About Fort Ross California

Fort Ross from krepost’ ross’ (“fortress ross”) represents the most important establishment of the Russian colonization of the area. It was settled as an agricultural base serving the Alaskan colonies. It was built by Ivan Kushov of the Russian-American company in 1812. In the beginning is was home to Russians and other nationalities under the Russian Empire like Finns, Estonians, Ukarinians, and Poles. Fur trading was highly lucrative, but it decreased when the marine mammals were reduced. The site has been designated as a National Historic Landmark and has been investigated for archeologists for many years. The remaining authentic building left is the Commander’s House, known as Rotchev House which was the home of the last manager, built in 1812. An Environmental Living Program for families that stay overnight is available at the Fort Ross State Historic Park where they can role-play characters referencing to the history of the place.