Khachkar. Krest-Kamn'. Poklonnyy Krest

The Armenian Khachkar was installed on the territory of the Varlaam-Khutynsky monastery. On the territory of the vestibule of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Varlaam-Khutynsky Monastery on December 13, 2015, the grand opening of the Khachkar took place. Khachkar was established on the initiative of Aleksanyan Zaven and Oganisyan Davit, with the patronage of Oganisyan Bagrat. The ceremony of illuminating Khachkar with the blessing of the head of the Russian and New Nakhichevan Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Yezras Nersisyan, was held by the vicar of the head of the diocese for St. Petersburg and the North-West region, Hieromonk Poghos Vardanyan. The solemn event was attended by Metropolitan of Novgorod and Starorussky Lev, Governor of Novgorod Region Sergey Mitin, Minister of Culture of Armenia Hasmik Poghosyan, Adviser to the President of Armenia Armen Smbatyan, Mayor of Veliky Novgorod Yuri Bobryshev, Chairman of Novgorod Regional Duma Elena Pisareva, Chairman of the Duma of Veliky Novgorod Vladimir Timofeev, representatives the public, representatives of the Armenian community in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Veliky Novgorod and Pskov. Father Poghos conveyed the words of greetings and blessings from Archbishop Yezras, thanked Metropolitan Lev for this good deed and noted that the installation of the Armenian Khachkar on the territory of the Orthodox Church testifies to the common adherence to the Christian values ​​of the Russian and Armenian peoples and this day will remain in the history of Armenians for centuries. In his welcoming speech, Metropolitan Lev noted that the opening of the Armenian memorial cross for a modern Novgorod citizen would seem an unusual event, but the place for the installation of the Khachkar was not chosen by chance - in ancient times, on the territory of the Varlaam-Khutynsky monastery, a church was built in honor of St. Gregory, the enlightener of Armenia - a wooden, later stone, the foundation of which has been preserved. In Moscow, also in the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed on Red Square, in memory of the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible, a border was set up in honor of the Holy Martyr Gregory the Illuminator. The archpastor added that the names of Gregory the Armenian and other Armenian saints of the ancient Church are recorded in the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church. “This cross will testify to the ancient common shrines and will become a memory of the duty to preserve and develop brotherly Christian love and friendship between the Russian and Armenian peoples,” Vladyka stressed. “We all pray that the Lord will preserve the nations in peace and protect them from a catastrophe that can happen if people neglect the lessons of history, in particular the tragic events of 1915”. After the consecration, the guests got acquainted with the sights and shrines of the monastery.