Saint Sarkis Church ( hy, Սուրբ Սարգիս եկեղեցի), is an Armenian church in Harpukh Sulfuric Baths district of
Old Tbilisi
Old Tbilisi ( ka, ძველი თბილისი, ''dzveli t'bilisi'') was an administrative district (raioni) in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia, from 2007 to 2013. Although the term "Old Tbilisi" has long been used to denote a historical part ...
,
Georgia. Destroyed by
Lavrentiy Beria
Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (; rus, Лавре́нтий Па́влович Бе́рия, Lavréntiy Pávlovich Bériya, p=ˈbʲerʲiə; ka, ლავრენტი ბერია, tr, ; – 23 December 1953) was a Georgian Bolshevik ...
order in 1930s.
Name
The church was located on Saint Sarkis street (curr. Griashvili) and got its name from it.
History
The construction started in 1737 by Ter-Sukias, Archpriest of
Norashen church. Armenian
catholicos
Catholicos, plural Catholicoi, is a title used for the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and in some cases it is the title of the head of an autonomous church. The word comes from ancient ...
Simmeon Yerevantsi (1763-1782) thoroughly listing Armenian churches of Tbilisi mentions: "there is one more church in the fortress, called Cathedral, originally belonged to the Holy Throne, but now the fortress in being settled by Muslims who occupy the church as well. Since then the church is empty, is deprived of the parish; even the fact it belonged to the Holy Throne is being forgotten".
In 1795 Agha Mohammad Khan forces enter the city and completely destroy the district of Sulfuric Baths.
After entering
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
Tbilisi became governmental center and started rapidly develop. In 1831
Manuel Kyumushkhanetsi from the
Crimean Peninsula was appointed the Archpriest of the church and started complete reconstruction and restoration in short time entering list of functioning Armenian churches.
Saint Sarkis Church celebrated the feast of Saint Sarkis day after
Arachavorats lent usually in January or February. On those days church bells rang, liturgy were held and the church was especially crowded. The youth in couples or alone came for blessing.
Saint Sarkis Church as the whole Tbilisi Armenian community was in a rise. The church was tall, richly decorated from inside with delicate frescoes. There was a pre-church parochial school beside. In 1910s Tirayr Ter-Hovhannisyan, famous Armenian churchman, poet, philologist and translator served as vicar here.
Destruction
Saint Sarkis Church was destroyed in 1937-38 by
Lavrentiy Beria
Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (; rus, Лавре́нтий Па́влович Бе́рия, Lavréntiy Pávlovich Bériya, p=ˈbʲerʲiə; ka, ლავრენტი ბერია, tr, ; – 23 December 1953) was a Georgian Bolshevik ...
order along with 11 other Armenian churches in Tbilisi. Firstly the domes were destroyed, later for the wall destruction dynamite was used, but the church was not destroyed till the end and the lower part remained, which was later reconstructed as a residential building. During the destruction two workers fell down to death.
The parochial school moved to a new address - 79 Ortachala. Its building later was used as antenatal clinic.
See also
*
Armenians in Tbilisi
*
List of Armenian Apostolic Churches in Georgia This is the list of Armenian churches in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, which was the center of the cultural life of Eastern Armenians until the early 20th century.: Наш Любимый Тбилиси Армянские Церкви/ref>
Se ...
References
* Армянские церкви Тбилиси
Св. Саргис
{{Georgia-OO-church-stub
Armenian churches in Tbilisi
Armenian Apostolic churches in Tbilisi
Old Tbilisi