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Armenian Church, Bucharest

20th-century churches in RomaniaArmenian Apostolic churches in RomaniaChurches completed in 1915Churches in BucharestHistoric monuments in Bucharest
Biserica Armenească
Biserica Armenească

The Armenian Church (Romanian: Biserica Armenească) is an Armenian Apostolic church located at 43 Carol I Boulevard in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The cornerstone was laid in July 1911, and building proceeded according to the plans of architects Dimitrie Maimarolu and Grigore Cerchez, who was of Armenian origin. The design resembles Etchmiadzin Cathedral. Work was completed in September 1915. In the yard, the surrounding complex includes a bishop's residence, a library and diocesan museum, a cultural center, a kindergarten, and the Union of Armenians of Romania headquarters.The church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, as are the library and the statue of Andranik.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Armenian Church, Bucharest (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Armenian Church, Bucharest
Bulevardul Carol I, Bucharest Cartierul Armenesc (Sector 2)

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N 44.43744 ° E 26.11082 °
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Biserica Armeană "Sfinții Arhangheli" București (Biserica Armenească)

Bulevardul Carol I 43
020913 Bucharest, Cartierul Armenesc (Sector 2)
Romania
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Biserica Armenească
Biserica Armenească
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Church with the Saints
Church with the Saints

The Church with the Saints (Romanian: Biserica cu Sfinți), also the Church with the Sibyls (Biserica cu Sibile), is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 79 Calea Moșilor in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to the Presentation of Mary. Situated at what was once the edge of the city, the church stands on the site of an earlier one. Probably made of wood, this structure dated to the late 17th century and was established by Popa (priest) Hierea Băjescul, whose name (as “Fierea”) was later used to designate the church and its surroundings; he donated it to the Metropolis of Ungro-Wallachia. The nickname involving sibyls arose as these were painted on the exterior; in the 19th century, saints were added as a designation, for similar reasons.The present church was built under Metropolitan Daniil II; according to the pisanie, the interior was painted and the structure finished in 1728. Tradition holds that Prince Nicholas Mavrocordatos, riding through the area with Daniil some two years previous, saw the ruined wooden church and proposed its rebuilding. Repaired in 1819, it was severely damaged by the 1838 earthquake. As part of the repairs, a dome was demolished in 1845 and replaced by a wooden one. The Metropolis stopped upkeep after 1860; the church, in ruins and threatened with demolition, was closed. The present sibyls and prophets on the exterior date to an 1897 renovation. The church was repaired in 1912 and restored in 1931.The cross-shaped church is 21.7 meters long and 7.7 to 8.7 meters wide, reaching 9.3 meters high at the pediment and 19 at the high dome. The portico was added later and is as wide as the narthex. It has three frontal arches and one on each side, inscribed in semicircular vaults. These rest on massive stone columns with simple capitals and bases. The bell tower sits atop the narthex, which has a semi-spherical ceiling. The arches with columns separate the narthex from the nave, above which rests the Christ Pantocrator dome. Both domes, rebuilt later, have square bases, octagonal sides and bell-shaped roofs. The narrow windows on the lower part of the facade feature ornamental frames.The most special feature of the church is the exterior painting, much deteriorated with time. This is found on the upper and lower sections of the facade, separated by a slightly profiled string course. The upper part has pairs of paintings showing ancient philosophers and prophetesses (or sibyls), in red, ochre, black and white. There are nine philosophers and ten sibyls, including, on the north wall, Thucydides and Plato (with crowned head and a scroll in his right hand); on the north and south nave walls, the sibyls Erythraea, Cumaea, Phrygia, Sardica, Cimmeria, Heles, Delphica and Persica, each holding a textual scroll. The south wall depicts Thales (with a book in the right hand and a scroll in the left), Ermis, Aristotle and the Stoics. An icon of the Presentation is painted on the western facade, above the portico; Saints Charalambos and Nicholas are on the sides. Several saints’ icons surround the entrance, as well as images depicting the ktetors.

Mântuleasa Church
Mântuleasa Church

The Mântuleasa Church (Romanian: Biserica Mântuleasa) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 20 Mântuleasa Street in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The church is named after the street on which it stands, which in turn derives from a wealthy merchant, Manta, who owned land in the area. It was built by his sister Maria and his wife Stanca, according to the pisanie of 1733. For a time, it was enlarged by closing the portico and adding another in front. The dome, which fell during an earthquake, was provisionally replaced by one of wood. It was restored to its original form between 1924 and 1930.The church is small, 22 meters long by 7.7 to 10 meters wide, with the dome rising to 18 meters. Cross-shaped, it is covered in tin and has a long gutter. The portico has three arches in the main facade and one on each side; these rest on massive cylindrical columns of painted brick. The octagonal dome, with narrow windows, sits on a square base above the elongated narthex. The interior Byzantine frescoes came to light when the walls were washed in 1925. Their color and style places them in the Brâncovenesc period. The masonry facades are divided into two sections by a painted row. An icon of the patron saints sits in a recess above the entrance, flanked by paintings of Saints Nicholas and Stylianos.The church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, as is the parish house.

Merchants' Church
Merchants' Church

The Merchants' Church (Romanian: Biserica Negustori) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 5 Teodor Ștefănescu Street in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. The oldest mention of a church on the site dates to 1665; the structure was of wood, with a bell tower. Its roof was of thatch or frame, and the entire church was destroyed by a 1718 fire that ravaged the city center. Under the supervision of Župan Simion Cupețul, it was rebuilt of brick between 1721 and 1726, dates recorded by the pisanie, and was painted by Pârvu Mutu and his apprentices. The 1802 earthquake damaged the structure, with an 1819 document mentioning its “very bad shape”. The 1838 earthquake provoked further damage, leading to its closure for a year. In 1839, High Agha Manuil Serghiad repaired it with his own money, so that he is considered a second ktetor.Radical repairs took place in 1867-1870, when the two domes were built of wood and tin, in an academic style with Classic Revival touches. The frame roof was replaced with tin. In 1888, Mayor Pache Protopopescu, whose father had been the parish priest, led efforts to enclose the portico with French windows, enlarge the side windows and hire Gheorghe Tattarescu to paint over much of the original fresco. Restorations took place in 1924-1930, including of the newer frescoes. In 1942, as a result of the 1940 earthquake, a wide iron belt was placed on the upper part of the exterior. The 1977, 1986 and 1990 earthquakes enlarged old cracks and caused new ones to appear, while the structural stability was weakened. Consolidation work took place in 2002.The cross-shaped church measures 27.6 meters long by 8.3 meters wide, and 11.4 meters high. The portico is spacious, with three frontal arches and two on each side resting on cylindrical masonry columns. The portal contains the 1839 pisanie, while the older one is fitted into the left wall. The 1870 bell tower rises above the square narthex; coated in tin, it has a slender column on each corner. An intermediate space, covered by a vaulted ceiling, separates the narthex from the nave. The latter is also square, with two apses, and supports the Pantocrator dome. A wooden iconostasis leads to the altar. A string course divides the exterior into two unequal sections. The pediment, with Neoclassical touches, probably dates to 1870. Nearly all of the surviving original frescoes are in the portico. Illustrating the Psalms, they offer valuable insight into the costumes of early 18th-century Wallachia. Near the altar, there is a small parish house, donated to the church in 1872.The church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.

Oțetari Church
Oțetari Church

The Oțetari Church (Romanian: Biserica Oțetari) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 4 Oțetari Street in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and to Saint Nicholas. A wooden church was built on the site in 1681, and rebuilt in 1708. The current masonry structure dates to 1757, as attested by the pisanie in the narthex, which mentions the names of several donors. It was at this point that the church received its second patron saint. A document of 1785, issued by Grigorie II Colțea, Metropolitan of Ungro-Wallachia, indicates that the church was built by locals. It was restored in 1860-1866 by Metropolitan Nifon Rusailă with the help of the Hagi Tudorache family, interred inside. During this time, Gheorghe Tattarescu painted the entire interior. Repairs were carried out in 1906 and 1964, while the painting was restored in 1984. The 39 exterior mosaic medallions date to the late 20th century.The church is 24.5 meters long, 7.5 meters wide and 11 meters high. Its shape is trefoil, with an octagonal spire above the nave. The portico has a spherical ceiling atop which sits the square base of the bell tower. Both spires end in a bulb-shaped roof. These as well as the main roof are covered in tin. The closed narthex is decorated with pilasters, facade and three arches. The frieze, slightly in profile, features three mosaics of saints.The church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.

Olari Church
Olari Church

The Olari Church (Romanian: Biserica Olari) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 6 Olari Street in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God. The church is named after the surrounding district, a place where potters (olari) dug for clay, according to a 1752 document. A church, probably of wood, stood nearby in the first half of the 18th century. According to the pisanie, located above the entrance door and written in Romanian Cyrillic, the church was built in 1758. An 1847 plan notes that it was also called Ceauș (doorman) Precup. The church was originally surrounded by walls and cells, which also hosted a school; all these structures were demolished in the late 19th century. In 1836, the church was repaired and modified: the portico was closed, with another small one on two columns added, and the interior was repainted in oil. The tin-coated wooden domes were rebuilt in 1863. An 1869 repainting followed the style of Gheorghe Tattarescu, with a series of framed works.A professional restoration of 1939-1943 replaced the tin with tiles and remade the domes of masonry, like in the original structure; the added plaster was removed, bringing to light the initial form of the portico, with painted columns and arches; the second portico was removed. In 1982-1983, during the systematization of Calea Moșilor ordered by the Nicolae Ceaușescu regime, the church was moved 58 meters, ending up behind a row of apartment blocks. It was re-sanctified and reopened in 1984. The painting was restored in 1994-2002, bringing to light a previously hidden depiction of Abraham.The three-lobed church measures 23 meters long by 6.5 to 13 meters wide, with two octagonal domes on square bases. The portico, with three semicircular arches resting on masonry columns, is enclosed by windows and metal grilles. The columns and archivolts are painted with red, black and brown floral motifs. A simple string course divides the facade into two nearly equal parts. These are decorated with arched recesses, in pairs above, single and larger below. On the entrance facade, above the arches and among the frames, there are three medallions from 1943. These are painted in fresco with the patron feast in the center, flanked by Saints Peter and Paul. A small flower garden surrounds the church.The north apse features an icon of the Virgin Mary; ascribed by some with wonder-working abilities, it is surrounded by 24 depictions of reported miracles. It was brought around 1810 by monks fleeing persecution in Turkey; in 1864, the gilt silver coating was removed and placed on another icon before the royal doors, while a new covering was created for the original. The church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.

Popa Chițu Church
Popa Chițu Church

The Popa Chițu Church (Romanian: Biserica Popa Chițu) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 33 Logofătul Luca Stroici Street in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to Saint Spyridon. The first church in the vicinity was attested as of 1789–1791. Surrounded by a graveyard and called Popa Petre after a certain priest, it was severely damaged by the 1802 earthquake, although the ruins were left in place until late in the century. A monument on the site of its altar dates to the 1980s. The current church was built in 1813 by two priests, their wives and the shoemakers’ guild. Initially having a single dome and a shingle roof, it was called either after Popa Petre or Popa Chițu, another priest. Dedicated to Saint Spyridon in 1831, it was damaged by the 1838 quake, which cracked the walls but left the ceiling largely intact.Repairs took place in 1878–1880, when a second dome was added above the narthex, a tin roof was built and the interior was painted. In 1932–1937, while the walls were repaired, Iosif Keber painted frescoes. The mosaic floor, concrete iconostasis with gilt stucco, stained glass and marble panel in the narthex date to that time. The ktetors of this phase are painted on the narthex wall and buried beneath its floor. A thorough restoration of 1975-1980 eliminated mildew, while Keber restored the painting and the exterior was fitted with a row of 91 glass-covered niches painted with saints. The church was re-sanctified in 1980; further upgrades took place in 2001–2003.Situated on a traffic island, the cross-shaped church measures 23.5 meters long by 7.5-11.3 meters wide. It has circular apses and a Pantocrator dome above the nave. The bell tower sits above the narthex. Both domes are octagonal, as are their bases. The western facade ends in a pediment. An open portico sits in front: it features three arches held up by columns of painted masonry, themselves resting on mosaic-coated pedestals as high as the foundation. There are floral patterns between the portico arches, under the main cornice and on the domes. The large windows are semicircular. The interior painting features scenes from the life of Christ; they are done in warm, pale colors, predominantly ocher.The church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.