The story of “Seward’s Folly” is often seen through an exclusively American lens. It is frequently told as an account of how Secretary of State Seward skillfully negotiated with Russia (and even his own government) to acquire a vast territory, cast as the triumphal tale of Seward proving his many doubters wrong by adding an important final chapter to his political legacy. But what about the Russian side of the story? On this sesquicentennial of Alaska Day— the date in when the U.S.