Description of the attraction
The Armenian Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, or simply the Armenian "blue" church, is an architectural monument of national importance, which is located in the center of Ivano-Frankivsk, not far from Rynok Square.
The history of this temple is interesting. It is one of the oldest in Europe and belongs to a special Christian denomination that does not belong either to Orthodoxy or Catholicism. To this day, there are discussions about whether the temple should be called a church or a church.
The Armenian church was built in the Baroque style. The original temple was built from wood in 1665. In the following centuries, the temple underwent minor changes, but after a severe fire in 1868, the building was practically destroyed. This was followed by a not entirely successful restoration under the direction of the engineer Trele, during which the building underwent significant changes. Thus, the two round towers became much lower, and the baroque helmets that crowned them were replaced with ordinary bell-shaped domes. The shape of the pediment has also changed.
The next restructuring awaited the church in 1919-1930. The walls of the temple were decorated with frescoes by J. Sopetsky, and the interior - wooden sculptures belonging to M. Polevsky.
During the Soviet era, the temple was repaired. It was saved from destruction by the status of a museum of the history of religion and atheism. In 1990, the church was transferred to the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
