Pokr Daghet – Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) church

The church was established in 1863.

Establishment of the church: The village of Pokr Daghet or Daghet-Khachen is an Armenian-populated village in Tetri Tskaro region, Georgia, 3 km south-east from the regional center. The village is involved in growing cereal crops, gardening and animal husbandry. The village was established by Armenians who came from Khachen province, Nagorno-Karabakh in 1789. The village is surrounded by villages, chaples, and cemeteries, as well as Surb Astvatsatsin church built of stone [1] which was founded in 1863 with the means provided by landowner Kananyants. The content of the inscription about the church construction says, «Ի ՀԻՄԱՆԷ ՇԻՆԵԱՑ ԶՏԱՃԱՐՍ ԶԱՅՍ ԱՍՏՈՒԾՈՅ ՏԵՂՈՅՍ ԿԱԼՈՒԱԾԱՏԷՐ ԱԶՆՈՒԱԶԱՐՄ, ԿՈԼԼԷԺՍԿԻ ԱՍՍԵՍՈՐ ԶՕՀՐԱԲ ՅՈՎՍԷՓԱՅ ՈՐԴԻ ՔԱՆԱՆԵԱՆՑ Ի ԲԱՐԵՈՂՋՈՒԹԻՒՆ ԻՒՐ ԸՆՏԱՆԵԱՑ ԻՒՐՈՑ, ի 1863 ԱՄԻ Ի ԹԱԳԱՒՈՐՈՒԹԵԱՆ ԱՂԷՔՍԱՆԴՐԻ Բ-ի ԵՒ Ի ՀԱՅՐԱՊԵՏՈՒԹԵԱՆ ԿԱԹՈՂԻԿՈՍԻ ԱՄԵՆԱՅՆ ՀԱՅՈՑ ՄԱՏԹԷՈՍԻ ԱՌԱՋԻՆԻ» (''THIS TEMPLE WAS BUILT FROM THE BASIS BY THE NOBLE LANDOWNER KOLLEZHSKIY ASSESOR ZOHRAB, THE SON OF HOVSEP KANANEANTS IN SAKE OF WELFARE OF HIT FAMILY, IN THE YEAR OF 1863, THE MONTH OF 11TH IN THE REIGN OF ALEXANDER II AND CATHOLICOSATE OF CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS MATTHEW I'') [2].

Surb Astvatsatsin church is also mentioned in archival documents of Georgia and Imeretian Dioceses. Particularly, the name of the church is in the Diocesan bulletins both of 1885-1886 [3], and 1907 [4].

It should be added that the village also had a spiritual school and Board of Trustees.

Architecture: Surb Astvatsatsin church is built of tuff (type of stone) and has a type of double-pitched hall. Overall dimensions are 9,5x6,68 m. The entrance is from the southern side, above which a cross is placed in tuff, and there is a niche in the wall. The double-pitched roof is tin-plated. Inside of the church the walls are plastered and painted. The ceiling is arched. In the eastern part is the Holy Altar, to the right and left of which are sacristies. The Baptismal Font is located on the northern wall [5].

The church during the Soviet period: Surb Astvatsatsin church was closed and turned into a warehouse. The villagers were cleaning and taking care of the church for years, due to which the church remains standing, and later it was reconstructed.

Reconsecration of the church: On September 8, 2013, on the day of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Surb Astvatsatsin church in Pokr Daghet village, Tetri Tskaro region was reconsecrated by the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan. The church was renovated and able to offer its spiritual service due to the donations of Arsen Aghamiryan, Seyran Perikhanyan, Artyom Arushanyan and Levon Karakhanyan who were born in Daghet and live in Russia [6].

Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia

Armenian Historical and Cultural Heritage Research Center in Georgia

[1] http://armenianchurch.ge/hy/lurer/34-news/537-phoqr-daghet-surb-astvacacin: Press Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia

[2] ''Ardzaganq'', 1884, N 41, p. 602:

[3] NAA, ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3877, թ. 58-ի շրջ.

[4] NAA, ֆ. 53, ց. 1, գ. 3912, part 1, թ. 38-ի շրջ.-39.

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

[6] In the same place: http://armenianchurch.ge/hy/lurer/34-news/537-phoqr-daghet-surb-astvacacin: