SURB ETCHMIADZIN ARMENIAN CHURCH OF TBILISI BEING REPAIRED
TBILISI, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. It is planned to
repair the Surb Etchmiadzin Armenian church of Tbilisi soon. As Noyan
Tapan correspondent was informed by Hayastan All Armenian Fund’s
Public Relations Department, the first stage of church’s restoration
has been completed lately. It had started in 2006 June with the
sponsorship of Fund’s Argentine local body, the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin and U.S. Western Diocese. By the first stage of repairs
the church’s foundation, inner columns were reinforced, walls were
reinforced through metallic constructions. Besides, reasons of water
accumulation under the building were eliminated. In total, 368
thousand USD was spent.
It was also mentioned that the 200-year-old church is a unique
structure facing the danger of destruction. The church has not been
functioning for nearly one year due to being accident-prone. Leader of
Georgian Armenian Diocese Archbishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian expressed the
hope that Surb Etchmiadzin will reopen at the end of the year.