Epress.am News from Armenia
Though today the Surb Mariam Astvatsatsin (“Holy Mary Mother of God”) Church in the northern Armenian village of Odzun offers regular mass, conducts wedding, baptism and funeral ceremonies, the 1500-year-old church threatens to collapse, according to a press statement issued by the Hovhannes Imastaser Catholicos Oznetsi (Catholicos John of Odzun) charitable foundation.
The Foundation notes that the church’s roof, walls, and foundation are seriously damaged.
On Oct. 18, the Foundation signed a memorandum with Armenia’s Ministry of Culture to repair and restore the holy site. Now, it’s just waiting for the results of the tender to select a construction company to conduct the work.
The Foundation, established in April of this year by Odzun-born Russia-based businessman Movses Dzavaryan, is committed to financing reconstruction work, which will take around 3 years and present a film on the history of the monastery.