Momik (

Vayots Dzor Vayots Dzor (, ) is a province (''marz'') of Armenia. It lies at the southeastern end of the country, bordering the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan to the west and the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan to the east. It covers an area of . With a p ...

, ; died 1333) was an

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, sculptor and a master artist of Armenian illuminated manuscripts. Mnatsakanian, Stepan and E. Zakaryan. ''«Մոմիկ»'' (Momik).

Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia (also rendered ''Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia''; , ''Haykakan sovetakan hanragitaran''; ASE) is the first general encyclopedia in the Armenian language. It was published in 1974-1987 by the main editorial office of th ...

. vol. vii. Yerevan, Armenian SSR:

Armenian Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) (, ''Hayastani Hanrapetut’yan gitut’yunneri azgayin akademia'') is the Armenian national academy, functioning as the primary body that conducts research and coordinates acti ...

, 1981, pp. 698-699. As a sculptor, Momik is also known for his fine carving of ''

khachkar A ''khachkar'' (also spelled as ''khatchkar'') or Armenian cross-stone (, , խաչ ''xačʿ'' "cross" + քար ''kʿar'' "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosette (design), rosettes ...

s'', found primarily at the monastery complex at

Noravank Noravank (, ) is a 13th-century Armenian monastery, located 122 km from Yerevan in a narrow gorge made by the Amaghu River, near the town of Yeghegnadzor in Armenia. The gorge is known for its tall, sheer, brick-red cliffs, directly across ...

. He held an eminent position at the Gladzor School of Illuminated Manuscripts in Syunik, established at

under the patronage of the Orbelian family's historian, Stepanos Orbelian. Of the manuscripts authored by Momik, only several survive: one is found at the repository of the Mekhitarist Order in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

and three others are found at the Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

. Momik was the author of the miniatures for the Gospel, "

Entombment A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called ''immurement'', althou ...

" and "Angel Appearing to Holy Women", created in Glazdor in 1302, of the building of Astvatsatsin church in

Areni Areni () is a village and the center of the Areni Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province in Armenia. Areni is best known for its wine production, with the majority of wine produced locally from the nearby village of Getap, Vayots Dzor, Getap. ...

village (1321), of its wonderful reliefs and of a number of khachkars. He also designed and carved the masterpiece church of S. Astvatsatsin at

Monastery in

Biography

Momik lived and worked in the 13th-14th centuries in Armenia (in the world of Syunik). He resided with the Yritsak Master, whom the great Armenian regarded as his grandfather, although the latter was not biologically related to him. Momik fled Ani alongside Yeritsak and settled in an exceedingly impoverished village. It is postulated that his activity commenced within the region of

Cilicia Cilicia () is a geographical region in southern Anatolia, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilician plain (). The region inclu ...

, with a pivotal event occurring in 1283 when a Gospel flourished under the directive of Queen Kera. This notable occurrence significantly contributed to his subsequent renown within academic and historical contexts. Momik was the artist-architect of the Orbelian house. On a certain occasion, the historian Stepanos Orbelyan extended an invitation to forty stonemasons at Noravank, challenging them to sculpt the most expeditious one-inch cross. In this competition, the victory was secured by Momik, a sixteen-year-old participant, as a result of which Stepanos Orbelyan said, "If the stone obeys his will like a candlestick, then let's give him the first prize and the nickname Momik ". Following Stepanos Orbelian's death in 1305, Momik began carving a khachkar in honor of the great historian, completing in 1306. Under some of his works, he put the signature "Momik Master", by which he was known. He died in 1333 in Noravank, near the village of

Amaghu Amaghu () is an abandoned village in the Areni Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia. History The village was populated by Azerbaijanis. In March-April 1989, ethnic Azeri population was deported because of the Nagorno-Karabakh con ...

in Vayots Dzor.

The Legend of Master Momik

Momik falls in love with the beautiful daughter of Orbelyan prince. The prince pledges to wed the girl to the Master under the stipulation that Momik can construct a splendid temple within a brief timeframe. As the completion of the monastery construction approached, the prince instructed his servant to obstruct Momik from fulfilling his condition by any means necessary. The servant secretly climbs up to the foreman working on the dome of the monastery, pushes him and throws down. The Master is buried in the fallen place, in the yard of the monastery he built, and the construction of the dome is completed by his students.

Momik's works

Remains of his works: * Books ** Four handwritten Gospels: the Gospels of 1292, 1302 (or the Gospel of Stepanos Orbelyan), 1283 (unsigned), the collection of 1283-84. * Sculptures ** The Cross stone of 1308 in Noravank, the image of the Mother of God and the Child in Areni church (1321), the sculptures of the Mother of God and God the Father in the porch of Noravank. He also carved a cross-stone for Lady Tamta Zakarian. * Architectural structures ** The vestibule of the Noravank church, the Areni church, the two-story tomb-church of Prince Burtel in Noravank, Zorats church of Yeghegis, and St. Grigor's church of Tatev are also attributed to him. * Supposedly: ** The design and partial construction of Burtelashen Church

Bibliography

* Jannic Durand, Ioanna Rapti et Dorota Giovannoni (dir.), ''Armenia sacra — Mémoire chrétienne des Arméniens (IV-XVIII)'', Somogy / Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2007 * Thomas F. Mathews et Avedis Krikor Sanjian, ''Armenian Gospel Iconography: The Tradition of the Glajor Gospel'', Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, 1991 * Matenadaran Mashtots Institute of ancient Manuscripts, ''Miniaturist Momik'', introduction de Karen Matevosyan & Lilit Zakaryan, dirigé par Hrachya Tamrazyan, trad. en anglais Gohar Muradyan, éd. Nairi, Erevan 2010 (format 60 x 84, 66 pages)

References

1333 deaths Armenian architects Medieval Armenian painters Armenian sculptors Armenian miniature painters Year of birth unknown {{Asia-sculptor-stub