THE HISTORY AND CURRENT STATE OF THE ARMENIANAPOSTOLIC CHURCH. ITS TRACES IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

Armenians are one of the peoples that have professed Christianity since ancient times and have formed their own national church. The history of the formation of the Armenian Apostolic Church, its dogmatic features, contemporary religious activities, and activities in Kazakhstan remain insufficiently studied in domestic religious studies. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the historical formation of the Armenian Apostolic Church, its religious characteristics, its place in Christian theology, its contemporary institutional status, and its history and activities in Kazakhstan. The study employs historical-comparative, systematic, source-based, and methods of the history of religions. It examines the early history of the Armenian Church, its independent development after the Council of Chalcedon, the historical and spiritual role of the Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin, and the evolution of its activities during the Ottoman, Russian, and Soviet periods. In addition, the religious life of the Armenian diaspora in Kazakhstan, the activities of the Church of St. Karapet, and the significance of khachkars as religious and cultural heritage are analyzed. The findings help determine the role of the Armenian Apostolic Church in preserving national identity and in the confessional landscape of contemporary Kazakhstan.