The oldest church in Gyumri, dating to the 17th century and the spiritual heart of the city. Though smaller than the neighbouring Amenaprkitch, Yot Verk holds greater significance for locals. Its name refers to a painting of the "Seven Wounds of the Virgin," a manuscript illustration brought to the city by refugees and still kept inside. The church survived both the Soviet period and the 1988 earthquake, and remains the most active place of worship in the city.
Holy Mother of God Church (Yot Verk)
Gyumri's oldest church, spiritual heart of the city since the 17th century
A story
During the Soviet era, when nearly every church in Armenia was shuttered, Yot Verk was one of only two churches in the entire country allowed to remain open — the other being the mother cathedral at Echmiadzin. Its vestries served Catholics and Russian Orthodox believers as well, quietly uniting all faiths under one roof.