A liturgy was served in the Armenian-Turkish border control zone on the Feast of Saint Gregory the Illuminator’s Commitment to the Pit

The Armenian-Turkish state border, which runs through the western part of the village of Haykadzor, is opened only three times a year, to visit the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church in Haykadzor. Through the mediation of the Shirak Diocese, under the supervision of Russian border guards, Armenian pilgrims are allowed to enter the monastery at specially designated times. Since the 1920s, the monastery has been surrounded by barbed wire, and free access to the church is prohibited.