Vazgen I

Vazgen I

Vazgen I (Levon-Karapet Palchyan) was born on 3 October 1908 in Bucharest, Romania. The 130th Catholicos of All Armenians and Supreme Patriarch. In 1937, he graduated from Bucharest State University. In 1943, he received the title of vardapet, and in 1951, he was made a bishop. Between 1929 and 1943, he taught in Armenian schools in Bucharest. In 1955, he was elected Catholicos of All Armenians. Vazgen I played and immense role in unifying the Armenian Church and expanding inter-church relations. After being elected Catholicos of all Armenians, to consolidate the Diaspora and strengthen their ties with the homeland, he made about 30 patriarchal visits to the dioceses of the Armenian Church, met with leaders of sister churches in inter-church circles, and presented the Armenian Church and the Armenian nation in foreign countries. Thanks to him, two Gospels with the names of the Pontific and Holy Mother were saved and returned to Yerevan Matenadaran: the Zeytun Gospel, containing paintings by Toros Roslin, and the Malatya Gospel, the only handwritten copy of Tovma Artsruni's History of Artsruni House along with many other manuscripts and valuable documents. On 25 February 1988, he appealed to USSR President Gorbachev with a request to reunite Artsakh with Armenia. During the Artsakh Movement, he made the voiced of the Artaskh Armenians heard on top Soviet and international arenas. He reestablished the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church (1989), initiated the reopening and renovation of a number of Artsakh churches and monasteries. Catholicos Vazgen I carried out large-scale activities for restoration and building churches. St. Echmiatsin Cathedral, St. Hripsime, St. Gayane, St. Shoghakat monasteries in Echmiatisn, the Geghardavank, the Khor Virap Monastery, Oshakan’s St. Mesrop Mashtots, Yerevan’s St. Sargis, St. Zoravor, St. Hovhannes churches were renovated along with churches in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and Armavir. The Martyrs Monument near the Cathedra, the monument dedicated to Khrimyan Hayrik, the Calouste Gulbenkian monastery, the Alex and Marie Manoogian treasury were built. He died on 14 August 1994. He was a member of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences. He was awarded the USSR Order of Peoples’ Friendship, the Honour Order, the Star Order of the Republic of Romania, the World Council of Peace Jolie-Curie medal and the Gold Medal of the USSR Peace Committee. Vanadzor’s No.1 secondary school and Sevan Religious School have been named after Vazgen I. National Hero of Armenia (28.07.1994). He was awarded the highest Hayrenik Order.