# Plplan Zham (St Michael the Archangel Church), Gyumri > Plplan Zham — the “shining church” — is a small Russian Orthodox church of St Michael the Archangel, built of black tuff with a gleaming tin dome on Gyumri’s Hill of Honour, a 19th-century Russian military cemetery. Consecrated in 1886. Free; 15 minutes is enough. No published hours: the memorial is always visible, the doors are not always open. A 12–15 minute walk from Vardanants Square. Web page: https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/plplan-zham - City: [Gyumri](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri), Armenia - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 15 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Hours: Not published; doors not open every day — unofficial - Time needed: 15 minutes, up to half an hour with the memorial - Where: Teryan Street at Anesoghlyan Street, south-west of Vardanants Square - Church: Russian Orthodox, active parish - Dress: Shoulders and knees covered; headscarf for women, no hats for men - Getting there: From Vardanants Square ≈ 1 km on foot, 12–15 min; taxi 5 min - Coordinates: 40.78111, 43.83528 - Facts checked: 02.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1886** — the year the church was consecrated (source: Russian and Armenian Wikipedia; Komandirovka.ru; Kathmandu & Beyond (the Gyumri tourism site gives 1886 as the building date)) - **“Shining church”** — what Plplan Zham means — after its gleaming tin-plated dome (source: gyumri.am; Russian and Armenian Wikipedia; OneWayTour) - **Hill of Honour** — military cemetery of Russian officers and soldiers killed in the 19th-century Russo-Turkish wars (source: Russian Wikipedia; gyumri.am; PanArmenian) - **1879–1880** — construction dates in most sources; Armenian Wikipedia gives 1875–1880 (source: St. Nicholas Center; OneWayTour; Armenian Wikipedia) - **Black tuff** — the local dressed stone of the walls (source: gyumri.am; Russian Wikipedia) - **20 August 2010** — the presidents of Russia and Armenia reopened the restored Hill of Honour (source: PanArmenian; Armenpress) - **13 metres** — the monument to those who fell taking Kars — a copy of a 1910 original (source: Russian and Armenian Wikipedia) - **155 names** — on the memorial wall; reports of the reopening speak of 156 officers buried (source: Russian and Armenian Wikipedia; PanArmenian) - **1920s** — closed after Soviet rule was established (source: Russian and Armenian Wikipedia) - **1988** — the Spitak earthquake damaged the building, then a museum of Armenian-Russian friendship (source: Russian and Armenian Wikipedia) - **1997** — returned to the Russian Orthodox Church as St Michael’s (source: Russian and Armenian Wikipedia) - **Protected** — listed cultural heritage monument of Armenia (source: Wikidata Q20508513; Russian Wikipedia) ## Is St Michael’s Church in Gyumri worth visiting? Yes, as a short stop — not as a destination. It takes 15 minutes, costs nothing and sits a few minutes from the central market, so it fits easily into a walk around the centre. What makes it worth the detour is the setting: a Russian chapel with a glittering dome on a soldiers’ cemetery, a reminder that Gyumri was once Alexandropol, a fortress town on the edge of the Russian Empire. If you only have time for one church, the Armenian [Holy Saviour’s Church](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/gyumri-holy-saviour-church) on the main square is the bigger experience. Come to Plplan Zham if you are curious about the city’s Russian past or are passing anyway on the way to the bus station. > **You may not get inside** There is no published schedule. This is a small working parish and the doors can be locked even in the daytime (**unofficial**). The Hill of Honour memorial and the church’s exterior are visible at any time. Your best chance of seeing the interior is a weekend or church-holiday morning, when a service is on. ## What is Plplan Zham? It is the Russian Orthodox Church of St Michael the Archangel. The nickname is Armenian: *plplan* means “shining” or “glittering”, *zham* means “church”. Locals named it after the tin-plated dome, which flashes in the sun above the low roofs of the southern old town. The building is unlike Gyumri’s Armenian churches: a squat square block with thick walls that taper towards the top, a single dome and staircases up to doors on the north and south sides, plus a third door to the west. It is built of the same black tuff as the 19th-century houses of the [Kumayri historic district](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/kumayri-historic-district). ## A short history of the church and the Hill of Honour Sources disagree on the dates. Most give **1879–1880** for construction (Armenian Wikipedia says 1875–1880), and the church was consecrated in **1886** by an archbishop of the Georgian Exarchate. The city’s tourism site gives 1886 as the building date. We show both. The church was closed under Soviet rule. In the 1980s it housed a museum of Armenian-Russian friendship, until the earthquake of 7 December 1988 damaged the building and destroyed the exhibits. It was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1997 and dedicated to St Michael. The cemetery itself had largely disappeared under houses during the Soviet period. The restored memorial, designed by Oleg Vladimirov, an architect from Ulyanovsk, was reopened on **20 August 2010** by the presidents of Russia and Armenia, who then attended a liturgy in the church. ## What to see - **The dome** that gave the church its name — on a sunny day you can spot it from blocks away. - Walls of **black tuff**, Gyumri’s signature building stone. - The 13-metre **Kars monument** honouring those who died taking the Kars fortress — an exact copy of a 1910 original that stood in Kars and was destroyed in 1918. - The memorial wall with roughly 155 names of fallen officers and soldiers. - Russian and Armenian flags by the entrance — the memorial was restored as a joint project of the two countries. - The unusual three-door layout, with stairs on the north and south sides. > **Dress code** Cover shoulders and knees. In Russian Orthodox churches women usually cover their hair and wear a skirt, and men take off their hats — bring a light scarf if you hope to go in. Remember that this is also a cemetery: keep your voice down and don’t sit on the graves. ## Entry and payment There is no ticket — the church and memorial are free. You will only need money for a candle, and small parishes take cash, so carry a few Armenian dram. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in Armenia, including in Gyumri cafés, shops and app taxis. Cash in dram is still needed at the market, on minibuses (marshrutkas) and at church stalls; ATMs and exchange offices are easy to find in the centre. ## How to get to St Michael’s Church 1. Start at [Vardanants Square](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/vardanants-square): the church is about 1 km south-west, a 12–15 minute walk. 2. Walk south from the square along Abovyan Street to Teryan Street (Vahan Teryan St). 3. Turn right (west) onto Teryan Street and continue about 400 m. 4. The church with the shiny dome stands at the corner of Anesoghlyan Street, with the Hill of Honour memorial behind it. 5. A taxi from the square takes about 5 minutes; Yandex Go and GG work in Gyumri. The bus station used by minibuses from Yerevan is a few minutes’ walk away (unofficial). ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered, scarf in the bag - [ ] A little cash in dram for a candle - [ ] Ready for the doors to be closed - [ ] 15–30 minutes for the church and memorial - [ ] The central market nearby for a snack - [ ] Phone flash off ## Plplan Zham vs Holy Saviour’s vs the Black Fortress | | Plplan Zham | Holy Saviour’s | Black Fortress | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Small Russian church on a military cemetery | Large 19th-century Armenian church | Round Russian citadel, 1830s–1840s | | Where | South-west of the centre, by the market | Vardanants Square | Hill on the edge of town | | Entry | Free | Free | Courtyard — depends on the day | | Time needed | 15–30 min | 20–30 min | ≈ 1 h | | Getting there | Walk from the square | Walk | Taxi | Plplan Zham and the Black Fortress together tell the story of Russian Alexandropol. For a single church, choose Holy Saviour’s on the main square. ## Gyumri’s churches compared Every church and monastery in and around Gyumri rated by YesGo. - [Holy Saviour's Church](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/gyumri-holy-saviour-church) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Seven Wounds Church (Holy Mother of God Cathedral)](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/seven-wounds-church) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 25 min · Free - [Plplan Zham (St Michael the Archangel Church)](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/plplan-zham) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free - [Marmashen Monastery](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/marmashen-monastery) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Talin Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/talin-cathedral) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free ## Russian Alexandropol in half a day The main square, the church on the Hill of Honour, the fortress on its hill and Mother Armenia above the city. Take a taxi between the church and the fortress. 1. [Vardanants Square](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/vardanants-square) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 2. [Plplan Zham (St Michael the Archangel Church)](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/plplan-zham) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free 3. [Black Fortress (Sev Berd)](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/black-fortress) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free (unofficial) 4. [Mother Armenia statue, Gyumri](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/gyumri-mother-armenia) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free ## Good to know Guidebooks also call it the Russian Chapel or the Chapel of St Michael — it is the same building. Gyumri has another Russian church, St Arseny’s in the Kazachi Post district; it is a separate site. Local maps may label this one simply “Russian Orthodox Church”. ## Tips - Pair the church with the central market, a 7–8 minute walk east along Teryan Street — fruit, cheese and fresh lavash. - Come on a sunny day: the dome is the whole point of the nickname, and under cloud it looks ordinary. - If the doors are shut, walk round the memorial — the wall of names and the Kars monument copy are outside. - Continue the Russian-empire theme at the [Black Fortress](https://yesgo.io/armenia/gyumri/black-fortress); a taxi is easiest. - Heading to the bus station? The church is right on your way — no need for a separate trip. ## Questions ### What does Plplan Zham mean? “Shining church” in Armenian — a nickname for the glittering tin-plated dome of St Michael the Archangel Church. ### Where is St Michael the Archangel Church in Gyumri? On Teryan Street at Anesoghlyan Street, on the Hill of Honour — about 1 km south-west of Vardanants Square, close to the central market. ### How do I get to Plplan Zham? Walk 12–15 minutes from Vardanants Square: south along Abovyan Street, then right onto Teryan Street. A taxi takes about 5 minutes. ### Is there an entry fee? No, entry is free. Bring a little cash in dram if you want to light a candle. ### Is the church open inside? Not always. There are no published hours; the best chance is a weekend or holiday morning during a service (unofficial). ### When was the church built? Most sources say 1879–1880, Armenian Wikipedia says 1875–1880. It was consecrated in 1886. ### What is the Hill of Honour in Gyumri? A cemetery of Russian officers and soldiers killed in the 19th-century Russo-Turkish wars, restored and reopened on 20 August 2010. ### What is the monument in front of the church? A 13-metre copy of the 1910 monument to those who died taking the Kars fortress; the original in Kars was destroyed in 1918. ### What should I wear? Covered shoulders and knees. Women usually cover their hair in Russian Orthodox churches; men remove hats. ## How we checked Construction dates differ between sources (1879–1880 at St. Nicholas Center and OneWayTour, 1875–1880 in Armenian Wikipedia; the Gyumri tourism site gives 1886 as the building date, others as the consecration date), so we show both. The number of burials also differs: 155 names on the wall according to Wikipedia, 156 officers in reports of the reopening. We found no official opening hours, so they are marked “verifying”. The walking route is measured on OpenStreetMap. One source says the church was once dedicated to St Nicholas; we found no second source and leave it out. ## Sources - Russian Wikipedia: Church of St Michael the Archangel (Gyumri) - Armenian Wikipedia: Surb Mikayel Hreshtakapet Church (Gyumri) - Wikidata Q20508513 - Gyumri.am — Gyumri tourism site: Chapel of Archangel Michael (Plplan Zham) - St. Nicholas Center — church gazetteer: Gyumri - Kathmandu & Beyond — Gyumri guide - OneWayTour — top attractions of Gyumri - Komandirovka.ru — Chapel of St Michael the Archangel - PanArmenian and Armenpress — reopening of the Hill of Honour, 20 August 2010 - OpenStreetMap — location of the church, streets and market --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.