A Candidate Dissertation Defense of Lianna Avetisyan on "Saint Stephen the Protomartyr in Armenian Religious Texts, Popular Perceptions and Contemporary Practices" Will Be Held at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography

The defense of the PhD dissertation entitled “Surb Stepanos Nakhavka (St. Stephen the Protomartyr) in the Armenian Religious Texts, Popular Perceptions and Contemporary Practices” by Lianna Avetisyan will take place at the meeting of the Specialized Council 007 “Archaeology and Ethnography” operating under the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (IAE NAS RA) on 4 August 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

The dissertation is devoted to the theological and historical examination of the figure of St. Stephen the Protomartyr in Armenian religious texts, as well as to the analysis of folk perceptions and contemporary manifestations of his cult within the context of present-day Armenia’s spiritual and ritual realities. The relevance of the study is determined by the need for a comprehensive and interdisciplinary investigation of hagiographic and ethnographic layers in Armenian studies, since the figure of the saint represents one of the key and multilayered phenomena of Armenian spiritual culture. The research is based on the identification of interrelations between the canonical literary tradition and popular beliefs, which makes it possible to reveal the transformation of Christian hagiographic texts in public consciousness within the framework of their functional and ritual reinterpretation. Through the examination of medieval homiletic, canonical, and historiographical primary sources, the dissertation systematizes and comprehensively presents the cult sites dedicated to the saint and the ritual practices associated with them.

In the contemporary period, the topic acquires particular significance in the context of rapid changes in religious functions, which makes the documentation and analysis of traditional forms of pilgrimage and festive-ritual culture, as well as their modern transformations, especially important. In addition, the examination of the saint’s image within a historical-geographical framework contributes to the revaluation of endangered or lost cultural heritage, substantiating the continuity of Armenian spiritual and cultural values, including elements of intangible cultural heritage.

Scientific supervisor:

• Hranush S. Kharatyan, PhD in Historical Sciences

Official opponents:

• Hakob M. Cholakyan, Doctor of Historical Sciences
• Hayk Ye. Hakobyan, PhD in Historical Sciences

Leading institution:

• Yerevan State University