St. Gevorg Church :: ARTSAKH HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

St. Gevorg Church

Azerbaijan / Northern Artsakh / Gandzak / Gandzak / Yerevantsots

Foundation
1818 y․

The exact time of its construction is unknown, but given the fact that an archive document mentions the monument in 1818, we can conclude that it dates from the period between 1814 and 1818.

National Archives of Armenia, fund 53, list 1, file 3833, pp. 118-119.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 51.

Historical Introduction
1814 y․

The founders of the church were the local Armenians who had moved from Yerevan Khanate to Gandzak in 1814.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 51.

The church, which retained a relic belonging to St. Gevorg, served as a pilgrimage site for Gandzak’s Armenian citizens.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 51.

Description

The available sources do not provide any thorough description of St. Gevorg, but a record by Priest Emmanuel is of great interest: “Our church of St. Gevorg stands in a busy street in the centre of the city, although its rather low building can hardly be seen from the street. Truly a pilgrimage destination, it does not look like an ancient sanctuary, for it is said to have originally been a house belonging to a Persian...”

“Nor-Dar,” 1899, No. 85, p. 2.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 51.

Repairs
1849 y․

For the first time, the monument underwent overhaul in 1849, when 25 rubles 10 kopecks were spent on the renovation of its dome. In 1854 the roof of the sanctuary was repaired.

National Archives of Armenia, fund 53, list 1, file 3818, pp. 95-96.
National Archives of Armenia, fund 56, list 1, file 3245, p. 8.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 51.

Historical Introduction
1905 y․

In 1905 the local parishioners, who were surrounded by Turks, moved to another Armenian quarter located on the right bank of the river out of security considerations. As a result, St. Gevorg was left derelict “...for ten years, gradually collapsing due to neglect.”

National Archives of Armenia, fund 57, list 2, file 1582, p. 2.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 51.

1913 y․

Unable to tolerate the dilapidation and loneliness of their sanctuary any more, in 1913 the former parishioners of Yerevantsots Quarter applied to the spiritual authorities for permission to repair it to hold divine service there. The work was to be carried out at the expense of St. Grigor Lusavorich, as it had been receiving the income of the community of St. Gevorg all that time. While the spiritual powers lingered over the answer, one of the former parishioners of St. Gevorg, Nikoghayos Alexandrian-Ghukassiants, started the renovation of the monument with his own means in 1914 and completed it in 1915, the expenses totaling about 1,500 rubles. The overhaul was to be followed “...by the re-consecration of the ‘defiled sanctuary’ on the forthcoming feast-day of St. Gevorg.” In appreciation of that patriotic undertaking, the local spiritual authorities interceded before Gevorg Catholicos of All Armenians to address a bull of blessing to Nikoghayos Alexandrian, which the Supreme Pontiff did on 7 August 1917.

National Archives of Armenia, fund 56, list 4, file 613, p. 5.
National Archives of Armenia, fund 53, list 1, file 3458, pp. 1, 6; fund 57, list 2, file 2018, p. 4.
National Archives of Armenia, fund 57, list 2, file 1582, p. 2-3.
Also see Khojayants, H. St. Gevorg Church of Gandzak. In: “Mshak,” 1915, No. 177, p. 3.
“Ararat,” 1917, p. 675.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 51.

Priests
1869 y․

Among the local priests, mention should be made of Arsen Yesayan, who was ordained in 1869 “...to serve St. Gevorg Church of Yerevantsots Quarter in Yelizavetpol City.”

National Archives of Armenia, fund 56, list 1, file 5394, p. 10.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 51.

1892 y․

Husik (secular name: Tadevos) Hovhannissian Verdiants, who served the sanctuary from the very day of his ordination, i.e. 15 November 1892, is mentioned until 1901. He had seven sons: Aram, Hayk, Suren, Ruben, Tiran, Paruyr and Grigor.

National Archives of Armenia, fund 461, list 1, file 12, p. 43.
National Archives of Armenia, fund 53, list 1, file 1081, pp. 2, 7.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 51.