On September 5 President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan and his Eminence Archbishop Navasard Ktchoyan, Vicar of the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese, participated in the solemn ceremony of anointing and placing of the crosses of St. Hovhannes Church in Artashat.

His Eminence Archbishop Navasard Ktchoyan, Vicar of the Araratian Patriarchal Diocese, did the anointment ceremony of the crosses of the church, anointing the crosses of the steeple and the central dome of the church. Turning to religious people, his Eminence Archbishop Navasard Ktchoyan praised Mr. Hovk Abrahamyan, President of the National Assembly, on the initiative of whom the church St. Hovhannes is being built.

Mr. Abrahamyan and Archbishop Navasard Ktchoyan, accompanied by pastors and officials, visited the St. Hovhannes church and became familiarized with the process of construction.

The almost completed St. Hovhannes church is being built from tufa stone, with Armenian traditional architecture style and design. The height of the temple is 35 m, and the occupied area - 500 sq.m. 2.5h is allocated for the whole church complex.

The corner-stone of the church was done by Catholicos of all Armenians Garegin II.

Before the construction of the St. Hovhannes church there was not a functioning church in Artashat. The citizens of the town were going to St. Jacob in Mrgavan and Blessed Virgin in Khor Virap churches.

It is foreseen that the decorations, related to the interior will be finished in 2010, and the church will be fully ready in 1212.