Saint Michael the Archangel's Church, Gyumri, Eastern Orthodox church in Gyumri, Armenia.
Saint Michael the Archangel's Church is a stone building with Eastern Orthodox features located in Gyumri. The interior features vaulted ceilings and combines Armenian architectural traditions with Orthodox design elements.
Consecrated in 1886 by Archbishop Paul of the Greek-Russian Orthodox Church of Georgia, the chapel was built of local black cut stone. Closed after Soviet rule took hold in 1920, it housed a Armenian-Russian friendship museum in the 1980s. The 1988 earthquake damaged the building and destroyed the exhibits; in 1997 it became a Russian Orthodox church again.
Locals call it Plplan Zham, the "Shimmering Chapel", after its tin dome. Consecrated in 1886 by Archbishop Pavel of the Greek-Russian Orthodox Church in Georgia, it was closed under Soviet rule in 1920 and served in the 1980s as a museum of Armenian-Russian friendship. Since 1997 it has been a Russian Orthodox church again.
The church stands on the Hill of Honour platform by Gorky Park, on the site of the old Kumayri cemetery. Stairs on the south and north sides lead to two entrances, but only the door opening onto the courtyard is in use; a third door is on the west side. The complex was renovated in 2010 to the design of architect Oleg Vladimirov of Ulyanovsk.
The building retained its original stone structures and details despite decades since its construction. This preservation shows how much it is valued by the local community.
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