Before Race: The Russian Empire and Creoles in Russian America in the Early 19th Century

The article is about one of the most fascinating pages in the history of Russian America - relations between creoles and representatives of the RAC. Rezanov's plan to have colonial citizenship consisting of retired promyshlenniki and creoles did not fully materialize. When the United States purchased Alaska, Russians could return to Russia, but creoles could not. The Russian Orthodox Church helped them. Today the Russian Orthodox Church is still a major presence in Native villages.