Belkofski (''Taxtamax̂'' in

Aleut The Aleuts ( ; russian: Алеуты, Aleuty) are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, which are located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Both the Aleut people and the islands are politically divided between the U ...

; russian: Белкофски) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...

and Alaska Native Village Statistical Area (ANVSA) in the Aleutians East Borough in

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...

. It has been uninhabited since the 1980s, reporting a population of zero in 1990, 2000 and 2010.

Location

Belkofski is on a point at the eastern end of the

Alaska Peninsula The Alaska Peninsula (also called Aleut Peninsula or Aleutian Peninsula, ale, Alasxix̂; Sugpiaq: ''Aluuwiq'', ''Al'uwiq'') is a peninsula extending about to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The ...

, 12 miles southeast of King Cove.

History

Russians originally invaded

s at Belkofski in 1823 to harvest

sea otter The sea otter (''Enhydra lutris'') is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the sma ...

s in the area; at its height, it was the area's most important village. It was called "S(elo) Belkovskoe" from "belka," meaning "squirrel." In the 1880s, three stores were constructed, which were stocked with goods from San Francisco. There was a

Russian Orthodox Russian Orthodoxy (russian: Русское православие) is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, whose liturgy is or was traditionally conducted in Church Slavonic language. Most C ...

Holy Resurrection church built at that time as well. When the sea otter population diminished, so did the population. The economy switched to trapping wild game, and many of Belkofski’s inhabitants would move to the neighboring communities of

Sand Point, Alaska Sand Point, also known as Popof Island, is a city in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 976, up from 952 in 2000, but by the 2020 Census this had reduced to 578. It is on northwestern Popof I ...

and King Cove. The final few inhabitants vacated Belkofski for King Cove in the 1980s, bringing everything with them and establishing a new Orthodox Church. The village’s abandoned buildings reportedly burned down in 2013.

Demographics

Belkofski first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated village of Belkovsky with 268 residents (making it the 25th largest community in the Alaska Territory). It appeared as "Belkovsky" in 1890, as Belkofski Village in 1900, it did not report in 1910, and as Belkofski from 1920-1970, with the exception of 1940 when it was erroneously reported as "Balkofski." Beginning in 1980, it was classified as an "Alaska Native Village" and from 1990 through 2010https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-1-3.pdf censuses as an Alaska Native Village Statistical Area (ANVSA), but on the last three censuses has reported a population of zero.

Climate

The area is in a maritime climate zone. Temperatures range from . Average snowfall is , with an annual precipitation of a year.

Elevation

Generally above sea level.

References

External links

www.alaska.hometownlocator.com

www.awrta.org

{{authority control 1823 establishments in North America Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Pacific Ocean Populated places established in 1823 Road-inaccessible communities of Alaska Unincorporated communities in Alaska Unincorporated communities in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska Ghost towns in Alaska Ghost towns in the United States Ghost towns in North America Towns in the United States