Batumi, 23 Konstantine Gamsakhurdia Street
Armenian Apostolic Church of the Holy Savior
The Armenian Apostolic Church of the Holy Savior was originally built in 1874 as a wooden structure. Between 1887 and 1898, with donations from the local Armenian community and funding from renowned oil magnate and philanthropist Alexander Mantashev, a new stone church was constructed on the same site. The project was designed by Austrian architect R. Malferr.
During the Soviet era, the church was closed, and the building was repurposed as a planetarium. In 1992, it was returned to the Armenian congregation, and since 1995, it has resumed its religious function.
The church is a cross-in-square structure, with its western façade facing the street. It stands on a two-level stylobate and is built from stone and brick. A prominent feature of the building is its three-sided projecting apse, adorned with six arches supported by semicircular columns. An arcaded gallery also surrounds the twelve-sided drum of the dome, with a window in each facet.
The interior of the church, including the drum of the dome, is plastered and painted. On the western side, a vestibule with a bell tower is attached to the main structure. The second floor of the bell tower features an open pavilion. A serrated cornice runs along the perimeter of the building.
This church stands out for its solid craftsmanship and holds significant historical and cultural value in Batumi’s architectural heritage.
