Description of the attraction
The Armenian Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator is one of the most striking and expressive architectural sights of the city of Balti (Balti).
The construction of the temple was carried out from 1910 to 1914 at the expense of the wealthy representatives of the Armenian community of the city, namely, Maria Fokshanyan and the Lusakhanovich brothers. As the author of the project and the chief architect, the famous architect Alexander Leontyevich Krasnoselsky, a native of Ukraine, who worked for some time in Balti as a city architect, was invited. It is worth noting that under his leadership a large number of new buildings were erected, large-scale works were carried out to improve the city, but it was the Armenian Church of St. Gregory that became his best creation.
The church is made in the style of medieval traditional religious architecture of Armenia, its prototype was the famous cathedral located in the city of Echmiadzin. The height of the church reaches 17 meters, its appearance is characterized by balance and simplicity of forms, not devoid of grace. It is noteworthy that the Church of St. Gregory was a single temple for the Armenians of two different religions - the Armenian Catholics who moved here from Western Ukraine, and for the Gregorian Armenians who came from the Crimea and the Caucasus.
The Armenian Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator has an interesting history. So, after the war, its building was given for the needs of the Catholic community, a few years later a sports school for children and youth was opened in the church. In the 90s of the last century, the Church of St. Gregory was again transferred to the needs of the Catholic community of Balti. Today, active negotiations are underway on the return of the temple to the Armenians.
