BOMB EXPLODES IN ARMENIAN CHURCH IN CRIMEA

YEREVAN, AUGUST 6, ARMENPRESS:A bomb exploded July 30 night in an Armenian monastery in the city of Stariy Krym in the Crimea, Ukraine, just days after it had been given to the local Armenian community in response to its request, Russian Information Agency reported. The police have arrested a 65-year-old guard, a resident of Stariy Krym, who is suspected of planting the homemade bomb in "a bid to take revenge on another guard." Local authorities said they were not aware of any inter-religious or ethnic conflicts that might have motivated the incident. The Surb-Khach (Holy Cross) Monastery is a historical and architectural monument founded in 1338 and has recently been returned to the Armenian Apostolic Church. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, it was the main holy place for Armenians in Crimea. Today it has great historical significance for Armenians living outside of Crimea. For many centuries, it was a center of pilgrimage for Armenians.