In 2012, renovation works began in Etchmiadzin Cathedral, which are already nearing completion. As Arzhanik Hovhanisyan, a leading specialist in the restoration of frescoes, told reporters, when starting the project, two tasks were set: first, to separate the frescoes that interfered with the structural part of the temple, then to return them to their place after the completion of the construction works, and then to proceed to the second stage of the project, the general restoration and fixation works.
He informed that in the areas where the murals were separated from the wall, two more layers of small murals were found. According to Arzhanik Hovhanisyan, it turns out that the Hovnathanyans mostly worked there. Currently, 14 professionals are working on the murals, trained in Italy and working with materials imported from Italy. According to Arzhanik Hovhanisyan, they found out that the temple was full of compositions, and only in the part of the dome there were 24 compositions. “In fact, at one time the walls were covered with compositions from the Old and New Testaments.”
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin sacristan, His Grace Fr. Bishop Musegh Babayan noted that the re-consecration period of the Cathedral has been somewhat extended, but one thing is a fact: tremendous work has been done and is being done. The 1720th anniversary of the foundation of the Cathedral will be celebrated. “By the grace of the Lord, the construction works are going on, and if everything continues in this way, we hope that after a year, the Cathedral will open its doors to believers and visitors, re-sanctified and sanctified,” said the reverend. He added that the dates depend on the surprises that appeared during the construction works on the Cathedral.
He assured that during its history, the Cathedral has never been renovated in this way, and after the works, the re-consecration and sanctification of the spiritual center of all Armenians will be properly organized. The bishop reminded that a nationwide fund-raising campaign was announced, which has not yet been completed, and after the completion of the construction works, all donations will be presented in a separate booklet. “The Mother Cathedral underwent thorough and fundamental repair, from the foundations to the cross of the dome, whether there was a complete external and internal repair,” the reverend emphasized, presenting what the money was spent on. He added that there were Armenians who tried to contribute in other ways, be it with work or technical support.
Restoration architect Amiran Badishyan also stated that the project started in 2012 with the blessing and instruction of His Holiness. At first, the problem was cosmetic repairs, mainly in the area of the roofs, where there was abundant vegetation, and even an apricot tree grew on the porch of the bell tower.
It was later found that a complete overhaul and restoration was required. And on the occasion of the Pope’s visit in 2015, cleaning works of the interior walls were planned. At that time the decays, deformations and cracks on the murals were revealed. In short, the mural program has joined the new project.
The restoration architect noted that 170 jars were found under the roofs of the bell tower, 6 of them were one meter and twenty centimeters high. They date back to the 17th century and, according to Badishyan, were donations. The architect assured that after the renovation, the Cathedral will stand for hundreds of years, because a powerful professional team worked, from construction to architecture and material.
Gohar HAKOBYAN
