If you find yourself in Alaska driving south on Sterling Highway towards Homer you should stop by the small village Ninilchik (Нинильчик). This is a community with strong Russian influence that will charm any visitor with its colourful boats randomly beached around the old village.
Don’t expect a big crowd, the community has a population of about 800 people. The Dena’ina people were the first to use the area for fishing and hunting, but the first to permanently settle down were Russian colonists who moved here in 1847. Makes sense since Alaska at that time was Russian, the ‘Alaska Purchase’ didn’t happen until 1867.
After the purchase in 1867 locals in Ninilchik had next to no communication with other Russians and kept their dialect without being influenced. In 1997 and 2013 Russian linguists visited Ninilchik to collect material for a dictionary and make recordings as they considered it Russian language’s most isolated dialect.
Ninilchik is recognised as a Alaska Native Village and the Ninilchik Village Tribe is made up of nearly 900 tribal members.
The community is located on the east side of Sterling Highway, but tourist usually head for Old Ninilchik Village which is beautifully located where Ninilchik River blends into Cook Inlet.
The faded log cabins and colourful boats makes a perfect postcard scene. There are a dozen of buildings including the iconic Russian Orthodox Church of Transfiguration from 1901.
Like all Alaskan coastal towns fishing has always been important and you can go on fishing charter tours from the harbour at Old Ninilchik Village. We were happy just talking a stroll along the beach watching this bald eagle having a meal of fresh caught salmon.
Thank you so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment, we appreciate interacting with our visitors. Спасибо!
If I find myself in Alaska driving south on Sterling Highway towards Homer, then I have taken a very wrong turn somewhere! How fortunate that you have the opportunity to visit such wonderful places! Beautiful images, of a beautiful village. Thanks for the backstory as well 🙂
Hehe..I had to laugh at that – I guess it is something that doesn’t happen by chance! Thank you so much for you sweet comment on my photos. Much appreciated! Have an awesome day:)
The shots are really magnificent, and you know how to tell a story. I looked at the pictures before reading the page and my impressions of looking at “perfect postcard scene” were confirmed. Beautiful indeed.
Thank you so much Alix! Appreciate your comment very much. It was indeed a beautiful spot. I love getting surprised by these small charming places. Thanks for stopping by!
Beautiful photos to accompany the history of Ninilchik, and what sounds like a nice place to visit. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thank you so much Julie – it was a charming spot! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment.
I didnt even realise until very recently that Russia and Alaska were so close.Im ashamed of my bad geography! Beautiful pictures.:)
I often forget it as well, I guess we get tricked with the way we are used to seeing the world map where Alaska is far west and Russia far east:) Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment!
Your welcome.:)X
Awesome colorful boats AND a bald Eagle? Seriously are you making this up!? Sometimes you just get lucky huh? Great catch!
Thank you so much for your sweet comment. Too be honest there were bald eagles everywhere in Alaska, I have never before seen that many – so there was a pretty big change seeing one:) Thanks for stopping by, have a lovely weekend!
Awesome!
Very interesting and great photos!
Appreciate you sweet comment on our photos. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment. Have a great weekend!
Very interesting and nice pictures. I have never been to Alaska but it is certainly on my list of places to visit one of these days…(Suzanne)
Thank you so much Suzanne! You would not be disappointed by a visit to Alaska – lots of lovely small villages and spectacular scenery. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment!
I’m impressed by these awesome coloured photos and by the backstory of Ninilchik….!
I always find your posts of great value, really!
Thanks you so much for your generous comment – I appreciate that. I was also impressed by all the lovely, old colourful boats – such a treat to discover and photograph them. Thanks for stopping by, wish you a great weekend!
The boat has beautiful colors.
Thank you to discover the history of this place
that I do not know. Stunning Photo.
Good evening, Inger.
Thank you so much Hervé, that is much appreciated! I also liked to learn about the story of this place with its Russian history. Have a lovely weekend!
Lovely story of this awesome place and amazing photo’s.
Thank you so much, appreciate you visit and comment! 🙂
I would love to visit this place! Alaska has been on my bucket list for ages now and I really wish I get to travel there one day!
Alaska was such an adventure Vanessa, I truly hope you get to tick it off you bucket list. Some of the glaciers there are melting fast and will not be the same in 10 year so do it now! 🙂 Thanks for you visit! Ha en god helg!
By the way – I read you last post, so awesome. I’ve always wanted to take Hurtigruta (som vi sir nordpå) through the Lofoten Islands. It is such an amazing place I bet it is awesome seeing it from the sea side. Your pictures seem to support my theory – they are lovely! Would love t comment on your site but I am not interested in letting the software DISQUS access all my data as it requests, sorry about that.
Charming old boats resting on the grassy land and plenty of local colour,dear Inger!I particularly like the old iconic Russian Orthodox Church and the sea birds 🙂
Thank you so much! It was definitely a postcard worthy scene – those boats are awesome with the different colours. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, much appreciated.
Stunning photos and an interesting story too. That bald eagle was just waiting for you. 🙂
Thanks a bunch for you sweet comment! The eagle didn’t seem too happy to see us at it took its salmon and flew to a safer distance where I couldn’t steal his dinner:)
What a beautiful place! The pictures you took are not only wonderful, but they really show just how truly colorful the area is. The variety of blues are magnificent. Thanks for sharing, we’ll see you soon.
Thank you so much for you generous comment! I am happy I was able to convey how lovely this place was through my photos – the colourful boats really spoke to me and was a pleasure to photograph. Have a great weekend!
Gorgeous pictures! And very interesting post. Do you speak Russian? 🙂
Thanks a bunch! No, I don’t speak a work Russian – that was googles work! 🙂
Fantastiska vykort bilder och väldigt intressant! Gamla saker kan vara så vackra. Tycker mycket om kyrkans bild också. Underbar perspektiv. Ha det bra!
Takk for hyggelig kommentar, det setter jeg pris på. Jeg er helt enig, gamle ting har en ekstra sjarm over seg, spesielt disse gamle båtene. Jeg falt virkelig for dem:) Takk så mye for besøket!
It’s always so interesting to learn how much history and geography can shape local cultures. Great story and photos as always! 🙂
I agree with you Dominique – makes a place much more interesting when you understand a little bit about its background. Appreciate you comment and thanks for visiting!
Thank you Inger, for the beautiful travelogue of this charming Alaska region.
Thanks you so much for your comment and visit Sharon, much appreciated!
Очень хорошие фотографии! (I had to check that in an online translator – many years since I have used the Russian learned at school…)
The colours and light in these photographs are wonderful. What a photogenic place! Really enjoyed these, and the story about the village.
I had to check it in an online translator as well since I don’t speak a word Russian:) But know that I know what is means I thank you for your generous comment! And a very interesting fact that you used to learn Russian – did you live in Russia for a period?
Never lived in Russia, but studied the language at school for four years (it happened to be the second language of our French teacher, and he offered to teach it, so I gave it a go. We had no idea back then that the old Soviet Union was about to collapse and Russia would open up – I might have carried on my studies!)
Even the buildings are colorful in your pictures. What a charming little town with an interesting history. Love the pictures, Inger!
Thank you so much for you generous comments on the photos Jamie. Yes – the buildings were still colourful even though you could see the paint had started to peel of. Plenty of great photo opportunities in this little old village. Appreciate you visit, have a great weekend!
Such beautiful photos! The bald eagle the icing on the cake!
Much appreciated Sue! The bald eagle was a treat to see, just wish it hadn’t taken off so soon but guess it was worried we would steal its dinner:)
that is super colorful and beautiful 🙂
Thanks a bunch Joshi, much appreciated!
This village may be small but from the photos, it looks like it has lots of character!
It had lots of character! I personally find that small villages has more character than the big cities so I have always preferred small:)
Fascinating! Love the pictures of the boats and church etc.
Thank you so much Darlene, appreciate your comment. Thanks for visiting!
Nice. I wonder how many of have taken that shot of the lovely old church and Orthodox cross grave marker? Hope you might have gone out for a fishing excursion from here–popular for halibut and salmon (depending on the run). One of my best days in Alaska was in the waters right there.
Thanks Rudy! The iconic Russian Orthodox Church is definitely a must see for anyone passing by, a loved it. We didn’t go out fishing from Ninilchik, but we did some fishing off course! We went silver salmon fishing from Soldotna – that we pretty awesome! What kind of fishing did you do from Ninilchik? The river is supposed to be pretty good there and we did see fishermen in the river when we where there. Thanks for stopping by.
FABULOUS photo series, Inger. Well done. 🙂
Thank you so much Frank, much appreciated – especially coming from such a talented and experienced photographer as yourself.
Great pictures, brings back memories of razor clamming at Happy Valley!
Long time no seen Harry – glad you stopped by.I have no idea where Happy Valley is so you’ll have to educate me!
Another beautiful set of photographs. I love the colours! What a charming place. Thanks for sharing these, Inger. 🙂
Thank you Jane! The colours is what charmed me as well. The boats and the houses were so colourful despite the paint having started to peel off. To be honest the paint having started to come off just made it even more charming to me. Wish you a wonderful weekend of walks Jane!
Diana sent me and I’m happy she did. Your photography is stunning! I happen to live in a small coastal town myself. 🙂
Thank you so much for visiting Jennifer – and a big thanks to Diana too:) Appreciate your generous comment on my photography – small coastal town are the best right?
You won’t get any argument from me. 🙂
Some of your photos remind me of Fort Yukon and Fairbanks. We visited there in 1996. We loved the scenic views, the Northern Lights, and the people we met there. Thanks for sharing. (Diana Schwenk of “Talk to Diana” sent me.) 😉
Thanks for stopping by and sharing you experience from you visit to the north. It is such a wonderful place – I definitely agree with your comment about the people. Since we visited during late summer/early fall we didn’t see the northern lights, but that is ok. I grew up above the arctic circle so I have had my fair share of aurora borealis. I never get tired of seeing it though – very beautiful!
Thanks a bunch for taking the time to leave a comment – much appreciated. And a thank you to Diana for sending you:)
Beautiful photos and a fascinating post about an area of the world I know very little of. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks a bunch! I had never heard about Ninilchik before I visited it on my way to Homer. Such a pleasure to discover these small gems when travelling isn’t it? Thanks for stopping by!
Oh, how pretty! Love all the rich colors and so quaint.
Thank you so much Karen! The colours is what spoke to me as well:) Thanks for stopping by.
With all the colors it looks like a cheerful place.
The colours is what spoke to me as well. Thanks for stopping by!
Coastal villages rich in history…places like this can hold me captive for months if not years. Wonderful post.
I am aligned with you on that one Randall! I loved all the coastal villages we visited on Kenai Peninsula and wish we had much more time to explore and really get to know them! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment!
What beautiful photos; I love all the vivid colors!
Thank you so much Keisha – I love those colours too! I tried visiting your blog again – but seems like I get some error message about expired blog domain?
Thanks for letting me know, Inger.My domain isn’t registered with WordPress anymore and I didn’t realize it didn’t forward to my new domain. Good to know! You can find my blog at http://thegirlnextdoorisblack.com. Thanks again for telling me. This explains some errors I’ve been seeing.
No worries! You should go into your Gravatar profile and change the link that is connected to your name to the new one – that way people will get to your new blog instead of the old:)
Thank you Inger, it was very interesting to read since my grandmother’s second husband, who was a Russian, went hiding from communists to Alaska in 1917. His stories are still vivid in my memory.
Thank you Inese for sharing that story – very interesting. Appreciate you visit!
Great discovery and lovely photos as usual Inger. Cheers xo
Thanks a bunch – much appreciated!