Statue
Dear Editor: On Oct. 27, 1962, a Soviet naval officer named Vasili Arkhipov made a split second decision that prevented the Cuban Missile Crisis from escalating into a nuclear war.
U.S. Naval forces began dropping depth charges on the Russian b-59 submarine that Arkhiopov was on. The ship was out of contact with Moscow but was OK’d to launch its nuclear weapon if all three of the senior offices agreed. The ship’s captain screamed “We’re going to die, but we will sink them all!” The second officer in command of the trapped and sweltering sub also agreed to launch a nuclear torpedo at the Americans. The final decision was up to Vasili and he voted no. His daughter later said, “He did his part for the future so that everyone can live on our planet.”
This is a great story with important life lessons about not buckling to peer pressure, keeping your cool, thinking long-term, avoiding assumptions, listening to your conscience, and preserving human life. Vasili was a hero and if I had to pick a Russian to honor with a statue in the public square it would be him. Instead we have a statue of a Russian named Alexander Baranof, who has been controversial from the beginning.
In 1989, the night before the statue, which sits in front of Centennial Hall was dedicated, someone cut off his nose in protest. In 2013 it was again symbolically defaced with cuts to its nose and forehead. A couple years ago, as confederate statues in the South started coming down, Martina Kurzer and Larry Edwards wrote a persuasive letter to the editor about removing Sitka’s bronze Baranov that sits on public land in the heart of Tlingit country.
In a 2017 Raven Radio story the statue was described as “a symbol of epidemics, forced assimilation, bad policy, and destruction of a way of life.” Ironically, the Baranof quote that goes with the statue says, “That we may dwell in amity and peace forever in this region.” This statue is not contributing to amity or peace and it’s clear that many Sitkans do not like what it symbolizes. We can do better – we’re the birthplace of the civil rights movement in Alaska! What if we moved Baranof’s statue from outside Centennial Hall to a nearby museum where it could sit along with a much more accurate description of his life? My guess is many people would contribute to a Go Fund Me campaign to cover the cost.
What about the historical significance of Baranof? Yes, he came to Sitka, and yes, he certainly made an impact, which is why he deserves a place in our history books. However, Baranof was a colonist who came here, without invitation, to enrich himself and his company. In 1804 he gave the order to fire cannons at the Tlingit people who have lived here for over 10,000 years, so he does not deserve a place of honor. Besides, statues are not great ways of teaching the history of men like Baranof.
On Saturday night an e-petition to remove Baranof’s statue was launched; as of this morning 851 people have signed it. After reading the reason for signing comments, I’m more convinced than ever that removal is our best path forward. I apologize to all my Native neighbors who expressed understandable outrage at the indignity of having to walk by a likeness of the man who led an attack on your ancestors, while going to a public meeting in your own hometown.
Thanks for considering this idea. I believe it could contribute to much needed racial healing.
Doug Osborne, Sitka