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'{{good article}} {{Infobox religious building | building_name = Ghazanchetsots Cathedral | image = File:Ghazanchecots.jpg | image_size = 300px | caption = The cathedral in 2014 | location = 11 Ghazanchetots Street, [[Shusha]] (Shushi)<ref name="armenianchurch.org">{{cite web|title=Dioceses: Armenia|url=http://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=1&id=89&pid=14&lng=en|website=armenianchurch.org|publisher=[[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin]]}}</ref><br />''de facto'' controlled by the [[Republic of Artsakh]] (Nagorno-Karabakh), ''de jure'' recognized as part of [[Azerbaijan]] | coordinates = {{coord|39.758819|46.747883|display=inline,title}} | religious_affiliation = [[Armenian Apostolic Church]] | rite = [[Armenian rite|Armenian]] | functional_status = Active | region = | state = | province = | territory = | prefecture = | sector = | district = | cercle = | municipality = | consecration_year = September 20, 1888<br />June 18, 1998 (reconsecration) | status = | heritage_designation = | leadership = | architecture = yes | architect = Simon Ter-Hakobian(ts) | architecture_type = | architecture_style = [[Armenian architecture|Armenian]] | groundbreaking = 1868 | year_completed = 1887 | construction_cost = | specifications = | capacity = | length = {{convert|34.7|m|ft}} | width = {{convert|23|m|ft}} | height_max = {{convert|35|m|ft}} | nrhp = | added = | refnum = | designated = }} '''Holy Savior Cathedral''' ({{lang-hy|Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ մայր տաճար}}, ''Surb Amenap′rkich mayr tachar''), commonly referred to as '''Ghazanchetsots''' (Ղազանչեցոց),{{efn|Also spelled ''Ghazanchetzotz'', ''Gazanchetsots'' ({{lang-ru|Газанчецоц}}), ''Kazanchetsots'' ({{lang-ru|Казанчецоц}}). In [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]]: ''Kazançetsots'' or ''Qazançetsots''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=de Waal|first1=Thomas|authorlink1=Thomas de Waal|title=Qarabağ: Ermənistan və Azərbaycan sülh və savaş yollarında ([[Black Garden|Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War]])|date=2008|others=Yusif Axundov (translator)|location=Baku|isbn=978-9952-25-086-2|pages=[https://web.archive.org/web/20170428084421/http://kurdamir.cls.az/front/files/libraries/1472/books/331461449560893.pdf 210, 216]|language=az|publisher=“İlay” MMC|quote=p. 208: ...Qazançetsots kilsəsində... p. 216: ...Kazançetsots kilsəsi...}}</ref>}} is an [[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian Apostolic]] cathedral in [[Shusha]] (Shushi), in the disputed region of [[Nagorno-Karabakh Republic|Nagorno-Karabakh]] (Artsakh). It is the seat of the [[Diocese of Artsakh]] of the Armenian Apostolic Church.<ref name="armenianchurch.org"/><ref name="historyofarmenia.am"/> Built between 1868 and 1887, the cathedral was consecrated in 1888. It was damaged during the [[Shusha massacre|March 1920 massacre of Armenians]] of the city by Azerbaijanis and experienced a decades-long decline under Soviet rule. During the [[Nagorno-Karabakh War]] Azerbaijan used the cathedral as an armory, where hundreds of missiles were stored. It was restored in the aftermath of the war and reconsecrated in 1998. A landmark of Shusha and Karabakh, it has become an icon for the Karabakh Armenian cause. Standing {{convert|35|m|ft}} high, Ghazanchetsots is one of the largest Armenian churches in the world. ==History== [[File:Ghazanchetsots 1911.png|thumb|140px|left|The cathedral on a 1911 postcard]] ===Foundation=== According to historical records a small basilica church stood on its place as of 1722.{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=114}} In the 19th century, following the conquest of the [[Caucasus]] by the [[Russian Empire]], Shusha was one of the largest cities in region. [[Thomas de Waal]] notes that it was larger and more prosperous than either [[Baku]] or [[Yerevan]], the current capitals of Azerbaijan and Armenia, respectively.{{sfn|de Waal|2003|p=45}} The city was one of the major cities of Armenian cultural activity in the Caucasus, along with [[Tiflis]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Walker|first1=Edward|editor1-last=Bertsch|editor1-first=Gary K.|editor2-last=Craft|editor2-first=Cassady|editor3-last=Jones|editor3-first=Scott A.|editor4-last=Beck|editor4-first=Michael|title=Crossroads and Conflict: Security and Foreign Policy in the Caucasus and Central Asia|chapter=No War, No Peace in the Caucasus: Contested Sovereignty in Chechnya, Abkhazia, and Karabakh|date=2000|publisher=Routledge|isbn=0-415-92273-9|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=NX9GAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA297&dq=shusha+tiflis+armenian 297]|quote=...Shusha, along with Tbilisi (Tiflis), was at one time one of the two main Armenian cities of the Transcaucasus...}}</ref> According to Russian imperial data of 1886 the city had a mixed [[Armenians|Armenian]] (57%) and [[Azerbaijanis|Tatar (Azerbaijani)]] (43%) population of almost 27,000.<ref>{{cite book|title=Свод статистических данных о населении Закавказского края, извлечённых из посемейных списков 1886 года|date=1893|location=Tiflis|language=ru}} [http://www.ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/rnkarabax.html view online]</ref> The earliest part of the current cathedral, the bell tower, was built in 1858, which financed by the Khandamiriants family.{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=114}} The church's construction began in 1868 and was completed in 1887. Its name comes from [[Qazançı, Nakhchivan|Ghazanchi]] (present-day Qazançı), a village in [[Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic|Nakhichevan]], migrants from which financed the church's construction. It was designed by Simon Ter-Hakobian(ts).{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=114}} The church was consecrated on September 20, 1888{{sfn|Hasratyan|2002}}{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=114}} according to an inscription on upper part of the southern [[Portal (architecture)|portal]].{{sfn|Mkrtchyan|1988|p=183}} The inscription reads:{{sfn|Mkrtchian|Davtian|1999}} [[File:OudSjoesji.jpg|thumb|A general view of Shusha and the cathedral, early 20th century]] {{quote frame|By the blessing and grace of almighty God this miraculous sacred cathedral is built at the expense and with the donations of the parish of the church of Amenaprkich Ghazanchetsots of the city of Shushi, the construction has commenced in 1868 at the reign of the allpowerful emperor of all Russia Alexander II and the patriarchate of Gevorg IV and was completed in 1887 at the time of the coronation of the son of His Majesty the blessed emperor Alexander III and Catholicos Markar I, on September 20, 1888.}} [[File:Ruins of the Armenian part of the city of Shusha after the March 1920 pogrom by Azerbaijani armed units. In the center - church of the Holy Savior.jpg|thumb|Ruins of Shusha and the damaged cathedral (in the background, in the center) in the aftermath of the 1920 massacre]] ===Decline=== The majority of the Armenian population of Shusha was massacred or expelled in [[Shusha massacre|March 1920]]. The cathedral was damaged and gradually declined. It was eventually closed down in 1930,{{sfn|Hasratyan|2002}}<ref name="historyofarmenia.am"/> and was turned into a granary in the 1940s. Its dome and part of the walls surrounding it were destroyed in the 1950s. It was then looted and its stones were used to build several upscale houses in the Azerbaijani part of the city. By the 1970s the cathedral "looked like it survived heavy shelling." Soviet and Azerbaijani authorities granted a permission to launch a restoration project of the cathedral in the 1980s under public pressure.{{sfn|Mkrtchian|Davtian|1999}} The restoration began in 1981 and continued until 1988 and was supervised by Volodya Babayan.{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=115}}{{sfn|Hasratyan|2002}}<ref name="historyofarmenia.am"/> By 1987 only two of the four stone statues of angels on the bell tower had survived.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Վերանորոգվում է Շուշիի Ս. Ամենափրկիչ եկեղեցին [Shushi's St. Savior Church is being renovated]|journal=[[Etchmiadzin (magazine)|Etchmiadzin]]|date=1987|volume=44|issue=11-12|page=35|url=http://echmiadzin.asj-oa.am/9725/}}</ref> {{multiple image|image1=2014 Szuszi, Katedra Chrystusa Zbawiciela (03).jpg|width1=100 |image2=Շուշիի զինանշանը.png|width2=123|footer_align=center|footer=A sculpture of the angels on the bell tower of the cathedral ''(left)'' is depicted the coat of arms of Armenian-administered Shushi ''(right)''.}} ===Nagorno-Karabakh War=== Shusha's Armenian minority was expelled from the city when the [[Nagorno-Karabakh conflict]] began in February 1988. The cathedral was turned into an armory by Azerbaijan.{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=115}} According to Armenian political analyst Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan the cathedral was set on fire three times between 1988 and 1991 using car tires.<ref name="Shahnazaryan">{{cite book|last=Melik-Shahnazaryan|first=Levon|authorlink=:ru:Мелик-Шахназарян, Левон Грантович|title=Военные преступления Азербайджана против мирного населения НКР [Azerbaijani War Crimes Against the Peaceful Population of NKR]|chapter=Армянская Культура – Объект Агрессии Азербайджана [Armenian Culture: An Object of Aggression by Azerbaijan]|date=1997|publisher=Nairi|location=Yerevan|url=http://armenianhouse.org/mshakhnazaryan/docs-ru/crime/chapter11_17.html|quote=Только за период 1988-91 гг. в Шуши трижды поджигали, обкладывая автомобильными покрышками, шедевр армянской архитектуры ХIХ века, церковь Газанчецоц Христа Спасителя. От великолепного строения фактически остался лишь каменный остов.}}</ref> Azerbaijanis dismantled the stone statues of angels on the bell tower in 1989.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Karapetyan|first1=Samvel|authorlink1=Samvel Karapetyan (author)|title=The State of Armenian Historical Monuments in Azerbaijan and Artsakh|date=2011|publisher=[[Research on Armenian Architecture]]|location=Yerevan|isbn=978-9939-843-00-1|page=38|url=http://www.mfa.am/u_files/file/monuments3.pdf}}</ref> They reportedly sold off its bronze bell, which was later found in a market in [[Donetsk]], Ukraine and was bought by an Armenian officer for 3 million rubles and sent it back to Armenia.{{sfn|de Waal|2003|p=190}} When Shusha was [[Capture of Shusha|captured]] by Armenian forces on May 9, 1992, it was a turning point of the [[Nagorno-Karabakh War|war]]. Prior to the fall of Shusha, Azerbaijani forces stored hundreds of boxes of [[BM-21 Grad|Grad]] missiles as the cathedral was safe from potential Armenian bombardment.{{sfn|de Waal|2003|pp=179-180, 190}}<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gore|first1=Patrick Wilson|title='Tis Some Poor Fellow's Skull: Post-Soviet Warfare in the Southern Caucasus|date=2008|location=[[iUniverse]]|isbn=9780595486793|page=83|quote=...the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, which the shrewd Azeris had been using as their main ammunition depot, sure that it was safe from Armenian gunners.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Cox|first1=Caroline|last2=Rogers|first2=Benedict|authorlink1=Caroline Cox, Baroness Cox|title=The Very Stones Cry Out: The Persecuted Church: Pain, Passion and Praise|chapter=Nagorno-Karabakh: 'We Must Always Love'|date=2011|publisher=[[A&C Black]]|isbn=9780826442727|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=aetGAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA85&dq=soldiers+had+taken+the+now+empty+boxes+which+has+contained+grad+missiles 85]|quote=Soldiers had taken the now empty boxes which had contained the GRAD missiles out of the church...}}</ref> Shusha was used as a base for [[Shelling of Stepanakert|shelling]] of [[Stepanakert]], the largest city of Karabakh, with Grad launchers for several months.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Goltz|first1=Thomas|authorlink1=Thomas Goltz|title=Azerbaijan Diary: A Rogue Reporter's Adventures in an Oil-rich, War-torn, Post-Soviet Republic|date=2015|orig-year=1998|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780765602435|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=m2vxBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA184&lpg=PA184&dq=shusha+grad+stepanakert 184]}}</ref>{{sfn|de Waal|2003|p=174}} Armenian volunteers, including noted activist [[Igor Muradyan]], carried the wooden boxes of artillery and rocket shells out of the church immediately after the capture of the city.{{sfn|de Waal|2003|pp=179-180}}{{sfn|Corley|1998|p=331}} The [[flag of Armenia]] was raised on top of the damaged dome by Armenian troops.{{sfn|Corley|1998|p=330}} Melik-Shahnazaryan wrote that by the time of its capture "practically, only a stone skeleton had remained of the magnificent structure."<ref name="Shahnazaryan"/> A foreign visitor noted that its "windows were missing but the interior was in reasonable condition."{{sfn|Corley|1998|p=331}} On August 23, 1992 Azerbaijani bombers attempted to target the church, however, no serious casualties were reported. Felix Corley suggested that the attempt was not of any military importance and "appeared to be a deliberate attempt to attack the Armenian heritage in Karabakh."{{sfn|Corley|1998|p=331}} [[File:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral 01.jpg|thumb|The cathedral as seen in 2007 before the cleanup of the surrounding area]] [[File:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral from Shushi Hotel 2014.2.jpg|thumb|A view from a distance, in 2014, with the immediate surrounding area cleaned up]] ===Restoration and revival=== Restoration of the church began soon after its capture by Armenian forces. As of 1997 it was reportedly the only building being restored in Shusha.<ref>{{cite news|last1=de Waal|first1=Thomas|authorlink1=Thomas de Waal|title=An Eccentric Outpost of Christianity|url=http://old.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/tmt/297472.html/|work=[[The Moscow Times]]|date=15 November 1997|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228140924/http://old.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/tmt/297472.html/|archivedate=28 February 2017|quote=The only building being restored is the church of Gazanchetsots, Armenia's largest church.}}</ref> Restoration works were primarily funded by Andreas Roubian, an Armenian [[Evangelical]] benefactor from New Jersey, who provided $110,000. Tens of thousands of dollars came from various [[Armenian diaspora]] communities and wealthy individuals.{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=115}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Vartivarian|first=Hagop|title=Overdue Recognition for Andreas Roubian|url=http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2011/12/16/overdue-recognition-for-andreas-roubian/|work=[[Armenian Mirror-Spectator]]|date=16 December 2011|quote=Roubian, who is of Evangelical faith, became the benefactor of the Ghazanchetots Sourp Asdvadzadzin Cathedral of Shushi. He personally supervised and financed its reconstruction.}}</ref> Cleanup and furnishing were completed in May 1998.{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=115}} The cathedral was reconsecrated on June 18, 1998 on the [[Feast of the Transfiguration]] by Archbishop [[Pargev Martirosyan]], the Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh.{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=116}} The first [[Divine Liturgy]] at the restored cathedral took place on July 19 with attendance of Nagorno-Karabakh President [[Arkadi Ghukasyan]] and officials from Armenia. Archbishop [[Sebouh Chouldjian]] read a letter sent by Catholicos [[Karekin I]],{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=116}} who did not attend due to health problems.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Ամենայն Հայոց Վեհափառ Հայրապետի Օրհնության գիրը Արցախի թեմի առաջնորդ գերաշնորհ Տ. Պարգև եպիսկոպոս Մարտիրոսյանին՝ Շուշիի Ս. Ամենափրկիչ Ղազանչեցոց եկեղեցու օծման առթիվ|journal=[[Etchmiadzin (magazine)|Etchmiadzin]]|date=1998|volume=54|issue=7|pages=113–120|url=http://echmiadzin.asj-oa.am/10279/|publisher=[[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin]]|language=hy}}</ref> Yulia Antonyan suggested that its reconstruction was "perceived more as a cultural process aimed at a restoration of the Armenian cultural heritage, a spiritual and physical 'rebirth' of the Armenian nation" and came to symbolize the rebirth of Shusha.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Antonyan|first1=Yulia|editor1-last=Agadjanian|editor1-first=Alexander|editor2-last=Jödicke|editor2-first=Ansgar|editor3-last=van der Zweerde|editor3-first=Evert|title=Religion, Nation and Democracy in the South Caucasus|chapter=Political power and church construction in Armenia|date=2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317691570|page=84|quote=The reconstruction, or construction, of churches was perceived more as a cultural process aimed at a restoration of the Armenian cultural heritage, a spiritual and physical "rebirth" of the Armenian nation. Thus, among the first churches to be reconstructed were the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi (Karabakh) and the Amenaprkich (Lord Saviour) Church at Gyumri. Both churches were rebuilt to symbolize the rebirth of the cities, one of which devastated during the war...}}</ref> It now "towers, immaculate once more, above the ruined town," wrote [[Thomas de Waal]] in his 2003 book ''[[Black Garden]]''.{{sfn|de Waal|2003|p=185}} Daniel Bardsley wrote that the cathedral is now "one of the few pristine-looking buildings in the city."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bardsley|first1=Daniel|title=Shusha breathes new life after years of strife|url=http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/shusha-breathes-new-life-after-years-of-strife|work=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]|date=21 July 2009|location=Abu Dhabi|quote=The city's Ghazanchetsots Cathedral has been restored since the conflict ended and is now one of the few pristine-looking buildings in the city.}}</ref> ====Notable events==== On October 16, 2008 a [[Collective wedding|mass wedding]], sponsored by Levon Hayrapetyan, a Russian-based businessman from Karabakh, took place in Nagorno-Karabakh. Some 700 couples got married on that day, 500 of whom married at Ghazanchetsots and 200 at [[Gandzasar monastery]].<ref name="hushardzan.am"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Karabakh's Big Wedding Day|url=https://iwpr.net/global-voices/karabakhs-big-wedding-day|agency=[[Institute for War and Peace Reporting]]|date=31 October 2008|quote=The couples were married in the churches of Gandzasar and Kazanchetsots in Shushi.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Hayrapetyan|first=Anahit|title=Nagorno-Karabakh: Mass Wedding Hopes to Spark Baby Boom in Separatist Territory|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav102408.shtml|work=[[EurasiaNet]]|date=23 October 2008|quote=Five hundred and sixty couples ended up being married either at St. Ghazanchetsots church or the 13th century Gandzasar monastery, not far from Vank.}}</ref> On April 14, 2016 Catholicos [[Karekin II]] and Catholicos of Cilicia [[Aram I]] delivered a prayer for peace and safety of Nagorno-Karabakh. It came days after the [[2016 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes|clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces]] which were the deadliest since the ceasefire of 1994.<ref>{{cite news|title=Հայոց երկու հայրապետները մաղթանք կատարեցին Շուշիի Ղազանչեցոց եկեղեցում|url=http://www.azatutyun.am/a/27674597.html|work=azatutyun.am|publisher=[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]]|date=14 April 2016|language=hy}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Շուշիի Ղազանչեցոց Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ եկեղեցում Հանրապետական մաղթանք է կատարվե|url=https://armenpress.am/arm/news/843469/shushii-xazanchecoc-surb-amenaprkich-ekexecum-hanrapetakan.html|agency=[[Armenpress]]|date=14 April 2016|language=hy}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Երկու Վեհափառ Հայրապետները Շուշիի Ղազանչեցոց Ս. Ամենափրկիչ Եկեղեցւոյ Մէջ Հայրապետական Պատգամ Տուած Են|url=http://www.aztagdaily.com/archives/290541|work=[[Aztag (daily)|Aztag]]|date=15 April 2016|location=Beirut|language=hy}}</ref> On April 6, 2017 [[Serj Tankian]], the lead singer of the rock band [[System of a Down]] performed the Christian liturgical prayer "[[Kyrie|Lord, have mercy]]" (''Ter voghormia''), in Armenian, at the cathedral.<ref>{{cite news|title=Serj Tankian is singing "Lord, Have mercy" in Shushi: Civilnet|url=http://en.a1plus.am/1258798.html|agency=[[A1plus]]|date=6 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title="Տեր, Ողորմեա"-ն՝ Թանկյանի կատարմամբ՝ Շուշիի Ղազանչեցոց եկեղեցում|url=http://www.civilnet.am/news/2017/04/06/%C2%AB%D5%8F%D5%A5%D6%80-%D5%88%D5%B2%D5%B8%D6%80%D5%B4%D5%A5%D5%A1%C2%BB-%D4%B9%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%AF%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%AB-%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%BF%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%B4%D5%A1%D5%B4%D5%A2-%D5%87%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B7%D5%AB%D5%AB-%D5%82%D5%A1%D5%A6%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%B9%D5%A5%D6%81%D5%B8%D6%81-%D5%A5%D5%AF%D5%A5%D5%B2%D5%A5%D6%81%D5%AB%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B4/312179|work=civilnet.am|date=6 April 2017|language=hy}}</ref> ==Architecture== [[File:2014 Szuszi, Katedra Chrystusa Zbawiciela (02).jpg|thumb|150px|The bell tower]] [[File:Ghazanchetsots cupola.JPG|thumb|150px|The cupola]] The cathedral's church is a domed basilica with four [[apse|apsides]].{{sfn|Hasratyan|1982}} It is {{convert|34.7|m|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|23|m|abbr=on}} wide.{{sfn|Mkrtchyan|1988|p=183}}{{efn|Alternatively given as {{convert|35|by|23|m}}.{{sfn|Hasratyan|2002}} }} Standing at a height of {{convert|35|m|abbr=on}},{{sfn|Mkrtchyan|1988|p=183}} it is one of the largest Armenian churches.{{sfn|de Waal|2003|p=185}}{{sfn|Hasratyan|1982}}<ref name="Caucasian Knot"/> Its conical dome, the roof of which is metallic, is {{convert|17|m|abbr=on}} tall.{{sfn|Mkrtchian|Davtian|1999}}{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=116}} The church has three identical entrances from the west, south and north. There are ornamental reliefs on the portals and windows.{{sfn|Mkrtchian|Davtian|1999}} The church's floor plan is an imitation of that of [[Etchmiadzin Cathedral]], Armenia's mother church.{{sfn|Hasratyan|2002}}<ref name="Caucasian Knot"/><ref name="nkrusa"/> The cathedral is seen as having combined both innovative techniques and well-established traditions of Armenian architecture.<ref name="nkrusa"/> Both the church and the bell tower are build of white [[limestone]].{{sfn|Hasratyan|2002}}{{sfn|de Waal|2003|p=185}}<ref>{{cite news|last1=Juskalian|first1=Russ|title=Off the Map in the Black Garden|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/travel/off-the-map-in-nagorno-karabakh-a-region-in-the-southern-caucasus.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=21 September 2012|quote=...the Tolkienesque Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, built of white limestone.}}</ref> The freestanding bell tower has three floors (levels) and contains two bells, the larger of which was [[Bellfounding|cast]] in [[Tula, Russia]] in 1857.{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=115}} Sculptures of angels blowing trumpets stand on the top of its first floor.{{sfn|Hasratyan|1982}} ==Significance== The cathedral, along with [[Gandzasar monastery]], is a symbol of history and identity for the Armenians of Karabakh. Novelist [[Zori Balayan]] noted that it was "often called to mind while the [[Karabakh movement]] was developing."{{sfn|Corley|1998|p=330}} It has become a symbol of liberation of the city as perceived by Armenians<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hagopian|first1=Michelle|title=Blog Posts from Armenia and Artsakh|url=http://armenianweekly.com/2013/09/26/hagopian-independence-day-in-yerevan-on-my-first-trip-to-armenia/|work=[[Armenian Weekly]]|date=26 September 2013|quote=But it has withstood war, and it symbolizes the liberation of Shushi and our people.}}</ref> and a popular pilgrimage site for Armenians from Armenia and the diaspora.<ref>{{cite news|title=Shushi City of Artsakh attracts tourists from Armenia and Diaspora|url=https://news.am/eng/news/238001.html|work=news.am|date=7 November 2014|quote=The rebuilt Temple St. Kazanchetsots is a popular place of pilgrimage for tourists from Armenia and the Diaspora.}}</ref> Catholicos [[Karekin II]] called the cathedral a symbol of the Armenian liberation movement of Artsakh during a mass at the cathedral in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title=Շուշիի Ղազանչեցոց Ս․ Ամենափրկիչ եկեղեցում կատարվեց Հանրապետական մաղթանք|url=http://www.aravot.am/2016/09/09/733561/|work=[[Aravot]]|publisher=via [[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin]]|date=9 September 2016|language=hy|quote=...ազատագրական մեր պայքարի խորհրդանիշը հանդիսացող Շուշիի Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ Ղազանչեցոց եկեղեցում...}}</ref> Furthermore, it is seen as a remnant of the 19th and early 20th century religious-cultural renaissance of Shusha.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Tchilingirian|first1=Hratch|title=Religious Discourse on the Conflict in Nagorno Karabakh|journal=Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe|date=1998|volume=18|issue=4|url=http://www.oxbridgepartners.com/hratch/images/pdf/Tchilingirian_Hratch_Religious_%20Discourse_Karabakh_1998.pdf|publisher=[[George Fox University]]|quote=Between 1820 and 1930, Karabakh was a hub of vibrant religious and cultural life. [...] A remnant of this religious-cultural renaissance is the famous Cathedral of Our Saviour (1868-1887) in the Kazanchetsots neighborhood of Shushi (Lalayan 1988 and Ter Gasbarian 1993).}}</ref> Numerous manuscripts used to be kept at the cathedral,{{sfn|Mkrtchian|Davtian|1999}} the earliest dated 1612.{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=114}} The Right Arm of [[Grigoris (catholicos)|Grigoris]], the grandson of [[Gregory the Illuminator]], was also kept at the church.{{sfn|Vardanyan|1998|p=115}} ==References== ===Notes=== {{notelist}} ===References=== {{reflist|3|refs= <ref name="hushardzan.am">{{cite web|title=Արցախի Ճերմակազգեստ Գեղեցկուհին [The While Beauty of Artsakh]|url=http://hushardzan.am/11163/|website=hushardzan.am|publisher=Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum Reservations (Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia)|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301205005/http://hushardzan.am/11163/|archivedate=1 March 2017|language=hy}}</ref> <ref name="Caucasian Knot">{{cite book|first1=Levon|last1=Chorbajian|authorlink1=Levon Chorbajian|first2=Claude|last2=Mutafian|authorlink2=Claude Mutafian|first3=Patrick|last3=Donabedian|title=The Caucasian Knot: The History and Geopolitics of Nagorno-Karabagh|publisher=[[Zed Books]]|location=London|year=1994|ISBN=1-85649-287-7|p=84|quote=Thus when it was decided to construct the Cathedral of Our Savior, called Ghazanchetsots (one of the grandest churches in all of Armenia), in 1868–1888 in Shushi, it was to Etchmiadzin, the most important sanctuary for Armenians, that they looked for inspiration, at least for the plan.}}</ref> <ref name="nkrusa">{{cite web|title=A Brief History of the Art and Architecture of Artsakh — Nagorno Karabakh|url=http://www.nkrusa.org/country_profile/art_history_of_artsakh.shtml|website=nkrusa.org|publisher=Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208210950/http://www.nkrusa.org/country_profile/art_history_of_artsakh.shtml|archivedate=8 February 2016|quote=Artsakh's architecture of the nineteenth century is distinguished by a merger of innovation and the tradition of grand national monuments of the past. One example is the Cathedral of the Holy Savior also known as Ghazanchetzotz (1868-1888). It stands in Artsakh's former capital of Shushi, and is among the largest Armenian churches ever erected. The cathedral's architectural forms were influenced by the designs of the ancient cathedral of St. Echmiadzin (4th-9th centuries), center of the Armenian Apostolic Church located to the west of Armenia's capital of Yerevan.}}</ref> <ref name="historyofarmenia.am">{{cite web|last1=Karapetyan|first1=B.|title=Շուշի [Shushi]|url=http://www.historyofarmenia.am/am/Encyclopedia_of_armenian_history_Shushi|publisher=[[Yerevan State University]] Institute for Armenian Studies (via ''Ղարաբաղյան ազատագրական պատերազմ 1988-1994 (Karabakh Liberation War 1988-1994)'', 2004, Yerevan: Armenian Encyclopedia Publishing)|language=hy|quote=Արցախի թեմի առաջնորդանիստ Ղազանչեցոց Ս. Ամենափրկիչ մայր տաճարը (XIX դ.): Եկեղեցին գործել է մինչև 1930-ը, մասամբ նորոգվել 1981-1988-ին՝ մշեցի վերականգնող վարպետ Վ. Բաբայանի (ծ. 22.6.1937) ջանքերով: 1988-ին Շուշիի հայերին տեղահանելուց հետո ադրբեջանցիները ջարդել են զանգակատան հրեշտակների խորաքանդակները: 1998-ին ավարտվել է եկեղեցու զանգակատան նորոգումը և մեծ հանդիսությամբ օծվել հուլիսի 19-ին, որպես հայ առաքելական եկեղեցու Արցախի թեմի առաջնորդանիստ՝ Պարգև արքեպիսկոպոս Մարտիրոսյանի առաջնորդությամբ:}}</ref> }} ==Bibliography== *{{cite journal|last=Corley|first=Felix|title=The Armenian Church under the Soviet and independent regimes, part 3: The leadership of Vazgen|journal=Religion, State and Society|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|date=1998|volume=26|issue=3-4|pages=291–355|url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09637499808431832?journalCode=crss20|ref=harv}} *{{cite book|last=de Waal|first=Thomas|title=[[Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War]]|year=2003|publisher=[[New York University Press]]|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8147-1945-9|authorlink=Thomas de Waal|ref=harv}} *{{cite journal|last1=Vardanyan|first1=Mariam|title=Օծվեց Շուշիի Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ Ղազանչեցոց եկեղեցին [Consecration of the Ghazanchetsots Holy Savior Cathedral of Shushi]|journal=[[Etchmiadzin (magazine)|Etchmiadzin]]|date=1998|volume=54|issue=7|pages=113–120|url=http://echmiadzin.asj-oa.am/10336/|publisher=[[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin]]|language=hy|ref=harv}} *{{cite book|last=Hasratyan|first=Murad|authorlink=Murad Hasratyan|editor1-last=Ayvazyan|editor1-first=Hovhannes|title="Քրիստոնյա Հայաստան" հանրագիտարան ["Christian Armenia" Encyclopedia]|chapter=Շուշիի Ղազանչեցոց Ս. Ամենափրկիչ Եկեղեցի [Ghazanchetsots S. All-Savior Church of Shushi]|date=2002|publisher=Armenian Encyclopedia Publishing|location=Yerevan|language=hy|ref=harv}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20170228104311/http://www.armenianreligion.am/am/Encyclopedia_of_armenian_religion_shushii_ghazanchetsots_s_amenaprkich_yekeghetsi view online] *{{cite book|last=Hasratyan|first=Murad|authorlink=Murad Hasratyan|title=[[Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia]] Volume |chapter=Շուշի. Ճարտարապետությունը [Shushi: Architecture]|date=1982|location=Yerevan|page=601|language=hy|ref=harv}} *{{cite book|last=Mkrtchyan|first=Shahen|authorlink=:hy:Շահեն Մկրտչյան|title=Историко-архитектурные памятники Нагорного Карабаха [Historical and architectural monuments of Nagorno-Karabakh]|chapter=Церковь Казанчецоц [Ghazanchetsots Church]|date=1988|publisher=Hayastan Publishing|location=Yerevan|pp=183–184|ref=harv}} *{{cite book|last1=Mkrtchian|first1=Shahen|last2=Davtian|first2=Schors|authorlink1=:hy:Շահեն Մկրտչյան|editor1-last=Oskanian|editor1-first=Vartan|editor1-link=Vartan Oskanian|title=Shushi: The City of Tragic Fate|chapter=The Church of Ghazanchetsots|date=1999|publisher=Amaras Publishing House|location=Yerevan|isbn=9789993010050|url=http://www.bvahan.com/armenianway/aw/shushi/html/churches.html#ghaz|ref=harv}} {{Contemporary Armenian Churches}} {{Dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church}} [[Category:Churches in the Republic of Artsakh]] [[Category:Cathedrals in Azerbaijan]] [[Category:Armenian Apostolic churches]] [[Category:Oriental Orthodox congregations established in the 19th century]] [[Category:Armenian Apostolic cathedrals]] [[Category:19th-century Oriental Orthodox church buildings]] [[Category:Nagorno-Karabakh]] [[Category:Shusha District]]'