15:00, 7 January 2013

On Christmas, US resident returns to Cathedral of Shushi Gospel of 1805

Armenian Garnik Galustyan, a resident of the United States, returned to the church of the city of Shushi the Gospel of 1805, earlier redeemed by him. The book was stolen from the church in 1920, during the pogroms in the Armenian quarter of the city of Shushi.

"After 90 years, thanks to our compatriot Garnik Galustyan, who resides in the United States, the Gospel is back in Shushi," said a clergyman of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The book was published in Constantinople in 1805. In 1828, it was bought by Mirza Ovsepyan, a resident of the city of Shushi, who in 1831 donated it to the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. In 1920, during the pogroms in the Armenian quarter of the city of Shushi, the Gospel disappeared.

"I bought the Gospel 12 years ago in Iran, together with five other books from sellers of antiques. Later, I became interested in the history of the book. And I have found out that the Gospel belongs to the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi, and I decided to return to the true owner," said Armenian Garnik Galustyan, a resident of the United States.

Author: Alvard Grigoryan

Source: CK correspondent