St. Astvatsatsin Church of Ramis
Location: Ramis
Destruction
Perched on a height in the mountains of Zangezur, with an arresting view of lofty peaks above and historic villages below, St. Astvatsatsin Church of Ramis was in good condition in the late Soviet years. The gabled-roof basilica had a nave and two aisles, a hall, apse with three niches, two vestries, and entrances on the west and south facades (see plan below). Decorative bands adorned the doorways and cross-stones (khachkars), and friezes embellished the walls. In its final iteration, likely in the 18th century, the interior walls were plastered and painted. There were Armenian inscriptions on the western and southern facades. 1,2
The church was clearly intact in 1973 when it was captured in a July 29 KH-9 Hexagon image (first swipe below, left). An IKONOS image from February 3, 2000, (first swipe below, right) shows the church in the process of being destroyed. Its roof has been removed and the west wall has been dismantled. In the second swipe below, an August 13, 2009 QuickBird image shows that the destruction of the church has been completed. The site still bears linear traces of debris from earthmoving at the site.
Drag the swipe tool right to see the intact church in 1973; drag left to see the site in 2000 in the process of destruction.
Drag the swipe tool right to see the church in 2000 in the process of destruction; drag left to see the vacant site of the erased church in 2009.
Geolocation
St. Astvatsatsin Church was located on high ground in the northwestern district of Ramis. 1 The church's location is marked on 1:50K scale Soviet topographic maps of 1936 and 1974. CHW confirmed the church's precise location using KH-9 Hexagon satellite imagery dated July 29, 1973.
Timeline
Construction
Founded in the 12th century; renovated in 1677-78 according to the inscription on the upper part of the southeastern pier of the church. 1,2,3
1933
The church is marked on the 1:50K scale Soviet map of 1933. 4
1973
The intact church is clearly visible on KH-9 Hexagon satellite imagery dated July 29, 1973. 5
1974
The church is marked on the 1:50K scale Soviet map of 1974. 6
2000
The church was in the process of being dismantled when the image at right was captured on February 3, 2000. 7
2009
As can be seen in the QuickBird satellite image on the previous page (top), the church's demolition was complete by August 13, 2009. Linear piles of materials, possibly building stones to be reused, are all that remain of the historic church. 8
Image Gallery
Images © Research on Armenian Architecture (far left) and Argam Ayvazyan Archive, used with permission.
References
1 Ayvazyan, Argam. Nakhijevani ISSH haykakan hushardzannery. Hamahavak tsutsak. Yerevan: Hayastan, 1986, p. 46.
2 Ayvazyan, Argam. The Historical Monuments of Nakhichevan. Transl. Krikor H. Maksoudian. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990, p. 31.
3 Research on Armenian Architecture. Nakhijevan: Atlas. Yerevan: Tigran Metz Publishing House, 2012.
4 Upravlenie voennykh topografov RKKA, J-38-32-G (Paraga), 1:50,000, 1933.
5 KH-9 Hexagon, D3C1206-100170A021, July 29, 1973.
6 Generalnyi shtab, J-38-32-G (Tivi), 1:50,000, 1974.
7 Maxar Technologies & East View Geospatial, February 3, 2000.
8 Maxar Technologies & East View Geospatial, August 13, 2009.
