A high-stakes meeting, a land with a forgotten past. This Friday, Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska to discuss the Ukraine war — but Alaska has a surprising history. Once a Russian colony, Alaska was sold to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million, a deal mocked at the time as “Seward’s folly.” From fur trade outposts and Orthodox churches with onion domes, to Russian-speaking communities and the famous Bering Strait neighbors just 2.5 miles apart — Alaska still carries traces of its Russian heritage. In this video, we explore: The Russian colonization of Alaska How & why the US bought it Surviving Russian culture & language in the state The geopolitical tension of today’s Trump–Putin meeting If you thought Alaska was just another US state — think again.