In the early 20th century, there were hardly any memoirists, including Russian classics, who overlooked such a personality as Sergei Utochkin. He left his mark in history as a pioneer of aviation but his contemporaries remembered him as a wonder-hero for whom nothing is impossible. The wonder-hero Sergei Utochkin was born 145 years ago.

Even members of Joseph Billings’ Russian expedition who arrived in Alaska reported about many baptized local residents and their knowledge of Orthodox traditions. It was rather surprising since back then no Orthodox priests had visited the shores of Alaska yet. So who were the first Orthodox baptizers in North America?