The Hachkar Stone
The Hachkar Stone
By the Eastern Facade of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, near to the exit from the square and almost opposite the statue of Alexander II we find the so-called Hachkar Stone.
A Hachkar Stone is a specific kind of monument – a stone obelisk carved with a cross. They are an Armenian tradition, and the name Hachkar means “Cross-Stone” in Armenian. On the eve of the 2000th anniversary of Christ's birth, and in connection with the rebuilding of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Armenian Apostolic Church presented the Russian people with this gift of a cross. The unveiling ceremony was attended by His Holiness Patriarch Alexei II of Russia and the Most Reverend Catholikos of All Armenia, Karekin II. His Holiness Karekin II said: “We bring this token of love from the Holy City of Echmiadzin. Setting this Cross-Stone here by the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, we pray to the cross – the symbol of our brotherhood – that it bring a blessing upon the sacred Russian soil, which has received the spiritual children of Armenia for endless ages with a Mother's love”.
The most ancient Hachkar Stones to have been found in Armenia date back to the C9th and C10th, and are richly decorated with floral ornamentation.
