Historical overview
There is limited bibliographical information available about Surb Stepanos Church in Khachen. Makar Barkhudaryants refers to the village as Seytishen in his work "Artsakh". The village church was known as Surb Hovhannes. Barkhudaryants describes the church as "... stone-built, a tribute to Mahtesi (Pilgrim to Jerusalem) Balai Zakaryants of Shushi, but severely damaged" (Barkhutareants 1895, 163). The church mentioned by Barkhudaryants was in fact damaged and was originally named after Surb Hovhannes. The current church was constructed in 1901 and is called Surb Stepanos, as indicated by the inscription on the southern lintel. This inscription provides extensive evidence of the church's construction. "This temple was built during 1900-1901 in the reign of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia and during the time of the Catholicos of the Mkrtich I, with the expenses of the Collegiate Assessor and knight Nerses bek Sarumeants, for the sake of the Martyr Stepannos, in memory of his most grateful parents, priest Andreas and Nanasi Asrumeants and his prematurely aged sisters, Anna, Reyhan and Mariam, also in his memory and his spouse Voski and all ancestors. And the church was consecrated on May 5, 1902." It is probable that Nerses Sarumyants, who was a Collegiate Assessor, was instrumental in the reconstruction of the old church. The role of Collegiate Assessor was a prestigious one in the Russian Empire, offering significant financial benefits, social status, and a distinctive uniform.
