Church > St. Mariam Astvatsatsin Church of Arakel

St. Mariam Astvatsatsin Church of Arakel

Location

St. Mariam Astvatsatsin Church (Figs. 1, 2) is located on a hillside in the northwestern part of Arakel village in Hadrut region. It is presently under the occupation of Azerbaijan.

Fig. 1․ The church from the southwest, photo by AR MESCS Electronic Database of the State Service for the Protection of the Historic Environment.

Fig. 2․ The church before its destruction, photo by Sh․ Mkrtchyan, Historical and Architectural Monuments of Nagorno Karabakh, Yerevan, 1985, p. 304.

Historical overview

Arakel village is located 9-10 kilometers southeast of Hadrut town. According to the villagers, Mariam Astvatsatsin Church (Church of Saint Mary) was built in 1902-1907 with financial means of Makich Grigoryan – a wealthy resident of Arakel village living in Baku, who spent 30.000 gold coins on the church. The design of the church was commissioned to the architects of Tiflis.

In 1991, as a result of Operation “Ring”, Arakel village was emptied of Armenians, completely looted and set on fire by Azerbaijanis. It was liberated in August 1993. In 1996, by financial support of the “France-Karabakh” organization, the reconstruction of the village launched and most of the villagers returned to Arakel.

Architectural-compositional examination

The church is a rectangular hall with a volumetric solution, which ends with a semicircular altar in the eastern part. Twin vestries are placed on both sides of the altar. The dome rested on four cruciform columns and the arches adjoining them (Figs. 3, 4). The church is built of gray polished and rough basalt stones. It is 20.5 meters long, 16 meters wide, the height together with the dome was 18 meters. It has three entrances, which open on the western, northern and southern sides, and is illuminated by ten large windows (Figs. 5, 6). In the 1960s, the bell was accidentally found among scrap metal, which was handed over to the regional museum. Presently, it is preserved in the Artsakh Local Lore Museum.

Fig. 3․ The inside view of church, photo by AR MESCS Electronic Database of the State Service for the Protection of the Historic Environment.

Fig. 5․ The church from the north, 2013, photo by G․ Budaghyan.

Fig. 6. The church from the west, photo by AR MESCS Electronic Database of the State Service for the Protection of the Historic Environment.

Fig. 4․ The inside view of the church, 2019, photo by G. Budaghyan.

The condition before, during and after the war

After the 1991 occupation, the village was completely burnt down and destroyed. Astvatsatsin Church also fell a victim to vandalism. The Azerbaijanis opened fire on the church from the tanks, as a result of which the dome, the vault and the southern vestry were completely destroyed (Fig. 7). It did not suffer from hostilities during the 44-day war. No information is available about its post-war condition.

Fig. 7․ The church from the south, 2019, photo by G․ Budaghyan.

Bibliography

1․ Barkhutaryants M, Artsakh, Baku, 1895.

2․ Mkrtchyan Sh․, The historical-architectural monuments of Nagorno Karabakh, Yerevan, 1985.

St. Mariam Astvatsatsin Church of Arakel
St. Mariam Astvatsatsin Church of Arakel
St. Mariam Astvatsatsin Church of Arakel
Artsakh