Russia lost a war in Crimea in the 1850s, leaving the country deep in debt. To ease that burden, Russia cut a real estate deal with the U.S. government, selling its colony of Alaska to the Americans.

Now, Presidents Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will hold a summit Friday in Alaska to discuss another difficult and costly Russian war involving Crimea, one of the territories Russia has captured in its fight with Ukraine.

The decision to meet in Alaska appears mostly practical — it's where the U.S. and Russia almost touch, separated by just 55 miles of the Bering Strait. Yet beyond geography, there's also symbolism and a fascinating shared history.

Alaska was a full-fledged Russian colony from 1799 to 1867. Some Russians, including Kremlin envoy Kirill Dimitriev, are pointing to t

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