A unique and rare 17th-century, 414-year-old Armenian-built hydraulic structure has been uncovered in the village of Yazlovets in Ukraine’s Ternopil region, revealing a remarkable piece of Armenian heritage and one of the region’s oldest and most sophisticated examples of Armenian engineering. Researchers accidentally found the structure in a village cellar, identified it as an Armenian well built in 1611, and confirmed that it is an intricately engineered hydraulic system crafted by Armenian masters, announced the Union of Armenians of Ukraine.
For more than four centuries, the structure had remained almost unknown, as most of it lies underground. From the outside, it appears to be a simple stone-lined spring with a cast-iron pipe, but researchers revealed that beneath this modest exterior is a complex hydraulic system that channels water from a powerful natural source into an underground reservoir before it flows outward.
A carved stone slab with inscriptions in Latin and Armenian has been preserved on the wall of the spring. The inscription reads: “Armenian Hakob built this in 1611 for the welfare of society. This cross and the constructed spring are the work of Hakob and his brother Stepan. Abraham, the stonemason, performed his craft with devotion.”
At the top of the slab, an eagle with outstretched wings is depicted, beneath which stands a cross adorned with intricate and unusual floral motifs, a hallmark of Armenian medieval stonework.
Historians and researchers believe that the Armenian artisans of Yazlovets may also have contributed to other local monuments, including carved decorations for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church and the gates of the old fortress, reflecting the long-standing presence and craftsmanship of the Armenian community in the region.
