St. Grigor Lusavorich, Byuravan: An Armenian Apostolic Church
Site at a Glance
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Armenia
- Primary era
- Modern
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Modern
- Civilizations
- Armenian, Russian
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Church
On this page4 sections
History
St. Grigor Lusavorich is an Armenian Apostolic church in Byuravan, Armenia, first built in the mid-19th century. Its present building follows the Armenian architectural style. Dedicated to Gregory the Illuminator, traditionally credited with converting Armenia to Christianity in the early fourth century and venerated as its patron saint, the church belongs to Armenia’s historic national church and the Araratian Pontifical Diocese, one of its territorial dioceses.
In 1920, the church was converted into a club. It was destroyed in the 1930s, then completely rebuilt in 1992 with architect Hrachya Gasparyan.
Remains
Church building
The rebuilt church is a rectangular structure of pink tuff. At its eastern end, a rectangular sanctuary stands on a platform about one metre high. Two rectangular sacristies adjoined the sanctuary, and the right-hand room survives. Arched entrances pierce the western and southern facades. Rows of small tooth-shaped blocks decorate their cornices, while a carved cross appears above the western entrance.
Khachkars
A khachkar, a carved stone cross monument, dating to the 12th or 13th century is set into the church’s south wall. A separate khachkar in the courtyard commemorates martyrs of the liberation struggle, victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, and those who died in the 1988 earthquake.
