1/3 Buzand Str., Yerevan 0010, RA
The history of the Armenian community in Kharkiv dates back to the late 18th century. There was an Armenian Lane (Вирменьский провулок) in the city centre, first mentioned in 1865. As early as the 1870s, an Armenian priest arrived in the city to organize the spiritual and ritual life of the community. For a long time the community did not have any church, and the services were held in various premises that served as temporary churches.
Thus, from 1905, house number 5 on Chernyshevski Street served as the Church of St. Gevorg for the Armenian community. The spiritual pastor of the community was Father Srapion. A Board of Trustees, consisting of prominent local Armenians, was also active. In 1914, an Armenian school was opened at the church. This building, which served as the Armenian Church, was destroyed during the Second World War.
A new chapter in the spiritual life of the Armenian community in Kharkiv began during the period of independent Ukraine. Since 2004, the newly built Armenian Church of Surb Harutyun (Holy Resurrection), located at 144 Shevchenko Avenue, has been operating in the city. It belongs to the Ukrainian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church.
The initiative to build the church arose in 2000. On July 1, after receiving a construction permit from the state authorities, members of the Armenian National Community of Kharkiv commenced the construction work. On the same day, the foundation-laying ceremony of the church took place. In 2003, the crosses were erected and consecrated, and on August 24, 2004, the Surb Harutyun Church was solemnly consecrated. The church was built based on a project by architect Pavel Chechelnitsky and funded primarily through donations from members of the community. Architecturally, it follows the traditional forms of Armenian church architecture. Armenian educational and cultural structures also operate in Kharkiv. The Henri Altunyan Armenian Educational and Cultural Centre has been operating in the city since 2008. Since 2012, the Armenian National Urban Community NGO has also been active, initiating the foundation of the Mesrop Mashtots Armenian Cultural Centre.
An important period in the life of the prominent Armenian prose writer and intellectual Axel Bakunts is connected with Kharkiv. From 1920 to 1923, he studied at the V. Dokuchaev Kharkiv National Agrarian University. On May 25, 2019, a memorial plaque dedicated to Aksel Bakunts was unveiled on the university grounds in the memory of the writer’s student years and his ties to Kharkiv.
