UNIQUE PLACES

1967

State index: 1.6.106

Architects: Arthur Tarkhanyan, Sashur Kalashyan

Sculptor: Vanik Khachatryan (Van Khachatur)

The complex is located on Tsitsernakaberd hill in the park area. It was built from 1965 to 1967. The memorial is dedicated to the memory of 1.5 million Armenians who fell victim to the genocide carried out by the Young Turk government in Western Armenia and other Armenian-populated areas of Turkey in 1915. The Soviet Armenian government decided to build the memorial complex on the 50th anniversary of the Great Calamity. Yakov Zarobyan, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Armenia, initiated the organization of events and the construction of the memorial complex. The newly appointed First Secretary of the Communist Party of Armenia, Anton Kochinyan, inaugurated it on November 29, 1967.

The “Yerkhimshin” trust carried out the construction. Artush Ordukhanyan led the work.

The complex consists of the Hall of Remembrance with 12 pylons and an eternal flame (pylon height: 9 m inside, 7 m outside), a two-part obelisk symbolizing the rebirth of the Armenian people (height: 40 m), and a 100 m long basalt Memorial Wall (Wall of Sorrow) leading to the monument. The wall bears the names of Armenian-populated settlements in Turkey where massacres and deportations of Armenian residents were organized. Basalt tiles cover the area.

From 1988 to 1990, khachkars (cross-stones) were placed in the memorial complex territory dedicated to the victims of Armenian massacres in Sumgait (1988), Kirovabad (Gandzak, 1988), and Baku (1990), Azerbaijan. From 1990 to 1992, the remains of five freedom fighters who died during the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflicts were buried in front of the Memorial Wall: RA National Hero Movses Gorgisyan (1961-1990), Samvel Gevorgyan (1950-1992), Edik (Eduard) Markosyan (1946-1990), Mushegh Mkhoyan (Vozhd, 1951-1991), and Yervand Saghumyan (1958-1990).

In 1996, urns filled with soil from the graves of foreign public, political, scientific, and cultural figures who raised their voices against the Armenian Genocide and Turkish authorities' atrocities were buried behind the Memorial Wall. These include Anatole France (French writer, Nobel Prize winner), Armin Wegner (German poet, publicist), Johannes Lepsius (German orientalist, public figure, Doctor of Theology), Fridtjof Nansen (Norwegian polar explorer, scientist, diplomat, High Commissioner for Refugees in the League of Nations), Maria Jacobsen (Danish missionary, doctor, known for her Armenian orphan care activities), and others.

The memorial complex includes a monument with thematic sculptures of the Great Calamity (1965), the Armenian Genocide Museum (1995, architects: Arthur Tarkhanyan, Sashur Kalashyan, L. Mkrtchyan, sculptor: Ferdinand Arakelyan), the “France Publicly Recognizes the Armenian Genocide” memorial column (2002), the “Mother Rising from the Ashes” sculpture (2002, sculptor: Rustam Avetisyan, a copy donated by the Eskijian and Lazaryan families (USA), the original is kept in the “Ararat Eskijian” Museum in Los Angeles), and others.

The complex occupies an area of 4500 square meters.

The Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex is one of the best memorials dedicated to the Armenian Genocide, a holy place for all Armenians. Since 1968, hundreds of thousands of Armenians from Armenia and various diaspora communities visit every year on April 24 to commemorate the memory of the innocent Armenian victims. Official delegations from various foreign countries also visit the memorial complex to pay their respects.

“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO

Yerevan Municipality