The Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God, also known as Our Lady of Seven Wounds, is a prominent 19th-century church located in the heart of Gyumri. It was built between 1873 and 1884 and remains one of the city’s most important religious landmarks.
The church remained active throughout the Soviet years, which was uncommon at the time.
It was heavily damaged in the 1988 earthquake — the two smaller domes collapsed and were later replaced with new ones. The original fallen domes are still displayed in the churchyard today.
As we mentioned, locals often refer to the Cathedral as the “Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.” The name comes from a revered icon preserved in the church, which is traditionally believed to have been painted by Luke the Evangelist.
Only after persistent negotiations by Bishop Hovsep Kostanyan did construction resume. In total, it took 14 years to complete the church, and the consecration ceremony took place in 1876.
In 1926, the church survived a massive earthquake. Four years later, like many other churches, Holy Saviour was closed by the Soviet government and converted first into a workers’ club, and later into a museum.
This anti-religious campaign was carried out using brutal methods, including the use of tanks, the demolition of the bell tower, and the complete demolishing of the dome and all interior elements.
In the late 1950s, during the post-Stalin years, city authorities decided to restore the building to its original condition. In the 1980s, the church was repurposed again — this time as a concert hall.
The 1988 earthquake destroyed nearly half of the church. It was fully restored only in 2014.
Today, the fallen bell tower dome, which collapsed during the earthquake, stands next to the church as a memorial to the Spitak earthquake.
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