St. George Church :: ARTSAKH HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

St. George Church 19 c․

Azerbaijan / Northern Artsakh / Getabek / Getabek

Description

The Armenian resettlers of Nor Getabak did not have to build a church in their newly-founded village, for they found even two churches there: “Indeed, the Armenians who formed an awesome number together with the temporary dwellers of the settlement had spiritual needs: so many people could not do without a church and a priest. Fortunately, the village had two ancient churches: a small one located in the cemetery (the present-day church) and a larger one far in the east. The latter being in need of overhaul, they chose the former and had it consecrated under the leadership of the local spiritual powers, an itinerant priest from a remote village being appointed to serve them.”

“Nor-Dar,” 1889, No. 174, p. 3.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 249.

Historical Introduction
1861 y․

The sanctuary, which functioned as a parish church in 1861, is mentioned as an unnamed stone building in the archive documents of 1861, 1877 and 1878. In 1885 it was referred to as “Ketabak’s parish church of St. Gevorg.”

National Archives of Armenia, fund 53, list 1, file 3835, pp. 148-149; file 3870, pp. 22-23; file 3877, p. 29.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 249.

Repairs

W. Bolton, the manager of the local mine, “...tiled the church roof through his own means and plastered its exterior and interior, spending at least 400 rubles... Early this year (i.e. 1900), he donated 50 rubles to the Armenian church for its further repairs and all possible needs.”

“Mshak,” 1900, No. 26, p. 3. W. Bolton “...spent about 3,000 rubles and built a small but splendid Russian church. He held office for 25 years and passed away on 29 January 1900, being succeeded by his son-in-law Gustav Kelle.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 249.

Armenian-Turkish Fights of 1905 to 1906
1905 y․

In the days of the November fighting in 1905, the Turks plundered and ruined the sanctuary.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 249.

Repairs
1908 y․

Given its inconsolable state, in 1908 the inhabitants of Hayi Getabak applied to Gandzak’s spiritual authorities for permission to carry out its overhaul, spending 300 rubles out of its budget.

National Archives of Armenia, fund 53, list 1, file 1274, p. 14.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 249.

Destruction

Generally speaking, the managers of the local mines inflicted great damage on Getabak’s Armenian antiquities. They regarded them as something unnecessary and neglected, often destroying centuries-old monuments to use their stones in the construction of various buildings: “...The ancient church, which is situated within the territory of the mill, is surrounded by large cemeteries where burials take place even today so that the old and new grave-yards form a single whole. In the south, it extends in a square where the market-place is located. Recently the manager of the mill caused heavy damage to a considerable part of the cemetery while constructing some buildings. A curious visitor can get convinced of this by seeing the cross-stones set in the corners of these buildings (they might have been engraved with epitaphs)...”

“Nor-Dar,” 1889, No. 145, p. 3. Another visitor reports almost the same, “In the north of the buildings of Getabak’s copper mine stands an insignificant, small, vaulted Armenian chapel, with a large cemetery adjoining it, a fact proving that once it was populated by more Armenians than nowadays. Not far from the chapel, the ruins of a church can be found. It is not surprising at all that there are absolutely no vestiges of the dwellings of the people who handed down such a spacious grave-yard and so many sanctuaries. Probably, they were totally demolished due to the construction of the copper mills...” (“Ardzagank,” 1888, No. 7, p. 86).
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, pp. 249-250.

Location

That “...centuries-old small church was located near the copper mill, a little far from the village...”

“Mshak,” 1878, No. 145, p. 2.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 249.

Repairs
1890 y․

In 1890 the roof of the monument, whose exact date of foundation remains vague, was in need of renovation.

“Nor-Dar,” 1890, No. 148, p. 3.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 249.

Priests
1907 y․

In December 1907, Gandzak’s spiritual powers charged Mesrop Stepanossiants with performing priestly duties in Getabak’s St. Gevorg Church. Upon assuming that post, he immediately unfolded large-scale activity to improve its inconsolable state, an archive document of 1908 stating the following with that regard, “...arriving at the village and seeing the miserable condition of our church, he started making every possible endeavour to reconstruct and improve it. He also submitted protests to the Consistory and Government against the trespasses the Turks and the manager of the mill had made on the church estates..., for which we are so very obliged to him.”