page_title: Diocese of Shirak
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Diocese of Shirak / History
caption_attribution_description: Հայերեն: Գյումրիի Նավատիպ շենքը This is a photo of a monument in Armenia identified by the ID 8.1/4
context_page_description: Diocese of Shirak, is one of the dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church covering the northern and middle parts of the Shirak Province of Armenia. It almost covers 2/3rds of the province, as the southern towns of Artik, Maralik, and their surrounding villages are excluded.
  The diocese was officially founded on August 31, 1920, upon a kontakion issued by Catholicos George V. The seat of the diocese is the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God in Gyumri. The prelacy building is located on Rizhkov street near the cathedral, at the centre of Gyumri.
context_section_description: In the final days of the First Republic of Armenia, the diocese was established upon a kontakion issued by Catholicos George V on August 31, after being separated from the Araratian Pontifical Diocese. 
  The prelacy building of the Diocese of Shirak is located on Varpetats Street of Gyumri, near the Vartanants Square. It was designed by Hovhannes Katchaznouni and built at the beginning of the 20th century.
  On December 2, 2012, the southern town of Artik and the surrounding 23 villages were separated from the Diocese of Shirak to form the newly established Diocese of Artik.
  Currently, the diocese has 8 active churches under its jurisdiction in the city of Gyumri, along with many other churches in the Shirak Province.
caption: The prelacy building
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