Church > The Surb Astvatsatsin Church of Askeran city

The Surb Astvatsatsin Church of Askeran city

Location

The church is situated within the boundaries of the city of Askeran, which serves as the regional center of the Askeran region in the Republic of Artsakh (Figs. 1, 2).

Fig. 1 The general view of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

Fig. 2 The general view of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

Historical overview

The Surb Astvatsatsin Church in Askeran was built in 2002 through the generosity of Barsegh Beglaryan. This construction marked the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity in Armenia, serving as a gift to the city of Askeran, which, at that time, lacked a church. The architectural design for the church was crafted by Sargis Gurzadyan, an esteemed architect honored in the ASSR. The official consecration of the church occurred on November 9, 2002, https://hetq.am/hy/article/64015. As of now, the Surb Astvatsatsin Church in Askeran is 17 years old (https://artsakhtert.com/arm/index.php/spiritual/item/27822-17).

Architectural-compositional examination

The Surb Astvatsatsin Church of Askeran is constructed using bluish polished basalt stone. The bearing structures, arches, and vaults of the church are crafted from reinforced concrete.

The church has a cross-shaped layout, featuring a central dome. The dome is characterized by facets and is crowned with a fan-shaped gable (Figs. 3, 4). Positioned on the western side of the church is the vestibule, distinguished by an arched opening. The sole entrance to the church is situated at the center of the vestibule, and above it is a sizable circular window (Fig. 5). Notably, on both sides of the western facade of the hall, there are triangular niches, each housing a khachkar (Figs. 6, 7, 8).

Fig. 3 One of the facades of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

Fig. 5 The western facade of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

Fig. 7 One of the khachkars of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

Fig. 4 The dome of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

Fig. 6 One of the khachkars of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

Fig. 8 The two khachkars of the church, photo by H. Petrosyan.

The parsonage is situated adjacent to the church. Within the church complex, there is a 13th-century khachkar that was relocated by Azerbaijanis to the Aghdam Museum in the 1980s, having originally belonged to the Vankasari church. Following the liberation of the territories, this khachkar was returned and installed near the Surb Astvatsatsin church (Fig. 9).

Fig. 9 The Khachkar brought from Vankasar, photo by H. Petrosyan.

The condition before and after the war

The church remained unharmed during military operations. However, following the events of September 19-20, 2023, the city of Askeran came under Azerbaijani occupation, and the current status of the church is uncertain.

Bibliography

    1. Twelve churches built in Artsakh since independence, https://hetq.am/hy/article/64015.
    2. The Surb Astsvatsatsin Church of Askeran  is 17 years old, https://artsakhtert.com/arm/index.php/spiritual/item/27822-17.
The Surb Astvatsatsin Church of Askeran city
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