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Monument to Armenian Genocide victims will be installed in Geneva

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A monument to the Armenian Genocide victims will be installed in Geneva’s Tremblay park next month.

The works to install the monument called “Les réverbères de la mémoire” (The Lanterns of Memory) are already underway. The author of the monument is French sculptor of Armenian origin Melik Ohanian, bluewin.ch reported.

The installation of the monument has been a disputed issue for a decade.

The idea of the project was born ten years ago, but the Armenian community finally got a permit to implement it only in 2016. The attorney, adviser and MP of Swiss People’s Party Yves Nidegger has applied for cancelling the decision of the city’s administration. He said the park was a green zone, and nothing can be build there except for the buildings in the interests of the citizens and exclusively related to the park development.

The project was to be implemented in Geneva’s Ariana park in 2014, but was turned down on the ground of “violation of Geneva’s neutrality on the international platform,” although the decision was actually adopted under the pressure of the Turkish authorities.

 

Opposition to the idea of ​​the monument of Turkish soldiers in Krakow “Sign this petition”

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Sign this petition

Dear President,

Press reports about the possibility of erecting a monument in Kraków commemorating the stay of soldiers of the Turkish army in the Polish territories annexed by Austria during the First World War, confirmed by the spokesman of the city president, deeply appalled the Polish Armenian community.

In view of this idea, we express our outrage and resolute opposition.

Sign this petition

It was during this war that the authorities of the Turkish Empire decided to exterminate the Christian population, Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks in Anatolia and Mesopotamia, their own citizens, the eternal inhabitants of these lands. One of the proofs of the Turkish crime are telegrams sent to Washington by the then US ambassador to Turkey, Henry Morgenthau. The key telegram reads:

Deportations and excesses against peaceful Armenians are mounting, and shocking eyewitness reports suggest that the campaign of racial extermination is taking place under the pretense of retaliation for insurgency. Protests and threats are futile and are likely to stimulate the Ottoman government for more drastic measures, because it is determined to deny responsibility.

Rafał Lemkin, Polish lawyer of Jewish origin, studying just after the war
The Jagiellonian University and the Jan Kazimierz University in Lviv, then the founder of the definition of genocide adopted by the UN General Assembly, wrote about these terrible events:

https://www.change.org/p/bogusław-kośmider-stanowczy-sprzeciw-wobec-pomysłu-pomnika-tureckich-żołnierzy-w-krakowie

In Turkey, more than 1,200,000 people have been killed for no other reason than that they were Christians. […] The nation was killed and the guilty were released. […] The persecution of the Armenians, a strong Christian element living in the very heart of the Mohammedan religion, was inevitable because the fundamental principles of the Koran stood in total opposition to the teaching of Christ […]. There was no place in the Ottoman Empire for people of Christian faith. […] Crime has been
carried out systematically.

The empire army was entrusted with executing the decision of the authorities. Ruthlessly, Turkish soldiers killed men, raped women, rushed civilians in long marches of death across the desert, until almost all persecuted perished.

During the Holocaust, around 1916, the Armenian Archbishop of Lviv, Józef Teodorowicz, devised a rescue plan consisting in bringing several thousand Armenians from Turkey to Eastern Galicia and settling them among the Polish Armenians. The Austro-Hungarian authorities, allied with the genocidal Turkish regime, made it impossible to carry out the intention of our archbishop.

It is for these reasons that we appeal to the City Council of Krakow for blocking the plan to commemorate soldiers of the army, which is guilty of the crime of genocide of the Christian population in the name of militant Islam.

We remind you of the fundamental ethical duty that Rafał Lemkin wrote about:

You have to get the nations to understand that an attack on each of them is an attack on all of them.

May this indication find a response in the community of the city of Krakow and among all Poles, after all also murdered in the twentieth century by genocide.

On behalf of the Management Board and members of the OTK,
and a large group of sympathizers
after the President of the OTK
Krzysztof Stefanowicz

Monument dedicated to prominent Armenian folk singer Ophelia Hambardzumian unveiled at Komitas Pantheon

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Monument dedicated to prominent Armenian folk singer“I bow to her name,” RA People’s Artist Ruben Matevosyan told reporters at the ceremony of unveiling of the monument dedicated to famous folk singer Ophelia Hambardzumian that took place on Wednesday at Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan. In Matevosyan’s words, Hambardzumian represents a certain era, in Armenian music, an inimitable phenomenon. “She belongs to the people, comes from their heart, represents their conscience and raises their voice from Yerevan to every corner of the world,” Matevosyan said.

RA People’s Artist Raisa Mkrtchyan also paid tribute to the memory of Hambardzumyan, suggesting the latter remains at the top of the Armenian music.

“I can’t see anyone to replace her, despite numerous imitations and attempts. She is unique in all respects,” the singer noted.

Minister of Culture Armen Amiryan attended the ceremony as well. He noted that it has been more than a year Hambardzumyan passed away yet her music will long inspire and nurture future generations. “Hambardzumyan’s performances are the best means for awakening of our nation’s identity its aspirations,” the minister noted.

The author of the monument sculptor Emin Petrosyan noted he had tried to reproduce the idea of the eternity of the singer. “The monument is symbolic with no image composition. That was the wish of her family to have an abstract composition. After drawing the sketches, we chose the current version. The sculpture represents the water circulation that symbolizes the idea of eternity. Her image is embodies in the drop epitomizing a drop in the ocean of culture. I remain optimist we will see such drops again as the Armenian folk music and songs will continue to live,” the sculptor said.

To remind, prominent singer, People’s Artist of the USSR Ophelya Hambardzumyan passed away at the age of 91 on June 13, 2016.

 

Source Panorama.am

Towards the end in the struggle of genocide monument in Switzerland

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(AGOSS) wiss Court dismissed the last objections concerning the Armenian Genocide monument that is planned to be built in Geneva.

Swiss Court dismissed the last objections concerning the Armenian Genocide monument that is planned to be built in Geneva. This ruling can be appealed until April 19. Approved by Geneva City Council in 2008, the project has changed location two times and postponed due to the pressure of Turkish Foreign Ministry and Turkish organizations in Switzerland. The final location was determined as Trembley Park in Geneva. The court dismissed the objection of the locals on the ground that they reside in a place far away from the park. Legal representative of the objecting party Yves Nidegger is a deputy from the Democratic Union of the Center. He also worked as the legal adviser to the Federation of Turkish Associations of Western Switzerland and represented Federation of Turkish Associations of Western Switzerland in Perinçek v. Switzerland case in ECHR.

Approved in 2008

The art project titled “Streetlights of Memory”, which will honor the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, had gotten the necessary permissions from the city council in 2008. Since then, the project has been causing tension between Turkey and Switzerland.

There are two main issues concerning the monument that disturbed Turkey. First of all, it is designed to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide, though it is not a “genocide monument” per se. Second problem is about the location, which is very close to UN center in Geneva. This symbolic location disturbed Turkey. In this regard, the pressure from Turkey has gradually increased. Speaking to Agos back in 2014, Stefan Kristensen, coordinator of the project said, “At first, led by Celal Bayar, the eponymous grandson of the infamous Celal Bayar, Turkish organisations in Switzerland began to apply pressure against the project.” Then, Turkey started to use its political and economic leverages in its negotiations with Switzerland. As a result, Didier Burkhalter, Foreign Minister and President of the Swiss Confederation, sent a letter to the Geneva Canton recommending that the authority “refuses to grant a building permit”. Though the letter was a “recommendation”, a new location for the monument was sought. The final location was determined as the northern part of Trembley Park in Saint-Antoine.

Karabakh: Cross-stone monument opened in Talish in memory of the Sisian regimen freedom-fighters perished during four-day war

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karabakh-cross-stone-monumentArtsakh President Bako Sahakyan visited on Saturday the Talish village in the Martakert region and partook there at a solemn ceremony of opening a cross-stone monument in memory of the Sisian regimen freedom fighters perished during the four-day April war.

As the Information department of the President’s Office reports, in his speech President Sahakyan noted that at this moment everybody was full of various emotions; on one hand we feel sorrow and sadness remembering our friends and relatives, on the other hand we are proud to have such hero warriors who defended the native country and people showing bravery and selflessness, for whom serving to the Motherland is most important mission in the life.

Artsakh President next underlined that residents of Syunik and Sisian, in particular, had always had an active participation in the defense of the Motherland and in this respect the Artsakh Liberation War was not an exception during which they struggled against the enemy bringing their inestimable contribution to carving our glorious victories.

NKR National Assembly chairman Ashot Ghoulyan, Armenian National Assembly deputy chairman Eduard Sharmazanov, other officials, representatives from Armenia and the Diaspora partook at the event.

 

Source Panorama.am

Best-preserved early Christianity monument is discovered in Karabakh

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christianity-monumentThe Amaras Monastery, which is located in Martuni Region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh), is one of the best preserved monuments that were built during the early Christianity.

And as a result of archaeological excavations in the area of this monastery, the eastern entrance to the tomb of St. Grigoris—who was ordained as bishop of the Eastern Lands of Armenia, which included Artsakh—was discovered in the St. Grigoris Church, which was built in the early 4th century.

“Of course, the Azerbaijanis had conducted excavations [here] before us [i.e. Armenians],” said archeologist Hamlet Petrosyan. “We also found the 1959 bottle, where it was written that they [i.e. the Azerbaijanis] conducted excavations and found nothing. But we achieved the desired result.”

Petrosyan also noted that the discovered eastern entrance to this tomb has a slab floor, which is not seen in any other Christian structures.

The NKR Ministry of Economy has informed that the museumification of this newly-discovered tomb was conducted in the year past, and by way of installing a glass cover, which is a new phenomenon for post-Soviet Armenia and Karabakh.

The Amaras Monastery is among the sites of early period Armenian architecture in Artsakh.

Source: news.am

Bulgaria: A bell for Armenia installed at Bells Monument in Sofia

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bellThe Armenian Embassy in Bulgaria organized the installation of the bell representing Armenia at the Bells Monument in Sofia.

Press and information department of the Armenian Foreign Ministry informs that the event was attended by representatives of Bulgarian state institutions, NGOs and members of the community.

In his speech, Armenian Ambassador in Bulgaria, Armen Sargsyan briefly presented the challenges and achievements Armenia faced during 25 years of independence.

The Bells Monument built in 1979, is dedicated to the establishment and maintenance of world peace. There are over hundred bells representing different countries and international organization.

 

Source Panorama.a

Los Angeles Armenian Genocide Monument Unveiled in Grand Park

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genocide-memorial-gThe first permanent monument in the city of Los Angeles to memorialize the Armenian genocide was unveiled Saturday at Grand Park.

County Supervisor Michael Antonovich and Armenian community and clergy leaders marked the installation of the sculpture, created by Vahagn Thomasian, during a 5 p.m. ceremony.

The monument is sculpted out of black volcanic tuff rock from the Ararat Valley of Armenia. It will be placed permanently at Olive Court in Grand Park, to remember the Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks in a massacre that began April 24, 1915.

“This remarkable memorial honors the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide and Grand Park is a superb venue for reflection and solemn contemplation,” Antonovich said in a statement.

Monument to Marshal Hamazasp Babajanian unveiled in Yerevan

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f57431712d46e4_57431712d471f.thumbPresident Serzh Sargsyan attended today the ceremony of unveiling of the statue of the Hero of the USSR, Chief Marshal of the USSR armored troops Hamazasp Babajanian.

The memorial was opened in the public square adjacent to Babajanian Street in Avan administrative district of Yerevan. The memorial was created by the sculptor Hamlet Matinian and architect Michael Missakian.

Present at the ceremony were also Minister of Defense Seiran Ohanian, Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margarian, veterans of the WWII, the Commanding General United States Army Europe Lieutenant General Frederick Benjamin Hodges, the Adjutant General of Kansas, the military commander of the Kansas National Guard Major General Lee E. Tafanelli, Military Attachés of foreign states, natives of Chardakhlu residing in Yerevan (Khachisarians), members of the Gardman patriotic union, and other guests.

The President of Armenia laid flowers on the monument and paid tribute to the memory of the great warrior.

After the march of the ceremonial guard, the Honorary Citizen of Yerevan, gross master Rafael Vahanian and the Vice Chair of the Armenian Chess Federation Hovik Khalikian handed to President Sargsyan a symbolic gift – chess board which belonged to Marshal Babajanian which was presented by the descendents of the Marshal.

Canada PM: Armenia Genocide monument will help preserve memory

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Canada PM armenian genocidePrime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau issued a statement on the occasion of the unveiling of the Armenian Genocide memorial n St. Catharines, Canada.

A monument was unveiled on April 30, Horizonweekly reported.

In his statement Mr. Trudeau said the monument commemorates the tragic loss of life of the Armenian population during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

“Both the Senate of Canada and the House of Commons have adopted resolutions referring to these events as a genocide.

This monument will help preserve the memory of those who lost their lives, and those who suffered during this genocide and pay our deepest respects to their descendants, including those who now call Canada home.

Canadians of all backgrounds and faiths stand together in reaffirming our collective commitment to the values of pluralism, human rights, and diversity.

As we dedicate this monument, please join me in my hope for a peaceful future based on tolerance, respect, and reconciliation,” the statement reads.