St. Stephen’s Church (Surb Stepanos)

Saint Stepanos Church is a 10th-century Armenian architectural monument located in the historic Verin Ulgyur village site of the Vayots Dzor province of the Syunik state of Greater Armenia (now northeast of the village of Rind in the Vayots Dzor region). Although the church has bowed to the ravages of time, and today only its foundation walls remain, it continues to be one of the most significant spiritual sites in the region.

The church is officially included in the state list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of Rind.

In the Footsteps of Momik’s Dynasty The historical significance of Saint Stepanos Church increased further in 1955 when the renowned Armenologist Sedrak Barkhudaryan discovered an exceptional khachkar (cross-stone) inscription in the church’s ancient cemetery. The inscription mentions Askandar, the son of the genius miniaturist and architect Master Momik, and his grandson, Shatonik.

This discovery suggests that Verin Ulgyur and specifically the area around Saint Stepanos Church served as the ancestral settlement and burial ground of Momik’s family. It remains a place of pilgrimage for those wishing to touch the history of one of the greatest masters of medieval Armenian culture.