A stone cross – khachkar, was consecrated today in the courtyard of the Armenian Church in Ruse

Sunday, 21 July 2024

Today in the yard of the Armenian Church in Ruse was held a ceremony for the consecration of a stone cross /khachkar/ in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The ritual was led by His Eminence Bishop Tatev Hagopyan – Bishop of the Armenian Diocese in Romania and Bishop's Vicar of the Armenian Diocese in Bulgaria, and Father Dirayr Khadavyan – Pastor of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church "Surp Astvadzadzin" ("St. Theotokos") in Ruse. A special guest of the event was the Deputy Mayor Dimitar Nedev.

"Today is especially important for the Armenian community. With the consecration of this cross, the traditions and faith of the ancestors of this ancient people are honored, and a connection is created between the past, present and future. Let this khachkar be a symbol of peace, hope and empathy," said the Deputy Mayor.

The stone cross is made of Armenian tuff and rises to more than a meter in height. The entire Armenian community and a number of donors contributed to the sacred symbol being placed in the courtyard of the oldest church in the city. The event was supported by the Union of Armenians in Europe, the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian Pan-Armenian Benevolent Union in the city.

The ceremony was also attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Bulgaria H. E. Armen Edigaryan, the Regional Governor Dragomir Draganov, representatives of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Father Walter Gorra from the Ruse Catholic Church "St. Paul of the Cross", as well as many believers who came to touch the sacred symbol.

Before the ceremony, a holy liturgy was performed for the ordination of three subdeacons and one reader, who will henceforth serve in "Surp Astvadzadzin". Their elevation into a church sacrament was performed by Bishop Tatev Agopyan and Father Dirair Hadavyan. Such an elevation to a spiritual rank has not happened for years in the Ruse Armenian Church.

Khachkar consists of two words - hach ​​/cross/ and stone /kar/. Traditionally, each stone cross does not repeat its ornamentation, but observes certain stylistic rules. The khachkar is a unique manifestation of Armenian culture and one of the most typical symbols of the identity of the ancient people. The stone cross was registered in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010.

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