Description of the attraction
The Armenian Church of the Holy Mother of God is one of the main attractions of Chisinau, which is located in the historical center of the city.
The date of foundation of the church is called 1804. It is believed that it was erected on the site of an old Moldavian church that burned down as a result of a fire in 1739 during the Russian-Turkish war. The new church was built at the expense of the Armenian Baron Hovhannes, the son of Hakopgyan and other wealthy representatives of the Armenian community. The names of all sponsors are listed on a plaque located above the entrance to the temple. The author of the project and the architect was the famous architect at that time - Vardanyan from Yassy.
In architectural terms, the Church of the Holy Mother of God is a one-nave building with a semicircular apse, to which a bell tower with a hipped roof joins on the west side. The classic features of Armenian sacred architecture can be traced in pointed arches, decorative columns and capitals. The walls and ceilings of the temple are made of faced stone and bricks.
In 1917, a portico of hewn stone was added to the building of the church, the architect of which was the famous Russian architect with Italian roots - Alexander Bernardazzi. It is noteworthy that there are three burials under the portico. One of those honored was the dragoman Manuk Bey, a high-ranking official and important personage in the Ottoman Empire. According to some reports, his real name is Emanuel Myrzayan and he was an Armenian. There is a legend that he was able to escape from the Turks along with a hundred other co-religionists, taking the treasury of the Turkish vizier, and found refuge in Chisinau, which at that time was under the jurisdiction of Russia.
In 1885, a significant reconstruction of the temple was carried out, which significantly changed its appearance - a new dome was erected, the height of the towers and walls was increased, the roof and ceilings were completely replaced.
At all times, the Armenian Church of the Holy Mother of God was the center of the spiritual and cultural life of the city. However, during the Soviet era, the church was closed, and its building was transferred to the needs of a travel agency. After the collapse of the USSR, the church building was returned to the believers.
Today the church is active, and although it needs restoration of the interior, it looks solid and monumental, attracting the attention of numerous visitors with its grandeur.
