Morzhovoi is an abandoned village on the southern shore of Trader Cove and the eastern shore of Bechevin Bay, on the Alaska Peninsula, about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) northeast of False Pass, Alaska. The village’s name derives from the ancient Aleut village of Qaxatix, situated on Village Cove in northeastern Bechevin Bay. The Russians referred to it as “Selo Morzhovskoe,” meaning “walrus village.” This name first appeared on charts from the Russian Hydrographic Department in 1847. Bechevin Bay lies between Unimak Island and the Alaska Peninsula. It was named “Betchevinskoi” by Captain Lutke of the Imperial Russian Navy in honor of the merchant Bechevin from Irkutsk, Siberia. In 1760, Bechevin dispatched the vessel Gavril to the Aleutians.

The village of Morzhovoi was likely relocated several times by the Russians, settling in its current location around 1830. The early period of Russian colonization was marked by destruction and violence, leading to the abandonment of many regional Aleut villages as the population sharply declined. During this time, most Aleut people moved from the northern and western sides of Unimak Island to the village of Qaxatix. By 1900, only one family remained in Qaxatix, or “Old” Morzhovoi, as more residents relocated to “New” Morzhovoi on Trader Cove. The new site offered a suitable anchorage for Russian sailing vessels, which were crucial for servicing Russian-American Company employees and the trading post.

In 1895, the settlement of Morzhovoi on Trader Cove comprised several low frame houses owned by the Alaska Commercial Company, a Russian Orthodox church, and a number of native barabaras. Today, Morzhovoi village has mostly been reclaimed by the tundra. All that remains are the square traces of the houses built by the Russians and oval pits likely to have been barabaras. The church has collapsed, and the religious icons were moved to the church in King Cove. The bronze church bells, cast in Saint Petersburg and once hung outside the church, were reportedly stolen by crab fishermen in the late 1970s. Read more here and here. Explore more of Morzhovoi and Bechevin Bay here: