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Artifacts Unearthed at Controversial Church Construction Site

Shards of pottery have been unearthed at the controversial religious complex now being built at the St. Katoghike chapel located in downtown Yerevan.

The discovery was made on April 7 during a site inspection conducted by specialist from the Ministry of Culture’s Agency for the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Monuments and the National Academy of Sciences’ Antiquities and Ethnographic Department.

After research is conducted on the artifacts, including stones discovered from the original St. Astvatzatzin Church, dating back to the 13 century, they will be transferred to the Yerevan History Museum and eventually exhibited. 

On July 4, 2009, a ground blessing service was conducted by Catholicos Karekin II for the construction of the St. Anna Church and Complex nearby St. Katoghike church. The complex will also serve as the Yerevan residence of the Catholicos.

The church and the pontifical residence are being financed by Hrair and Anna Hovnanian of the United States; thus the unique name for the new church.

Garik Chilingaryan, Director of Chilingaryan Design Construction, the firm who won the contracting bid for the complex says that the project has passed all the requirements put forth by the Urban Planning Department and the Cultural Preservation Committee.

Many have argued that the grandiose project in the center of Yerevan is superfluous and that the money could have been better spent elsewhere.

  

Comments (11)

vardan
Թեկուզ Երևանի ամեն փողոցում 10 եկեղեցի կառուցեն, դրանից մեր ազգը ավելի քրիստոնյա չի դառնա: եկեղեցականների ապրելակերպով, նրանց խոսքին ու գործին նայելովա որ ժողովրդի մեջ հարգանքա առաջանում մեր հոգևոր սպասավորների ու մեր հավատի հանդեպ: Իսկ էտ ճոխ էլիտար նստավայրերը ճիշտ հակառակ էֆեկտա ունենալու: Քաղաքում թթվածին չկա շնչելու , դրա մասին թող մտածեն ոչ թե նորից խտացնեն շենքերով ու բետոնե կառույցներով խեղճ Երևանը:
GOHAR
Lriv hamamit em Hay-axchka het, ev yndhanrapes inchi hamar qandecin ajd hrashali shenqy, karces cher kareli ekexecin karucel 2 qayl ayn koxm. Miayn te qanden, qani tari ancav, ba ur e nor yekexecin?
rahageets
What does Nina Hovnanian, a scion of the construction family, think about this project. Maybe she wants to open another gift shop in the new St. Anna Church and ply her wares.
haykUS
Completely agree with Nelly Selyan. The project is ugly and disproportional. We need beautiful green parks in Yerevan and not concrete rocks as we usually build. Eeh, poor Yerevan the beautiful, cozy city in 1960-1970s constructed by great Architects became the ugliest city nowadays. I do not understand why Armenian architects and property owners as well as corrupt-government do not look around and take examples from other great cities in Europe or US. All are moving towards green and non-invasive architecture and Armenia is destroying its green parks and cozy city.
Nelly Selyan
In my opinion there should be a beatiful small park around Katoghike church where children could play in the church yard and everybody who would like to go to the church would be able to sit in the green garden among beautiful flowers and fruit trees, have a rest and talk. I don't think the Catholicos needs this place as his residence in Yerevan. It is somethink absurd.
chello
People should go to the site and take a look at the picture showing the final product. It is all out of scale with the surrounding environment and will just be another feather in the cap of the church and its moneyed supporters in the States; i.e the Hovnanians. People should flood the Armenian Assembly (Hrair Hovnanian is on the Board) with emails voicing their opposition: US - [email protected] Yerevan - [email protected] The city belongs to the people, not the state/church union.
Гагик
Я уверен, через два года это место станет одним из красивых, чистых и любимых мест в сердце нашей столицы.
Nara
Let us nor try do deside how to spend others' money. First try to do something good for your city ourself. I think the church that is being constructed will attract more tourists to Yerevan, will boost our economy, etc. Anyway, good project, I'm looking forward to enjoy the results!!!
ed
well, the one who give the money should have at least the right to spend his/her money the way she/her likes!
haykUS
...-Katalikos razvlekaetsa. Like corrupt-government our Armenian church is now also corrupt. Katalikos and his staff are the worse. We need to get rid of them. Church must be holly institution and not corrupt-political organization like it became after great Vazgen.
Tigran
Հարգելի ընթերցողներ, առաջարկում եմ խուսափել վաղաժամ եզրակացություններից: Այս վայրը բարեկարգելու կարիքն ուներ, իսկ հանդիսանալով նաև Կաթողիկոսի նստավայր, Սբ. Կաթողիկե եկեղեցին նույնպես կապրի վերածնունդ և կդառնա միայն ավելի ճանաչելի հոգևոր կենտրոն:

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