Anchorage. The Russian soul

The history of America is the history of immigrants. They had brought their own culture and rules to the territories where they inhabited. It is very interesting to see America like a mosaic of different cultures, and without the every part of that mosaic it cannot be the full picture. But for us, for Russian people, the most interesting part of America is of course Alaska. There we feel the presence of Russian spirit.

On March 30, 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, about two cents an acre. On January 3, 1959, Alaska, with a land mass larger than Texas, California and Montana combined, became the 49th state in the union. It is a large state.

The name "Alaska" is taken from the Aleut word that refers to an object to which the sea is directed, in this case the mainland. The biggest city of Alaska is Anchorage. Anchorage has a maritime climate modified by its 61 degree north latitude and by continental influences. Summers are cool and winters are cold too.

However, Anchorage does not experience the seasonal temperature extremes of interior Alaska or the north-central U.S. Total precipitation for Anchorage is only 15.91 inches per year. Total snowfall averages 69.3 inches.