St. Vardan Church :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

St. Vardan Church 1889 y․

Azerbaijan / Northern Artsakh / Ghazakh / Ghazakh

Historical Introduction
1880 y․

In 1885 the Armenians of Ghazakh, who had been anxious about having their own church since the early 1880s, initiated fund-raising for that purpose: “…the people who are desperate for a church have already embarked upon collecting money…”

“Nor-Dar,” 1885, No. 58, p. 1.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 306.

Soon, however, turned up a person who was willing to sponsor the construction of the sanctuary: “…Gandzak inhabitant Maki Ghazariants has applied to the leader of Tiflis Diocese for permission to build a church in Ghazakh with his own means. The construction expenses will amount to a minimum of 5,000 rubles. Both the priest and his flock are happy they will soon have a magnificent church.”

“Nor-Dar,” 1887, No. 46, p. 3.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 306.

1889 y․

The foundations of the monument being blessed on 17 June 1889, Maki (Mkrtich) Jaghetiants embarked upon work. On 22 July 1890, however, he consigned his soul to God, handing down its completion to his son Alexandre. In the following several years (1890, 1891, 1895), the implementation of the project proceeded without any obstacles: “…At present a church is under construction with Mr. Jaghetiants’ means…”
The sanctuary was accomplished in 1901.

“Mshak,” 1889, No. 74, p. 3.
“Ardzagank,” 1890, No. 23, p. 8.
“Ardzagank,” 1890, No. 40, p. 4.
“Mshak,” 1891, No. 51, p. 3.
“Ardzagank,” 1895, No. 19, p. 3.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 306.

1901 y․

“During the feast of New Sunday celebrated on 8 April” 1901, “the solemn consecration of Ghazakh’s newly-built Armenian church was held, with Bishop Anania, the vicar of Gandzak Diocese, officiating at the ceremony with ten priests…” On the same day, a lavish dinner party was given in honour of some 200 guests, and Alexandre Jaghetiants addressed them with the following remarkable speech, “My late father, who laid the foundations of St. Vardan Church, was destined to see its walls erected only to a height of 1.5 arshins. He failed to see it completed in his lifetime and yielded up his spirit to God, charging me with its accomplishment. To tell the truth, I myself was in rather a grave financial predicament at that time, but I carried on the work, believing in the Lord’s support. As you can see in the printed estimate of expenditures, I have spent 18, 500 rubles on this sacred building, which I am dedicating to my parents’ memory. My only request to you is to keep a small corner near my parents’ graves for my own remains.”

“Mshak,” 1901, No. 87, p. 3.
“Taraz,” 1901, No. 19, p. 220.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 306.

A short time later, the Catholicos addressed a bull of blessing and gratitude “…to Mr. Alexandre M. Jaghetiants for the construction of Ghazakh’s church…” Another bull entitled his descendants to be buried in the church gavit.

“Ararat,” 1901, p. 264.
Also see National Archives of Armenia, fund 56, list 18, file 421, p. 4.
“Ararat,” 1901, p. 478. Al. Jaghetiants, who died in Karvansara on 26 August 1916, was buried in the gavit of St. Vardan Church. The following quotation provides an account of his burial ceremony, “The late Jaghetiants’ funeral was also attended by some Turkish landowners and clergymen who expressed their gratitude to him for his great contribution to the accomplishment of the city’s mosque.” Kharatian, H. Mkrtich and Alexandre Jaghetiants as the Builders of Ghazakh’s St. Vardan Church. In: “Echmiatzin,” 1994, Nos. 6-7, p. 96.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 306.

Armenian-Turkish Fights of 1905 to 1906
1905 y․

During the Armeno-Turkish fights of 1905 to 1906, St. Vardan Church was again plundered.

Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 306.

Repairs
1907 — 1912 yy․

Different documents and letters written between 1907 and 1912 reveal that Ghazakh inhabitants wished to repair the church enclosure at an estimated 181 rubles. It was to be rebuilt of oak and have two gates fortified by iron wire. For the completion of that project, a Board of Trustees was approved with Guerasim Baghramiants, Ivan Jaghetiants and Matthew Baghdasariants as its members. Finally, in 1912 the spiritual powers granted permission for the beginning of the work.

National Archives of Armenia, fund 53, list 1, file 1254, pp. 13, 15-18, 21.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 306.

Historical Introduction
1918 y․

In February 1918, Ghazakh Armenians abandoned the city for reasons of security and found haven in Karvansara (the present-day city of Ijevan in Tavush Marz of the Republic of Armenia). St. Vardan Church, which had been left derelict, was plundered by some Turkish bandits. With this regard, parish priest Zakaria Apressiants writes the following, “…in March the word spread that certain dark, bigoted Turkish elements had robbed and desecrated the Armenian and Orthodox churches of the city. Unwilling to believe that news which I regarded absolutely groundless, I started making inquiries which came to confirm what we had heard… The church had truly been pillaged: the brigands had first broken its windows and then committed various actions defiling the sanctuary. In the meantime, the authorities of Ghazakh did not bother themselves to take any measures against that, evidently finding it beyond the confines of their duties and responsibility…”

The Armenian Massacres in the Provinces of Baku and Yelizavetpol (1918 to 1920). A Collection of Documents. Yerevan, 2003, p. 69 (the Russian original reads, “...уже в марте месяце стали до нас доходить слухи о том, что армянская и православная церковь подверглись разграблению и кощунственному отношению со стороны фанатично настроенных масс. Считая эти слухи лишенными правдоподобности, я стал наводить более точные справки, коими вполне подтвердилось все то, что до этого говорилось... разграбили церковь, предварительно выломав окна и совершив кощунственные действия, а казахская администрация в это время никаких мер не принимала, считая это, очевидно, вне круга своих обязанностей...”).
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 306.

Priests
1896 y․

Zakaria Apressiants, who was ordained on 2 April 1896, served the local community untill 1918135 (Ghazakh had not had its own priest formerly). A graduate of Tiflis’ Nersissian School, he had worked as a teacher for four years, before occupying the post of spiritual shepherd.

National Archives of Armenia, fund 53, list 1, file 1079, p. 3.
Also see The Armenian Massacres in the Provinces of Baku and Yelizavetpol (1918 to 1920), p. 69.
“Ardzagank,” 1897, No. 35, p. 3.
Karapetian, Samvel. Northern Artsakh, Yerevan, 2007, p. 307.

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