Feodosia at different times was a cultural, political and economic center. It was ruled by Greeks, Genoese, Ottomans, Russian emperors, Bolsheviks. That is why here you can observe such a huge variety of attractions that can tell about the most different milestones in the history of the city.
For example, several Armenian churches have survived to this day in Feodosia. The first of them is named after Saint Sergius (Surb Sarkis). Experts date the church to the 14th century. But there is an opinion that the object was built earlier - in the 9th-10th centuries.
The building has an ascetic appearance, with a restrained decor of external walls and internal premises. The fate of the temple is connected with several sad events. The first of them occurred in the 19th century, when the church was practically destroyed by fire. The charitable donation of the famous native of Feodosia - Ivan Aivazovsky, saved the temple from decline.
The next tests of Surb Sarkis happened in the XX century, during the reign of the Bolsheviks. During the Soviet Union, a museum was built within the walls of the church. Although, perhaps, it was this fact that allowed the building to survive to this day. Surb Sarkis was returned to the Armenian diaspora in 1971.
Another temple, built by the Armenians in Feodosia, is named after the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. Initially, in the middle of the XIV century, the church was consecrated in honor of John the Baptist. With the arrival of the Turks, it was closed, and on the eve of the Revolution it was rededicated.
The Bolsheviks turned the shrine into a warehouse and over time, the building was badly dilapidated. At the end of the last century, the temple was restored. Today, services are held here, as well as thematic excursions. The object is located next to the Genoese fortress. The dominant feature of its composition is a tall silvery dome. The walls were built of rough stone. The main entrance is faced with stone slabs with images of crosses (khachkars). An old Armenian cemetery adjoins the temple.
Also in Feodosia, the Armenian Church of St. George has been preserved to this day. She was the main temple of the St. George Monastery. But with the arrival of the Ottomans, it was closed.
The restoration of the shrine took place during the reign of the peninsula of the Russian Empire.
When the Bolsheviks gained power, the church was closed. A warehouse was equipped in it, and later abandoned. Unfortunately, today the object is in a dilapidated state. The attempts of the Armenian community to restore the temple were unsuccessful.