DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27365#0051
vir/i/iR ,-i/WL*
39
The theme of the Church and the Liturgy is stressed in ait the four tiers of the
sanctuary frescoes. One beiow the other we see depictions of the throne, the ciborium,
the creators of the iiturgy and the synthronon and ali are given originai interpretations.
Together they form a centra! axis around which the iconographic programme of the
sanctuary paintings revolve. Unusual iconographic motifs were systematically
introduced into a quite traditional system of images. These were in tune with the new
tendencies in Byzantine art of the turn of the 13th century and distinguished the
murals of Akhtala from contemporary Georgian wall paintings. This fits well with
what we know about the confessional stance of the Armenian-Chalcedonians.
Undoubtedly it formed part of the conception of the author of the iconographic
programme: while rare liturgical motifs were emphasised traditional systems of images
were preserved, thus permitting no doubts to be raised about the orthodoxy of the
Chalcedonian church in Armenia.
The choice of holy bishops in the altar apse also reveals the intentions of those
behind the programme, fn one of the most prestigious locations, to the right of the
synthronon in the centre of the first tier, we find Gregory the Illuminator.
Monophysite Armenians paid exceptional reverence to the cult of this founder of the
Armenian national church. He was also canonised, however, by the Graeco-Orthodox
church and is quite regularly depicted in Byzantine iconographic programmes^. it is
therefore only natural that among the Armenian-Chalcedonians the cult of Gregory of
Armenia, which was at once both national and Orthodox, acquired particular
importance^. By specially emphasising the image of St Gregory the authors of the
iconographic programme were evidently trying to emphasise the unbroken tie between
the Armenian-Chalcedonians and the national cultural tradition, and point to the
initial unity of the Armenian church. This theme was still more consistently promoted
in the sanctuary frescoes of the church of Tigran Honents in Ani dedicated to Gregory
the Illuminator. Not only St Gregory appears there among the holy bishops but also
his two sons, Aristakes and Vrtanes, who successively replaced their father on the
episcopal throne of Armenia. We should note that Aristakes and Vrtanes were
canonised by the Armenian Monophysite church but were not numbered among the
saints by the Greek or Georgian churches^. Their appearance in the Tigran Honents
church must have been intended as a visual assertion of the ancient national traditions
of the Armenian-Chalcedonian church which were cast in doubt by the Monophysites.
The presence of other comparatively rare figures depicted in the holy bishops tier
may also be attributed to the influence of the Armenian cultural environment. This,
first of all, concerns the presence of Jacob of Nisibus, Blasios of Sebaste, Acacios of
Melitene and Paul the Confessor. St Jacob was especially revered in Armenia and
mediaeval historians placed him among the first Christian missionaries to the country.
St Blasios was "by birth an Armenian" and was thus one of the few holy bishops of
See S. Der Nersessian, "Les portraits de Gregoire t' Iiiuniinateur dans i'art byzantine", Etade.s
&yzanhnej et armenr'cnney, t. 1, Louvain, 1973, p. 55-60.
^ Cf. Muradian, "Caucasian Cuitura) Worid", p. 20.
^4 We cannot rute out the possibiiity that Aristakes and Vrtanes were canonized as iocal Armenian
Chatcedonian saints.
39
The theme of the Church and the Liturgy is stressed in ait the four tiers of the
sanctuary frescoes. One beiow the other we see depictions of the throne, the ciborium,
the creators of the iiturgy and the synthronon and ali are given originai interpretations.
Together they form a centra! axis around which the iconographic programme of the
sanctuary paintings revolve. Unusual iconographic motifs were systematically
introduced into a quite traditional system of images. These were in tune with the new
tendencies in Byzantine art of the turn of the 13th century and distinguished the
murals of Akhtala from contemporary Georgian wall paintings. This fits well with
what we know about the confessional stance of the Armenian-Chalcedonians.
Undoubtedly it formed part of the conception of the author of the iconographic
programme: while rare liturgical motifs were emphasised traditional systems of images
were preserved, thus permitting no doubts to be raised about the orthodoxy of the
Chalcedonian church in Armenia.
The choice of holy bishops in the altar apse also reveals the intentions of those
behind the programme, fn one of the most prestigious locations, to the right of the
synthronon in the centre of the first tier, we find Gregory the Illuminator.
Monophysite Armenians paid exceptional reverence to the cult of this founder of the
Armenian national church. He was also canonised, however, by the Graeco-Orthodox
church and is quite regularly depicted in Byzantine iconographic programmes^. it is
therefore only natural that among the Armenian-Chalcedonians the cult of Gregory of
Armenia, which was at once both national and Orthodox, acquired particular
importance^. By specially emphasising the image of St Gregory the authors of the
iconographic programme were evidently trying to emphasise the unbroken tie between
the Armenian-Chalcedonians and the national cultural tradition, and point to the
initial unity of the Armenian church. This theme was still more consistently promoted
in the sanctuary frescoes of the church of Tigran Honents in Ani dedicated to Gregory
the Illuminator. Not only St Gregory appears there among the holy bishops but also
his two sons, Aristakes and Vrtanes, who successively replaced their father on the
episcopal throne of Armenia. We should note that Aristakes and Vrtanes were
canonised by the Armenian Monophysite church but were not numbered among the
saints by the Greek or Georgian churches^. Their appearance in the Tigran Honents
church must have been intended as a visual assertion of the ancient national traditions
of the Armenian-Chalcedonian church which were cast in doubt by the Monophysites.
The presence of other comparatively rare figures depicted in the holy bishops tier
may also be attributed to the influence of the Armenian cultural environment. This,
first of all, concerns the presence of Jacob of Nisibus, Blasios of Sebaste, Acacios of
Melitene and Paul the Confessor. St Jacob was especially revered in Armenia and
mediaeval historians placed him among the first Christian missionaries to the country.
St Blasios was "by birth an Armenian" and was thus one of the few holy bishops of
See S. Der Nersessian, "Les portraits de Gregoire t' Iiiuniinateur dans i'art byzantine", Etade.s
&yzanhnej et armenr'cnney, t. 1, Louvain, 1973, p. 55-60.
^ Cf. Muradian, "Caucasian Cuitura) Worid", p. 20.
^4 We cannot rute out the possibiiity that Aristakes and Vrtanes were canonized as iocal Armenian
Chatcedonian saints.