Nikolaevsk is one of the four Russian Old Believer communities on the Kenai Peninsula, located 10 miles east of Anchor Point on the North Fork Road, near the North Fork of the Anchor River. Established in 1968 by five families, with the financial support of the Tolstoy Foundation of New York, Nikolaevsk has grown to about 300 residents. There is a post office, a small restaurant serving Russian food, art shops, visitor lodging and the beautiful Church of Saint Nicholas. We drive there from Homer, last couple of miles on dirt unpaved road. Nina, the owner of Russian cafe met us at the door, and was happy to spend time with us sharing local news, community religious politics, and details of her personal life. Ironically, our daughter, Irina, has published a novel “Lost believer” based on the actual events back in Russia, and we were very exited to meet one of these people.
