Armenian church

Designed by the same architect who constructed the Chesma Church, this church was financed by the wealthy Armenian businessman Loakhim Lazarev. He raised the money by selling one Persian diamond, which was purchased by the lover of Catherine the Great, Grigori Orlov, who presented it to her. The building was closed in 1930, but after the collapse of communism it was returned to the Armenian community. Today it’s open to public.