50 hours in a Secret Russian town in America

Summary

Yes Theory heads into a remote Russian Old Believer community in Alaska with no contacts and little idea what to expect. Their first welcome is unnerving: the roads are lined with “private property” signs, and a local threatens to shoot down their drone after spotting it over his property. But the team’s fears soon give way to an unexpectedly warm day of meeting residents.

They meet Stefan, a Russian-speaking boy born in the U.S. who wears traditional clothing, and speak with an Old Believer man whose grandfather helped establish the village. Residents explain that their ancestors fled religious persecution in Russia, moved through China and South America, and eventually settled in Alaska in search of freedom and a place to preserve their traditions. At the town post office, they meet Kira, who shares that she raised her children speaking Russian, though they no longer speak it themselves.

Kira leads the group to Nina’s café, where the eccentric proprietor turns lunch into a full-on performance. Nina directs the visitors, serves homemade bread, borscht, dessert, and tea, and even has them help make a promotional video. Her cheerful advice for running a successful café is: “When I make anything, I pray and laugh.” The running joke is that everyone warned the group to stay away from Nina—only for the visit to become one of the trip’s highlights.

The next day, the team surprises Kira with a seaplane trip to a glacier she has never seen. She admits she’s a “10” on the fear scale but says yes anyway. The flight takes them to a remote lake surrounded by wilderness, where the group marvels at the scenery, spots a bald eagle, and dares one another to jump into the freezing water. Kira closes the adventure with a heartfelt prayer of thanks.

The trip reminds the team that the people they were initially nervous to approach welcomed them with remarkable kindness. Along the way, the video also promotes Yes Theory’s new book, Yes Theory Atlas, which celebrates stories and lessons from the group’s travels.

Personalities Featured

• Yes Theory team members: Omar, Thomas, Jeff, and Safa/Stefan
• Local residents: Stefan, Kira, Nina, and an Old Believer man who shares the village’s history