After the Sovietization of Armenia, during the years of Stalin’s anti-religious propaganda and repression, numerous churches in Yerevan and several other settlements in Eastern Armenia were destroyed.

In 1931, the Yerevan Political Council also made the decision to demolish the St. Poghos-Petros Church located in the city center, with plans to construct a cinema building in its place.

The Poghos-Petros Church in Yerevan dates back to the 17th century, but few people know – during the demolition of the church traces of an older church were found at the base of the building and under the layers of mural paintings depicting older frescos, so we can assume that the church was built earlier.

In the 1920s and 1930s, during the demolition of the church, the discovery of frescoes preserved beneath the foundations caused a significant commotion among experts.