For the first time in over 150 years, a delegation from Russia was invited to attend the celebrations. Later today, there will be a big festival in Alaska, as well as a public teleconference between the residents of Sitka, New York, Moscow and St. Petersburg.
It's a well-known fact that the largest state in the United States used to be part of the Russian Empire, before Emperor Alexander II decided to sell the massive territory in North America to the government of the United States in 1867.
#OnThisDay 1867,USA takes possession of Alaska purchasing it from Russia for $7.2 million. Celebrated as Alaska Day pic.twitter.com/EHgvITFx2g
— Andrii Olefirov (@AndriiOlefirov) 18 октября 2015
The transfer ceremony took place in Sitka, then known as New Archangel. Both Russian and US soldiers marched in front of the main government building. After that the Russian flag was lowered and the American flag raised.