Viktor Yanukovych Promises to Assist in Construction of Armenian Church

At the meeting of Ukraine’s president with the heads of the Churches and Religious Organizations of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych promised to assist in the construction of an Armenian church on the Kharkiv estate in Kyiv, the head of the Ukrainian Eparchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Grygoris (Buniatian), said in an exclusive interview to unn.com.ua.

“Forty thousand believing Armenians live in Kyiv, but the only existing religious building, a small chapel on the campus of the Interregional Academy of HR Management, can house only 15 people,” explained the hierarch.  

According to the archbishop, “an Armenian church existed in Podol of Kyiv since the 15th century. After a fire, the Armenians moved to Lviv where there is still a famous church, and in the end of the 19th century, a new Armenian church was built in Kyiv, in Kurenivka. It existed until 1924. After that nothing was built.”  

“Ten years ago, we started to build a church in the same place, at 28 Kostiantynivska Street. Viktor Yanukovych was then the prime minister and assisted us. But under the new authorities, all our efforts proved to be in vain. Four years ago, we found a place on the Kharkiv estate, at the intersection of Chernihivska and Horlivska streets. But the procedure of obtaining permission for construction has dragged on and if it continues to drag on, we will wait forever,” explained the archbishop.

“This year, Easter coincided with the Day of the Armenian Genocide Rememberance Day on April 24. The Easter service for the Kyiv Armenians was celebrated at the place where the church is to be built,” he added.