“Political Mainstream”: why Alaska decided to dismantle the monument to the ruler of Russian settlements

The Council of the American city of Sitka (Alaska) decided to remove the statue of Alexander Baranov from the central park, who was the ruler of Russian settlements in North America in the late XVIII - early XIX centuries. This is stated in a resolution adopted by local authorities.

"The Sitka City and County Assembly orders that the monument to Baranov be moved to the appropriate location in the Sitka Museum of the Historical Society at Harrigan Centennial Hall as soon as possible," the document says.

It is also indicated that this measure "will fully present the historical context, as well as important lessons that need to be conveyed to future generations."

It is noted that “the noticeable position of the Baranov statue in the central crowded place in Sitka continues to cause controversy” in the local community.

The text of the resolution notes that the placement of the monument to Baranov in the central point "risks putting the wrong message to the residents and visitors of Sitka." According to the drafters of the document, the monument "continues to give normality" to the historical figure, allegedly involved in "racial dissociation, violence and injustice."

As specified in the document, although it is known that Alexander Baranov “as the director of the Russian-American company left an indelible mark on the history of Sitka,” he allegedly “directly led the enslavement of Tlingit and Aleuts for hunting fur mammals until their complete extermination”.

"The violence carried out by Baranov echoes in time, and the echoes of this historical trauma still hurt the indigenous people," the authors of the resolution are convinced.

Earlier, the Coordinating Council of the organizations of Russian compatriots of the USA (KSORS) stated that the dismantling of the monument to Alexander Baranov would mean "erasing the Russian historical heritage." KSORS drew up a petition for the preservation of this historic site - it was supported by almost 6 thousand people. While the petition for the demolition of the monument is currently signed by less than 3 thousand. 

In the wake of protest

Demands to remove the statue of Alexander Baranov from the center of Sitka began to come amid massive protests against "racism" that began after the death of African American George Floyd after being detained by police. In many cities in the US, protesters for several weeks demand the dismantling of monuments that, in their opinion, personify racism, or they themselves are trying to destroy them.

So, on July 4, protesters in the American city of Baltimore demolished the statue of Christopher Columbus and threw it into the water. 

• July 4, protesters in American Baltimore demolished the statue of Christopher Columbus
• Reuters
• © SPENCER COMPTON

At the end of last month, activists in Washington tried to demolish the monument to the seventh president of the United States, Andrew Jackson, but the police stopped them using pepper gas. The American Museum of Natural History in New York announced a decision to dismantle the monument to 26th US President Theodore Roosevelt. The initiative was also supported by local authorities. However, US President Donald Trump called this measure “ridiculous” and called for maintaining the historic site in its original place.

The decision was made to transfer monuments to Confederate figures from the territory of the Capitol and the Governor of North Carolina to avoid new actions by demonstrators. In New Orleans, activists demolished the bust of slave owner John McDonough and dumped him in the river.

In Alaska, in addition to the statue of Alexander Baranov, a monument to the British navigator James Cook was also targeted. Anchorage prepared a petition for dismantling this facility. Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and tribal council chairman Aaron Leggett stated in a joint letter that "this monument is only one of many symbols that do not pay tribute to the indigenous people of Anchorage in a full and fair manner."

“As a result, as part of an intergovernmental relationship between the municipality of Anchorage and the village of the indigenous inhabitants of Eklutna, we are trying to establish a process that takes into account the key role and sovereign power of the local tribes as we try to more fully and fairly reflect the past of Alaska,” says the a letter.

"Revision of the historical past"

According to Andrei Sidorov, Dean of the Faculty of World Politics at Moscow State University, in the United States, “there is a struggle with history,” which “can be called frank cretinism”.

“What is happening now in the United States regarding the revision of the historical past and its destruction cannot be justified. You can love or dislike the Confederates, but at one time the erection of appropriate monuments was a symbol of reconciliation within American society between the North and the South. And if radical Americans demolish the monuments of their founding fathers, then what can we say about the statue of Alexander Baranov. For them it’s like a red rag for a bull, ”the expert said in a conversation with RT.

At the same time, according to Sidorov, the accusations against such a historical figure as Alexander Baranov are "absolutely unfounded."

“They sound amid protests against racism in the US in addition to the anti-Russian wave. Baranov was Russian, so he automatically becomes bad for the local authorities of Alaska and part of the population. And then the campaign to combat "racism" has intensified. Some Americans believe that since the US authorities destroyed the indigenous population of North America, the Russians did the same, but it was far from the case, ”said the analyst.

According to Sidorov, during the Russian-American company for the development of new territories, the indigenous people of Alaska were "treated as their own."

“There was no forcible subjugation in the activities of Russian pioneers in Alaska. To connect with civilization, residents of these lands began to learn the Russian language, learn Russian culture, and mixed marriages were not uncommon. The role of Baranov was associated with economic development and with the involvement of the indigenous population, who was mainly engaged in hunting and various crafts. In essence, it was a missionary activity, ”the expert stated.

Sidorov also believes that in any case, "proceeding from modern approaches to the world order, assessing a historical figure now is an extremely stupid occupation."

“Following this logic, then it would be necessary to demolish the monuments to everyone and everywhere, since some historical figures were slaveholders, conquistadors or conquerors,” the analyst said.

Konstantin Blokhin, an expert at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, holds a similar position. In an interview with RT, he noted that local authorities in the United States, including Alaska, “follow the crowd” by agreeing to dismantle the monuments because they simply “want to calm it down.”

• Protests over the death of African American George Floyd
• Reuters
• © Brandon Bell

“In the United States, just such a trend is now observed. They are afraid to go contrary to the opinion of the radical part of society on the ground. Moreover, an anti-Russian mood has formed in the United States. In addition, the transfer of the monument to Baranov is also embedded in the American foreign policy mainstream, ”the expert said.

As Blokhin emphasizes, in reality, the demolition of the monuments "never solved any problems."

“Local authorities in the United States simply want to mask and hide socio-political difficulties that have become even more apparent due to the worsened economic situation due to the coronavirus pandemic. After all, it is easier to demolish monuments than to eliminate the source of problems. But such an approach only aggravates the situation, splitting America even more - on rich and poor, on north and south, on republicans and democrats, ”the analyst explained.

At the same time, experts predict that the situation in the United States around the preservation of historical heritage will only worsen.

“This will happen because the balance of balance in society between different social, ethical, religious, racial groups in the United States is upset. And now everything is swinging so much that the boat has scooped up pretty much water and can go to the bottom, ”Sidorov concluded.