Gyumri's Holy Savior (Amenaprkich) Church is located in the historic center of the city, on the southern side of Vardanants Square. It was built in the second half of the 19th century, with construction beginning in 1858 and completed in 1873.
The idea to build the church belonged to the Armenian community of Alexandropol. In its architectural solutions, the building is likened to the Mother Cathedral of Ani.
Holy Savior is a cross-domed church. Its exterior is distinguished by walls built of black tuff, a multi-part façade design, and a tall dome. The bell tower is located in the western part of the church.
The church is rich in murals and icons. Since the early medieval period, the dome's drum has been decorated with an image of Christ depicting the Theophany. In the late medieval period, a large cross replaced the image of Christ in the main apse. On the wall of the chancel screen are fixed oil paintings on canvas set within wide gilded frames — at the center, Christ standing on clouds, flanked by the apostles. Images of saints of the Armenian Church are placed on the walls of the prayer hall.
The 1988 Spitak earthquake severely damaged the church: the dome and bell tower collapsed, and the building remained under restoration for a long time. The restoration preserved the historic exterior forms and rebuilt the main architectural elements.
Today, Gyumri's Holy Savior Church is considered not only a functioning church but an important testament to the 19th-century urban culture of Alexandropol.
