY Si. WATCHES
Watch and Jewelry repairing
the:
FISHERMAN’S
AND *
SEA M A N’S
HEADQUARTERS
“You are cAfrtays Welcome Here”
SHIP’S TAVERN
W. A. Schultz, Prop.
ANOTHER BIG
DANCE
SATURDAY JULY 31 9:00 PM
at ^Blinns Hall,
Under Auspices of Cooks & Assistants Local 874
Admission Men $1.25
DANCING EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT