Which island hosted the first permanent Russian settlement in Alaska?

• A. Adak Island
• B. St. Paul Island
• C. Kodiak Island
• D. Unalaska

Answer: (C)

Kodiak Island is the place because the first year‑round Russian settlement in Alaska was established there in the 1780s at Three Saints Bay by Grigory Shelikhov and his partners. This wasn’t just a seasonal trading post; it was a permanent base designed to secure fur resources, establish governance, and support sustained Russian presence in the region. The Alutiiq people of Kodiak interacted with the Russians through trade, cultural exchange, and complex power dynamics that reshaped the area’s history. Later Russian expansion continued from this foothold, but Kodiak Island marks the initial move from temporary posts to a lasting settlement. The other islands listed did not host the first permanent Russian settlement.