The Cathedral of the Protection of the Holy Mother of God (Surb Astvatsatsin) in Stepanakert

Historical overview

The foundation-laying ceremony of Stepanakert’s main cathedral took place in 2006, performed by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. The idea of constructing the cathedral belonged to Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh, and arose from the need to have a large ecclesiastical structure capable of meeting the spiritual needs of the population of Stepanakert. According to this vision, the church was also to become the largest ecclesiastical structure in Artsakh and the episcopal seat of the diocese.

The church was built through the patronage of benefactors. The principal patrons were businessman Hrant Vardanyan and his sons, Mikayel and Karen Vardanyan, who, on the day of the church’s consecration, were awarded the Order of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, the highest honor of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. The architect of the church was Gagik Yeranosyan. The cathedral was officially consecrated on 7 April 2019 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AK9_2NVbmM).

The history of the church’s name is connected with Archbishop Pargev. During the construction process in 2015, he shared his reflections on the matter. Although the name “Protection of the Holy Mother of God” was unusual for the Armenian Church and was more closely associated with the Russian tradition, the Archbishop proposed this name to the Catholicos, who approved it. The name was symbolic: both Archbishop Pargev and the people believed in the protection of the Holy Mother of God.

The name of the church expressed the belief that the Holy Mother of God grants spiritual protection to the people and that the church stands under her patronage. It should also be noted that the cathedral was a real shelter during the two Artsakh wars, when its spacious basement became a refuge for hundreds of people from Artsakh.

The church was an important center for the faithful of Artsakh and could accommodate around 1,500 people. It symbolized the revival of Artsakh’s spiritual life and the preservation of Armenian identity.

Architectural and compositional analysis

The exterior appearance and plan of the church combined elements of the Zvartnots and Hripsime cathedrals, as the architect of the church himself stated at the time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m3PWGO5m4Y).

In its plan and volumetric-spatial composition, the cathedral represented a reinterpretation of the classical Armenian architectural tradition, combining traditional building art with modern construction technologies.

In the plan, the main axis was emphasized in the east–west direction. The main altar was located on the eastern side. Five additional apses were placed along intermediate axes, giving the church a six-apsed composition. The church measured approximately 35 m in length and 30 m in width. Its composition was symmetrical, with only the western section, containing the main entrance, slightly elongated. The cathedral had three entrances (Fig. 2). On the western side, attached to the church, stood a three-storey bell tower, 24 m high (Fig. 3).

The Stepanakert Cathedral was a central-domed structure, in which the dome served as the dominant volumetric and spatial element. The three-tier composition of early medieval Zvartnots-type cathedrals received a new interpretation here. The entire structure rose upward, creating a sense of spiritual elevation. The dome was also the visual center of the building and the axis of its interior space.

The cathedral’s three-tier structure was set on a stepped stylobate. The first level, approximately 6 m high, formed the entrance zone, followed by the main volume, rising to about 15 m. Above this was the dome, where an octagonal drum was crowned with a pyramidal conical roof bearing a simply designed metal cross; the total height of the cathedral was 35 m. Windows were opened in the exterior walls of the apses. Each face of the octagonal drum also had a pair of wide arched windows. The exterior walls of the cathedral also contained windows in the form of octagonal rosettes (Fig. 4). The semi-circular windows were crowned with elegant hood-mouldings.

The exterior walls of Stepanakert Cathedral were decorated with deeply recessed niches of the Hripsime type. A sundial was carved on the southern wall (Fig. 4).

The cathedral had a very spacious interior. In the eastern main apse, a high bema was built, reached by four steps. The front of the bema was decorated with reliefs (Fig. 5). In front of the bema, the choir area was separated by railings (Fig. 6). On the full height of the exterior wall of the eastern apse, a cross was carved with clear geometric precision, incorporating the window opening toward the sanctuary (Fig. 7).