155 Years After Selling... Russia Says "US, Return Alaska Back"

Economic Sanctions Backlash... Warning That Alaska Could Be Reclaimed

A photo of a sign reading "Alaska is ours" taken on the 7th in Krasnoyarsk, located in south-central Siberia, Russia, was posted on Twitter. Photo by Twitter capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] In relation to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as Western countries including the United States impose economic sanctions, Russia strongly opposed by mentioning the "return of Alaska." Although the Russian Empire (the predecessor of Russia) sold the territory of Alaska to the United States 155 years ago, it appears that Russia issued a warning that it could reclaim Alaska as the U.S. recently began seizing Russian assets overseas.

According to recent reports from AP News and others, Vyacheslav Volodin, a hardliner and Speaker of the Russian State Duma, stated in the Duma, "The United States must remember that it holds Alaska, which is part of Russian territory," and added, "Western countries including the U.S. keep confiscating our overseas assets, but they should know that there is something they must return to us first." Pyotr Tolstoy, Deputy Speaker of the Russian State Duma, also added that a referendum could be held in Alaska.

Alaska is the 49th state of the United States, covering an area of 1,717,856 km², and was originally territory of the Russian Empire. However, Alexander II sold Alaska to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million (approximately $160 million or 210 billion KRW in today's value) due to financial difficulties caused by the Crimean War (1853?1856) with the Ottoman Empire. Additionally, there was a sense of crisis that Britain might forcibly occupy Alaska and threaten the security of Siberian territory, which encouraged the sale.

At the time, the purchase price per square kilometer of Alaska was only $4.19 (equivalent to $92 or 120,000 KRW today), but there was fierce criticism within the United States. It was called a purchase of a useless "ice block" for $7.2 million. William Seward, the U.S. Secretary of State who signed the contract, was criticized for "foolishly wasting a large sum of money."

However, the situation changed in 1899 when gold mines were discovered in Alaska. Subsequently, large-scale oil and gas resources were found, turning Alaska into a land of gold. The United States essentially hit the "lottery," but from Russia's perspective, it was a deeply regrettable event.

Meanwhile, Russian culture is still known to remain in Alaska. According to the official website of the State of Alaska, there are about 80 Russian Orthodox churches, and the University of Alaska has more Russian students than other U.S. universities. However, among the total population of 740,000, only 1.4% speak Russian. Although Deputy Speaker Tolstoy mentioned a referendum regarding the return of Alaska, it is expected that there will not be many supporters.