The episcopacy of Vanand was one of the ancient 12/13 dioceses of Armenia, which were confirmed by St. Gregory the Illuminator at the beginning of the 4th century. Some time later, with the second diocesan branch of St. Gregory the Illuminator, it became the 15th among the 30 (36) major dioceses of Armenia, occupying a central place. The episcopacy of Vanand played a decisive role in the national church affairs of the country in the early Middle Ages.

Keywordsepiscopacy diocese Vanand ancient main central place Middle Ages national church Catholicos.

The Armenian Church, with its structure and functions, has been an inseparable part of the Armenian statehood. The study of its history, the diocesan structure, the history and status of individual dioceses, the relations between the state and the church, the church and the nobility (princes), as well as the church's interactions with foreign states in the absence of an independent state, provides us with a more accurate understanding of the processes. Indeed, the diocesan structure of the marzpanate period has been addressed in one way or another, but, in the whole, the research conducted in this area was either one-sided or incomplete.

KeywordsMarzpan Armenia bishop Ukhtanes dioces episcopacy church council Bagrevand Mardpetakan.