Articles on Armenian Faith and Traditions
Welcome to the blog of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Ruse – a place for inspiration, reflection, and spiritual connection.
Here we share stories from the life of our community, accounts of church holidays, Armenian traditions, notable individuals, events, and moments that leave a lasting impression. Each post is an invitation to a deeper understanding of the faith, culture, and mission that unite us.
- The School Across from the Church: 150 Years in One PlaceAt 37 Bratya Miladinovi Street, across from the Armenian church in Ruse, stood the Armenian school Surp Mesrob Mashtots. Its history – and why the year 1944 is wrong.
- The Holy Badarak in the Armenian Apostolic ChurchThe Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic Church: the meaning of the Badarak, its two parts, the eucharistic canon and the symbolism of its rites.
- Tsaghkazard (Palm Sunday) – When Faith BlossomsTsaghkazard, Palm Sunday in the Armenian Apostolic Church: willow branches, the opened altar and Trnpatsek – the opening of the gates of Paradise.
- The Sundays of Great LentThe eight Sundays of Great Lent in the Armenian Church – from Paregentan to the Resurrection – each with its Gospel reading and its spiritual meaning.
- Diarnuntarach – the Armenian Feast of the Presentation
Diarnuntarach, forty days after the Nativity: Christ in the Temple, the Andastan service, the bonfires and the light carried home from the church. - Surp Vartanants – the Defence of Faith and Freedom
The battle of Avarayr in 451: Vartan Mamikonian, the 1,036 companions and the moral victory that preserved Armenian Christianity. - The Holy Muron in the Armenian Apostolic Church
The Holy Muron, the sacred chrism of the Armenian Church: its forty ingredients, its biblical roots, its consecration at Etchmiadzin and its meaning as a sign of unity. - Saint Sarkis – Surp Sarkis Zoravar
Saint Sarkis the Commander: soldier and martyr of the fourth century, patron of young people and lovers, and the legend of the white horse. - Surp Hovhannes Garabed – Saint John the Forerunner
Saint John the Baptist in the Armenian tradition: his ascetic life beside the Jordan, his martyrdom under Herod, and his veneration as Surp Garabed. - The Nativity and Theophany in the Armenian Apostolic Church
Why Armenians celebrate Christmas on 6 January: the Nativity and the Baptism of Christ together, Jrakalouyts, the Christmas Eve table and the feast of Dznunt. - Surp Bedros and Surp Boghos in the Armenian Canon
Saints Peter and Paul in the Armenian tradition: the rock of the Church and the apostle to the nations, commemorated on the last Saturday of December. - Surp Stepanos – the Protomartyr of the Christian Faith
Saint Stepanos, one of the seven deacons of the first Church and the first martyr for Christ – his witness, his martyrdom and his veneration among Armenians. - Surp Hagop Mdzpna – Saint James of Nisibis
Saint James of Nisibis: fellow student of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, defender of his city, father of the Council of Nicaea and the first to ascend Ararat. - The Atyan – Where Hearts Gather in Prayer
The Atyan, the nave of the Armenian church: its place, its symbolism and its role as the living heart of the community across the centuries. - Surp Tarkmanchats – the Feast of the Holy Translators
The feast of the Holy Translators: Saint Mesrob Mashtots, the creation of the Armenian alphabet and the foundations of Armenian culture and letters. - Khachverats – the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Khachverats, the Armenian feast of the Exaltation of the Cross: the finding by Saint Helena, its capture by Persia and its return by the Emperor Heraclius. - The Assumption of the Holy Mother of God in Ruse
The patronal feast of the Armenian church in Ruse: the Assumption of the Mother of God, the blessing of the first grapes and the custom of Madagh. - The Gavit of the Armenian Church in Ruse
The gavit, the narthex of the Armenian church in Ruse: its architecture under Ottoman rule, its religious and social role, and its place in the life of the community. - Vartavar – the Transfiguration and the Feast of Water
Vartavar, the Armenian feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord: its ancient roots, the drenching with water and the blessing of the grapes. - The Symbols of Faith in the Armenian Apostolic ChurchThe chalice, the paten, the Muron vessel, the cross, the censer and the kshots – the liturgical objects of the Armenian Church and the meaning behind each of them.
- How an Armenian Church Is ArrangedGavit, Atyan, Tas, Khoran, Surp Seghan, Baharan and Vernadun – the parts of an Armenian church and the spiritual meaning behind each of them.