Mass Media Overview
Most famous 'Russian' places in the U.S.
17.07.2019 10:42
https://www.rbth.com/
Travel
June 27 2019
Anna Sorokina
Fort Ross: the Russian colony in California
Photo: The former Russian colony, Fort Ross, located in California, became one of the American national parks attracting a lot of tourists. Legion Media
While Alaska was rich in furs, (gold mining only began when the Americans took control), its harsh climate made it difficult to grow food. Faced with the task of providing settlers with grain, Rezanov decided to establish an agricultural colony somewhere in the south and set off for Spanish California.
The local authorities, however, were in no hurry to sell him land, but then romance interfered with politics. The story goes that the 43-year-old Rezanov fell in love with Conchita Arguello, the 16-year-old daughter of the commandant of San Francisco. The feelings were mutual, and he set sail to Russia to ask the emperor's permission to marry, but he died on the way. The heart-broken Conchita decided never to marry, choosing instead to become a nun. Although some historians believe that Rezanov pursued solely commercial interests, in the end the Spanish authorities allowed the Russians to establish a colony in California.
In 1812, Fort Ross was founded about 100 km north of what is today San Francisco. According to one version, the Russians bought the land from the natives by giving them three pairs of pants, three blankets, two axes, three hoes and a string of beads. The first inhabitants of Fort Ross were 90 Aleuts and 25 Russians from Alaska, led by the Vologda tradesman, Ivan Kuskov. Nearly 30 years later, the cost of maintaining Fort Ross was too much, and so it was sold to the American businessman, John Sutter. These days, the fortress is a popular tourist attraction in the State of California, and every year on the last Saturday in July Russian cultural heritage day is celebrated at Fort Ross, transporting guests back almost 200 years.
Incidentally, some place names in California still have a Russian connection: Russian River flows along Moscow Road straight into Ross Bay.