Uploaded July 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Russians have a long history in Alaska, with some Siberian migrant groups dating back as far as the early 1700s. The first European settlement in Alaska was in Kodiak in 1784 during the Russian fur trade. Eventually, #Russia officially sold #Alaska to the United States in 1867 but many Russians stayed and continued to grow. One notable member of the Russian Orthodox community in Anchorage is professional pianist, Margarita Merkusheva. Since moving to Alaska from Vladivostok 20 years ago, she's continued to advance her musical career by writing custom music for the Alaska Dance Theatre and giving #piano lessons to dozens of families in the Russian community.
Video and story by Valerie Kern
Additional video by Margarita Merkusheva, Sabine Poux, and Hope McKenney
Music by Margarita Merkusheva and FirstCom Music
Special thanks to Alaska Dance Theatre
Historical information from Britannica.com here: britannica.com/place/Alaska/History
INDIE ALASKA is an original video series produced by Alaska Public Media in partnership with PBS Digital Studios. The videos capture the diverse and colorful lifestyles of everyday Alaskans at work and at play. Together, these stories present a fresh and authentic look at living in Alaska.
Click on the Subscribe button above to get notified when new episodes are available.
Consider supporting Alaska Public Media and ensure storytelling like INDIE ALASKA continues into the future. Make a donation today at: alaskapublic.org/donate
Russians have a long history in Alaska, with some Siberian migrant groups dating back as far as the early 1700s. The first European settlement in Alaska was in Kodiak in 1784 during the Russian fur trade. Eventually, #Russia officially sold #Alaska to the United States in 1867 but many Russians stayed and continued to grow. One notable member of the Russian Orthodox community in Anchorage is professional pianist, Margarita Merkusheva. Since moving to Alaska from Vladivostok 20 years ago, she's continued to advance her musical career by writing custom music for the Alaska Dance Theatre and giving #piano lessons to dozens of families in the Russian community.
Video and story by Valerie Kern
Additional video by Margarita Merkusheva, Sabine Poux, and Hope McKenney
Music by Margarita Merkusheva and FirstCom Music
Special thanks to Alaska Dance Theatre
Historical information from Britannica.com here: britannica.com/place/Alaska/History
INDIE ALASKA is an original video series produced by Alaska Public Media in partnership with PBS Digital Studios. The videos capture the diverse and colorful lifestyles of everyday Alaskans at work and at play. Together, these stories present a fresh and authentic look at living in Alaska.
Click on the Subscribe button above to get notified when new episodes are available.
Consider supporting Alaska Public Media and ensure storytelling like INDIE ALASKA continues into the future. Make a donation today at: alaskapublic.org/donate
