St. Mary’s Church (Surb Mariam Astvatsatsin)

The Holy Mother of God (Surb Mariam Astvatsatsin) Church is the most important spiritual monument of the modern history of Rind village in the Vayots Dzor region and a symbol of community unity. Built on a dominant high ground and crafted from local building materials (tuff, basalt), it completes the village panorama with its majesty and the restrained solutions typical of traditional Armenian architecture.

Foundation and Construction
The solemn foundation-laying ceremony of the church took place on April 28, 2014. On that day, 16 foundation stones were consecrated with holy chrism and placed at the base of the church by the hand of His Eminence Archbishop Abraham Mkrtchyan, Primate of the Vayots Dzor Diocese. The ceremony was accompanied by a great celebration featuring performances by song and dance ensembles, attended by representatives of regional and municipal authorities, village residents, and benefactors.

Community and Benefactors’ Unity
The construction of this sanctuary became a true community effort. The architect of the church project is Samvel Aghajanyan, and the land for the territory was donated free of charge by Rind resident Surik Karapetyan.

Vardan Sargsyan, a Moscow-based businessman hailing from Rind, made an invaluable and fundamental contribution to the church’s construction. Through his philanthropy, the long-standing dream of the village became a reality (his mother, the esteemed teacher of Rind secondary school Roza Karapetyan, was also present at the foundation ceremony).

Local businessman Sahak Sargsyan also supported this God-pleasing initiative. In addition to individual benefactors, a fundraiser was organized in which the entire population of Rind participated wholeheartedly.

Consecration and Spiritual Life
After seven years of construction, the solemn opening and consecration of the Holy Mother of God Church took place on September 13, 2021, again performed by Archbishop Abraham Mkrtchyan. At the end of the ceremony, the Holy Father conveyed to the people of Rind the patriarchal blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

The consecration festivities, attended by benefactors, regional authorities, and numerous guests, continued with a festive concert featuring performances by beloved singers Aghasi Ispiryan, Gohar Hovhannisyan, and talented children of the community.

Today, the Holy Mother of God Church is the active spiritual center of the village, whose welcoming doors are always open to believers during the daytime. All the main church rituals and ceremonies of the community are performed here.