Hosta

The Church of the Red Gospel (Armenian: Կարմիր Ավետարան եկեղեցի, Karmir Avetaran Yekeghetsi; Armenian: Կարմիր վանք, Karmir Vank ) or Shamkoretsots Sourb Astvatsatsin Church (Armenian: Շամքորեցոց Սուրբ Աստվածածին եկեղեցի, meaning Shamkor Inhabitants' Holy Mother of God Church)^[1] is a ruined 18th-century Armenian church in the Avlabar district of Old Tbilisi, Tbilisi, Georgia.

It was built in 1735^[2] or 1775^[3] or 1808,^[1] and renovated during the 19th century.^[2] According to Armenian sources, on April 13, 1989, the church was "blown up"^[1] or "destroyed".^[4] Georgian officials deny that it was blown up, and ascribed its destruction to the intensity of an earthquake that had struck Tbilisi a day before.^[5] At 40 meters, it was the tallest Armenian church in Tbilisi. Today it stands in ruins, with its cupola gone.

Gallery

• 
  View of the church in historic Tbilisi
• 
  The ruins of the church after 1989
• 
  Location of the church (upper right) within the Avlabari district
• 
  Closeup of the ruins
• 
  View of the ruins (top center right) from Narikala fortress
• 
  The ruins in 2016

See also

• Armenian churches of Tbilisi
• Ejmiatsin Church, a nearby Armenian church
• Armenians in Georgia

References

Bibliography

• Karapetyan, Samvel (1998), The State Policy of Georgia and the Monuments of Armenian Culture (1988-1998) (in Armenian) (1st ed.), Yerevan: Research on Armenian Architecture, pp. IX–XI, ISBN 5-8080-0144-7 (photographic documentation, newspaper articles)

External links

Photos

• Before-and-after photos
• Photos of Karmir Avetaran after the explosion Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
• Another set after the explosion