Nothing is new under the sun: part 3

By the decision of the Bolshevik government on November 17, 1921, the clergy were deprived of the right to vote and be elected, and the teaching of religious subjects in schools was prohibited. Article 6 of the constitution adopted on February 2, 1922, the church ceased to be a legal entity and had no right to acquire any property. This was followed by the seizure of movable and immovable property belonging to the church and their declaration as state property. In 1930, the monasteries of Sanahin and Sevan were dissolved. In 1933, the Geghard monastery was closed, and Ayrivan was also declared a closed archaeological site. As a result of persecution and repression, in 1938, only 7 clergy remained in the Mother See. Only the Mother Cathedral of St. Etchmiadzin was operational.

Source: RA Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Archives and National Archives