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Way back in 1991, as the Soviet Union was disintegrating and Westerners were rejoicing, Vladimir Putin’s favorite rock band released “Don’t Fool Around, America.” The song criticized Russia’s sale of Alaska to the United States in 1867. Now, with President Donald Trump preparing to host Russian President Vladimir Putin at an Alaskan military base, these theories resurface.
Historians and nationalists have long debated whether Alaska was sold or merely leased under a now-expired agreement. A recent article from a Russian news outlet stated that the true events were different, suggesting Russia never fully owned Alaska but instead leased it to the U.S.
The first permanent Russian settlement in Alaska began in 1784, and today, the state still preserves some Russian Orthodox churches. Some Aleutian Island residents continue to practice a blend of Orthodox Christianity and shamanism.
After Russia’s defeat in the Crimean War (1854-56), Tsar Nicholas II decided to sell Alaska to the U.S. for $7 million to avoid defending it against Britain, which was eyeing the territory. This decision, Znamenski said, was an act of spite against England.
Nationalist writers view Nicholas as a dupe and see him as duped by Masonic and Jewish conspiracies. One author, Ivan Mironov, wrote “A Fateful Deal: How Alaska Was Sold” while in jail for plotting the assassination of a reformist former deputy prime minister.
Alaska and Crimea remain historically linked to Russians as regions lost due to weak leadership. The 2016 memorial in Yevpatoria symbolically returned Crimea but called for the return of Alaska.
For Russian nationalists, Alaska is not a jewel to be recovered but a warning against any concessions to the West. Alexander Dugin, a leading intellectual closely tied to Putin, often raises the Alaska example, emphasizing that trusting Western leaders is impossible under any circumstances.
In an article published August 13 in Stolista-S, Dugin stated, “For Trump, it is a deal; for us, fate.” He warned, “Ukraine will either be ours or nothing at all.”
Russia’s long-standing desire to reclaim Alaska reflects ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Russia, particularly amid the Ukraine conflict and upcoming summits involving both leaders.
