ARCHBISHOP ASTVATSATUR

1810-1814 (Years of Leadership)

In 1810, Archbishop Astvatsatur was appointed as the Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Holy Church in Georgia by the order of Ephrem I Dzoragextsi, Catholicos of All Armenians.

On November 22, 1813, in the Armenian Church of Harantsvanq in Tbilisi, Archbishop Astvatsatur conducted the Divine Liturgy and read the epistle of Alexander I, the Emperor of Russia in the Russian and Armenian languages.

In 1814, Ephrem I Dzoragextsi, Catholicos of All Armenians, called Archbishop Astvatsatur back to the Mother See of Holy Etchimiadzin.

The 44-year old Archbishop, Nerses Ashtaraketsi, replaced him. (Ormanyan “Azgapatum” (National History), article 2333, 2341 and “Catholicosate of All Armenians and Armenians in Caucasus” Yeritsyan, v. 1, Tbilisi, p. 67-73).