Andrew Kashevaroff
Archpriest Andrew Petrovich Kashevaroff (b. Sep. 19, 1863, Kodiak, Alaska - d. Apr. 3, 1940, Juneau, Alaska) was an Alaskan-born priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. He was of Russian and Native Alaskan heritage, and both his father and grandfather had served as missionary priests. He served as a priest for over 60 years in many locales throughout Alaska. He was also the first librarian and curator of the Alaska Historical Museum and Library when it relocated to Juneau in 1919. During his tenure there, he collected thousands of items for the museum, providing an insight into Alaskan history of incalculable significance. In 2015, the state of Alaska honored Fr. Andrew Kashevaroff by naming its new State Libraries, Archives and Museum Building after him. This building is scheduled to be completed in 2016.
Life
Rev. Andrew Kashevaroff was born on September 19, 1863 in Kodiak, Alaska to a priestly family. At this point, Alaska was still a Russian territory, and both his father and grandfather had served as missionary priests. He married Martha Bolshanin (b. Jan. 19, 1874 - Apr. 13, 1931), a Kiks.adí Tlingit of Sitka in 1893 and to this union were blessed six children. He and his wife move made their final move to Juneau in 1912, where both spent the rest of their earthly days.
Ministry
Over the course of his 60 years in service to the Church, Fr. Kashevaroff served in a number of places in Alaska, including Sitka , Nutchek, Kodiak, Killisnoo, Unalaska and Juneau.
Work as Museum Curator
Fr. Kashevaroff was assigned as the priest of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Juneau, Alaska in 1913. In 1917, as a result of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, his salary (which came from the Tsarist government) was permanently suspended. However, Fr. Kashevaroff remained serving at the cathedral, and took on such employment as music teacher, clerk of the weather bureau, and customs officer in order to support himself.
In 1918, Thomas Riggs, Jr. became the governor of Alaska. During his tenure, the state's archives and museum were moved from Sitka to Juneau and were opened to the public for the first time. Understanding that Alaska's heritage was something truly unique, he set out to build a collection that would tell the story of Alaska and her peoples before its treasures would be no more than a memory. Even in this early stage, there was fear that much of Alaska had been plundered of its truly valuable heritage pieces. Fr. Kashevaroff became involved with the Library and Museum from the very beginning in Juneau, as a founder, as a person who went out with "a missionary's zeal" to garner monetary support and items for it, and, for many years, its only employee. His knowledge and understanding of Alaska were unparalled; because of his background, he understood the Russian and Native Alaskan aspects to the culture, but was also comfortable as an American in this milieu. Fr. Kashevaroff would work as museum curator from 1919 until his death in 1940. It is also surmised that he turned down the opportunity to become Bishop of Alaska in part because it would make it impossible to continue with this work.
Sources
- Find-a-grave entry
- Scrapbook of Andrew P. Kashevaroff, 1906-1939 Guide to Alaska State Library collection of Rev. Kashevaroff's scrapbooks
- Alaska Legislature Biography
- Governor signs SLAM bill for Kashevaroff, Foster KTOO, 5 May 2015
- Rendering of new State Libraries, Archives and Museum Building
