Small mural khachkars in medieval Armenian communities of Crimea, Galicia, Podolia, and Bessarabia

International audienceSimultaneously with the category of monumental khachkars, Armenia has elaborated, since the beginning of the history of this art - the second half of the 9th century, a “minor” type of small, mural khachkars. This type became particularly characteristic for diaspora communities. Among them, one of the most active centers where such small plates with a cross – tree of life were produced was Crimea, especially, in the 14th-16th c., the town of Caffa (Theodossia). Crimean mural khachkars, often made of marble, have their specific features, and exerted a marked influence on the production of other Armenian communities of the region, notably in Galicia, Podolia, and Bessarabia