The Surb Gevorg Church of Kert Village

Historical Overview

Historical information about the church is scarce. Makar Barkhudaryants notes the existence of a stone-built Surb Gevorg Church in the village without providing further details (Barkhutareants 1895, 114). In his work on the settlements of the Republic of Artsakh, Vahram Balayan notes that the church was built in 1858 (Balayan 2020, 183).

Architectural-compositional examination

The church is a single-nave hall with a rectangular floor plan. It is built of small and medium-sized roughly hewn and unworked stones with lime mortar. The cornerstones of the church are laid with comparatively larger stones. The interior of the church is vaulted and plastered (Figs. 2–4). The only entrance of the structure opens from the south (Fig. 5). The entrance stones and the window frames are finely hewn. It is noticeable that fragments of khachkars and tombstones were reused in the masonry of the entrance. A cross is carved on one of the stones of the entrance frame.

To the left of the entrance, a 12th–13th-century khachkar is embedded, decorated with interlaced and vegetal motifs. In the lower part, two human figures are depicted, and beneath them, the outline of an inscription is visible. The carvings are damaged, so one can only assume that the figure on the right is seated. The one on the left, who is the cupbearer, is offering wine (Fig. 6). Another khachkar, also dating to the 12th–13th centuries, is embedded inside the church to the right of the apse (Fig. 7).

The main façade was originally plastered and whitewashed. Traces of plaster and whitewash are visible on the south façade of the church.

The condition before and after the War

During the Soviet period, the church was converted into a village club and was extensively rebuilt. A second floor was constructed above it, and a new structure was attached on the eastern side (Figs. 8, 9). However, the interior of the church was not damaged. The church was not affected during the Artsakh wars. At present, the church's fate is unknown.