FOUNDED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY.

Church foundation: Zak is one of the Armenian villages in the Akhalkalaki region, located on the slope of a hill called "Karmir" (Red). The St. Minas Church in Zak was founded in the 1830s. A reference to the village church can be found in the 1839–1840 Bulletin of the Clergy and Churches of the Georgian and Imereti Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.[1] As of 1866, the church was a wooden structure,[2] but by 1885, it had been rebuilt in stone.[3] Plans to construct a new church on the site of the old one were initiated in 1885, but the process faced delays and continued into the 1890s. In particular, construction work began in 1893 but was left incomplete due to issues with obtaining permission. In 1895, the villagers petitioned Catholicos Mkrtich for approval.[4] Permission to build a new church was granted only in 1905,[5] and the construction was completed in 1909. The church was ceremonially consecrated on April 29, 1911.[6]:

Architecture: The church is built of basalt and follows the basilica architectural style. Its overall dimensions are 17.17 × 10.6 meters. It features semicircular windows on the southern, northern, and western walls. The church has two entrances: one on the southern side and another on the western side. On the western side, two protrudings on the right and left walls support a decorative arch. Above the entrance, a cross carved from tuff stone is prominently displayed. The two-story belfry is located on the western side of the roof, while the gabled roof is clad in tin. Inside, the walls are plastered and painted. The Holy Altar is situated on the eastern side, with sacristies on either side. The baptismal font is positioned against the north wall, and the ceiling is covered with wooden panels.[7]

Parish priests: In the 1830s–1840s, Rev. Father Karapet Davtyan served as the priest at St. Minas Church, while the tbirs (clerks) were Hakob Ter-Karapetyan and Martiros Mkrtchyan.[8]

School: According to the 1869 bulletin of the Diocese of Georgia and Imereti, the village school in Zak was founded in 1864 with funding from the village society. By 1869, it had 36 students and one teacher.[9]

Cemetery: The cemetery extends to the northwestern edge of the village, where, among other tombstones, the tombstone of parish priest Ter-Isahak is still preserved.[10]

The church in the Soviet and post-Soviet period: During the Soviet years, particularly in the 1930s, the church was closed and turned into a grain warehouse. In the post-Soviet years, in the 1990s, through the efforts of fellow villager Shahen Martirosyan, the church was cleaned and renovated. Later, with the financial support of the Russian-based former Zakat residents, brothers Mnatsakan, Levon and Ashot Gasparyan, the St. Minas church was renovated and blessed by Rev. Shmavon Saghoyan. During the Soviet era, particularly in the 1930s, the church was closed and repurposed as a grain warehouse. In the post-Soviet period, during the 1990s, thanks to the efforts of fellow villager Shahen Martirosyan, the church was cleaned and partially renovated. Later, with the financial support of former Zak residents Mnatsakan, Levon, and Ashot Gasparyan, who were based in Russia, St. Minas Church underwent further renovation and was blessed by Rev. Shmavon Saghoyan.

In the churchyard, cross-stones were placed by the Gasparyan brothers in memory of the holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide and the Armenian Renaissance.

The courtyard of St. Minas Church also contains the tombstones of the church’s founding priest and his son, Rev. Father Makar and Rev. Father Hakob Karapetyan.[11]

 

Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia

Armenian Historical and Cultural Heritage Study Center in Georgia

[1]NAA, ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 457, թ. 50:

[2]NAA, ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3848, թ. 74-իշրջ.:

[3]”Ardzagank”, 1885, N 3, p. 43:

[4]NAA, ֆ. 56, ց. 18, գ. 289, թ. 2 ևշրջ.:

[5]NAA, ֆ. 56, ց. 1, գ. 8949, թ. 7 ևշրջ.:

[6]NAA, ֆ. 35, ց.1, գ. 682, թթ. 8-9:

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

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

[9]NAA, ֆ 53, ց. 1, գ. 3977, թ. 55-ի շրջ.-56:

[10]S. Karapetyan, Javakhk, Yerevan, 2006, page 173:

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