Tour 7

St.Trdat
Armenia - a picturesque mountainous region located in the Armenian plateau, near the famous Mount Ararat. Magnificent scenery, pretentious wild flowers, snow-capped mountains, and over 40 thousand ancient temples and monuments. At all times, Armenians have built temples. One of the built in recent decades, the temples is the new church of St. Trdat near the village of Malishka. It was built in 1999. 

Malishka - is a village in the Vayots Dzor region of Armenia. The village is located on the right bank of the Arpa River between the towns of Yeghegnadzor - Vayk on the Yerevan-Goris road. On the outskirts of the village in 2000 a was built St. Anne`s church and next to it - the Museum of friendship between Russia and Armenia. Lyudmila Putina attended the opening of a museum, and then toured the exposition and with Bella Kocharian placed a candle in the church of St. Anne. 

Surb Khach monastery 7km to the east from the Vernashen village of the Vayots Dzor district, the Arkaz’s St.Khach monastery is located, which is a well known pilgrimage place and its existence has been known since the 8th century. The current church of the monastery was nearly completely reconstructed in 1870-1871. To the south-east side-chapel of the church a piece of cross belonging to Jesus is buried, that is the reason it is known as «Surb Khach» - «Holy Cross». According to the legend, the place where the church was to be built was not decided for a long time. At that time the bishop saw a dream, where the Holy Spirit tells him to put the piece of the Holy Cross and the collected funds for the church on the back of a mule, and to then set the mule free, and wherever the mule stops and falls asleep will be the spot where the church is to be built. They did as was described in the dream. On his way the mule stopped once, but did not fall asleep, at that location they erected a cross-stone, which is still there today. And when the mule stopped and fell asleep, they started to excavate, and suddenly came across a cross-stone under ground, this inspired them on as they were now sure to have had chosen the right path and built the church on that very spot. 

"Gladzor" is considered to be one of the famous universities of Middle Ages inArmenia. It was founded in thevillage Gladzor, Vayots Dzor, in 1291. The University functioned till 1340. "Gladzor" was a powerful university with its regular internal rules. It was characterized as a university of social sciences. Theology, philosophy, arithmetic’s, astronomy, etc. were being taught there. Education lasted 7-8 years. The University had special, fixed system of examinations as well as scientific and academic rank-awarding chair. This remarkable religious, scientific and educational centre trained both teachers and scientists. The 700th anniversary of the University wascelebrated in Armenia in 1984.