FOUNDED IN THE 1930S

RENOVATED 1993-2014.

The earliest mention of the St. Zion church in the village of Vachian, located 6 km southwest of Akhalkalaki, dates back to the 1930s. The church's name appears in the bulletins of the Georgian and Imereti dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church from that period[1]. In 1866, the church was still wooden[2], and by 1885, it had been rebuilt in stone, with a wooden roof[3]. An article in the 1887 issue of the magazine "Nor Dar" describes the church as "a rather beautiful, newly built church"[4]. It is likely that the church underwent significant renovations during the 1880s. The St. Zion church is also mentioned in the bulletins of the early 20th century. Notably, it appears in the 1905 bulletin[5].

Architecture: The Church of St. Zion is built of tuff. It follows the domed hall architectural style. Its overall dimensions are 17.96 × 11.2 meters. The northern and southern walls are plastered on the outside, while the eastern and western walls are faced with tuff. A vestibule is built next to the entrance, with a belfry situated above it. The roof is clad in cast iron, with a small dome on top. Inside, the church is divided into three naves by columns. The altar is located in the eastern part of the church. The sacristies are situated on the right and left sides of the altar. The baptismal font is located on the northern wall. Three arched windows are positioned on the northern, southern, and eastern walls. The entrance is located on the western side[6].

Parish Priests: Among the priests of the St. Zion Church, the following are mentioned: Rev. Father Simeon Karapetyan, Tbir (clerk) Hovhannes Ter-Simonyan[7], Rev. Father Harutyun Ishkhanyants, Rev. Father Gabriel Mkrtchyan, Rev. Father Simeon Ter-Gabrielyan[8], and Rev. Father Karapet[9]. These priests served during the 1850s–1880s.

School: Information about the village’s church-parish school can be found in the 1869 report of diocesan schools, which states that a school had been operating in the village since 1837, though there was no permanent building at the time. By 1869, the school had 61 students and 1 teacher[10]. In 1874–1875, the school included a preschool, and Khachatur Karapetyants is mentioned as one of the teachers[11]. In 1881, a Russian royal school was opened in the village, and the Armenian school was closed[12].

Post-Soviet Period: In 1914, the roof of the church began to collapse, and during the Soviet era, it was further damaged. Starting in the 1990s, the village population undertook efforts to restore the church. The belfry was rebuilt, the church’s basilica structure was transformed into a domed one, and the surrounding area was improved. The reconstruction was significantly aided by the people from Vachian village who had settled in the Russian Federation[13].

Church Reconsecration: In October 2016, on the feast day of the Discovery of the Cross of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, reconsecrated the St. Zion church in the village of Vachian, located in the Akhalkalaki region. The 16 columns of the church, the baptismal font, the Holy Altar, and the icons were reconsecrated during the ceremony. The ceremony was attended by Rev. Father Babken Salbiyan, Prelate at Samtskhe-Javakheti and Tsalka’s General Prelacy and clergy. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan handed over an icon brought from Tbilisi to the Vachian residents, which will henceforth be inseparable from the St. Zion church. The first Divine Liturgy in the newly consecrated church was celebrated by the pastor of Akhalkalaki and the surrounding villages, Rev. Father Tatev Marukyan. After the Divine Liturgy, a ceremony was held to consecrate the khachkar monument (cross-stone) commemorating the holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide, which had been placed in the churchyard[14].

Sanctuary: A number of chapels and sanctuaries are also preserved near the village, among which the most famous are the shrines of St. Gregory the Illuminator, St. Gevorg, and Verin Zham.

Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia

Armenian Historical and Cultural Heritage Study Center in Georgia

[1]NAA, ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3800, թ. 4; գ. 457, թ. 59:

[2]NAA, ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3848, թ. 74:

[3]”Ardzagank”, 1885, N 3, p. 41:

[4]”Nor_Dar”, 1887, N 174, p. 2:

[5]NAA, ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3912, part 1, թ. 110-ի շրջ.:

[6]Armenian Historical and Cultural Heritage Study Center in Georgia. Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia

[7]NAA, ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 457, in the same place:

[8]NAA, ֆ. 53, ց. 2, գ. 5324, թ. 2; գ. 5309, թ. 2; գ. 5334, թ. 3:

[9]”Nor-Dar”, in the same place

[10]NAA, ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3977, թ. 53-ի շրջ.-54:

[11]NAA, ֆ. 56, ց. 15, գ. 52, թ. 44-ի շրջ.:

[12]S. Karapetyan, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2006, page 473:

[13]http://armenianchurch.ge/hy/news/34-news/1213-veraocvec-vachiani-surb-sion-ekeghecin: Press Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia

[14]See in the same place