Muntenia (Wallachia) – Points of interest

București

Armenian Apostolic Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gabriel is located on Carol I Blv, no 43. The first Armenian worship sites in Bucharest were built around 1581-1629 and later in 1743 and 1781, by the generous fund of the well-known donor ‘Harutiun Amira Hovianț’ and later by his family. The Cathedral design is based on the Armenian Cathedral ‘Etchmiadzin’ in Armenia and designed by architects Dimitrie Maimarolu and Grigore C. Cerchez. On 6th of September 1915, the Armenians celebrated the completion of the Cathedral, which took 4 years.

In the Cathedral courtyard, visitors will notice a commemorative monument called khachkar (“stone cross”); erected in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide; and a bust of General Andranik (1865-1927). Also on site are: the former Armenian Cultural House Victoria and Hovsep Dudian, present day the Museum and the Library of the Armenian Diocese, the Parish of the Armenian Church, the office of the Union of Armenians in Romania (formerly the Armenian School), the Publishing/Printing House Ararat and the Armenian Sunday classes take place here too.

The Cathedral resides in the Armenian neighborhood where most of the Armenians used to live in a thriving community. Most of the houses along the Armenian Street, which is adjacent to the Cathedral, belonged to Armenian families. On the same street, visitors will also find the Archdiocese of the Armenian Church (Armenească Street, no. 9-11), the Armenian Cultural Center (Armenească Street, no. 13); which hosts gatherings with special guests and where the popular Armenian Street Festival also takes place. (http://www.stradaarmeneasca.ro/).

The Armenian Cemetery of St. Gregory the Illuminator and its Chapel are located on Pantelimon Bld, no. 90.

The Melik House (“Casa Melik”) is the oldest residence in Bucharest. It was built during the second half of the 18th century, between 1750 and 1760. The house belonged to an Armenian merchant Hadji Gevorg (Chevorc) Nazaretoglu, until his daughter’s (Ana) marriage to the well-known Armenian revolutionary Iacob Melik (1817-1887), hence the name ‘Melik’. In 1971 the house became a national art museum under the name ‘Theodor Pallady’ (a famous Romanian painter). The Melik House is located on Spătarului Street, no 22, in the vicinity of Armenian Cathedral. To find out more, click here.

Hanul lui Manuc meaning Manuc’s Inn, is an important tourist site and a historic building (1808). It is located in the heart of Bucharest, in the Old City Center on Franceză Street, no 62-64. Its founder Manuc Bei (1769-1817, Emanuel Mârzaian) was born in 1769 in Rusciuc, today Ruse city in Bulgaria, into an Armenian family. In 1812, Manuc’s Inn was the venue which saw the Treaty of Bucharest being signed, establishing the annexation of the Principality of Moldova to the Russian Empire. Today, visitors can take a tour of the Inn and sample traditional Romanian cuisine from the restaurant. To find out more, click here.

The Zambaccian Museum is located on Muzeul Zambaccian Street, no 21A, close to Dorobanților Square. Collector and Art critic, Krikor H. Zambaccian (1889-1962) amassed some of the most valuable art collections in Romania. In the 1940s, Zambaccian built his house (now museum) in order to display his collection of paintings, sculptures, graphics and half a century’s old furniture. It is believed that he supported promising young artists by buying their work. Both his collection and the house were donated to the Romanian State in 1947. To find out more, click here.

The Art Collection Museum, located on Calea Victoriei, no 111, houses valuable Armenian objects. They include collections of Hurmuz Aznavorian (1888-1961, politician and jurist); Garabet Avachian (1907-1967, violinist and professor) and brothers Hrandt and Beatrice Avakian. To find out more click here.

There is a known legend that The Bărăția Romanian Catholic Church located in the heart of Bucharest was built by Catholic Armenians in 1629 and then passed on to the Franciscan monks. (to find it click here)

Pitești

The Armenian Church Sf. Ioan Botezătorul (Saint John the Baptist) in Pitești city is located on Egalității Street, no 43. Built in the style of Armenian architecture in 1852 was declared an ‘Architectural Monument’ by the Romanian authorities in 1954. The church has, along with other icons (paintings) which are more than 100 years old, a painting of Saint John the Baptist’s head, which dates back to 1836. In the Church’s yard, there is a parish house which was declared by the Romanian authorities a Historical Monument and an additional new building which houses the office of the UAR Pitești.

The Armenian Cemetery in Pitești is located on Pasajul Cimitirului armenesc. There, one can find, besides old and interesting graves, a monument seated in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Empire.

On 26th of September 2014, the unveiling and the blessing ceremony of the khachkar (“stone cross”) took place. It is located on the alley between the Republicii Bld and the Vasile Milea Square. This monument stands as a proof of friendship between the Romanian and the Armenian people and it is also dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The monument is bilingually engraved with the following inscription: “This Cross was seated in memory of the 1,500,000 sons and daughters of the Armenian people killed in Western Armenia during the Genocide in God’s Year 1915. Praying and blessing to our martyrs”.

Brăila

The Armenian Church Sf. Maria (Saint Mary) was built in 1872 on the site of an older church. The proof of the older church is a mention of a priest as designated on 30th May 1792. The church has undergone several reconstructions. The most notable one took place in 1934 by the industrialist Grigroe Bervizeanu. It involved both internal and external renovations and the erection of a parish house. The Church is located on Calea Galați, no 14.