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The Genocide Monument in Yerevan is a memorial complex dedicated to the
memory of the one and one-half million Armenians who perished in the first
genocide of the twentieth century, at the hands of the Turkish government, as
victims of the Armenian Genocide, their greatest tragedy in thousands of years
of Armenian history.
The population of Soviet Armenia demanded that a memorial monument be
constructed, when in 1965 Armenians in other countries commemorated the
fiftieth anniversary of the Genocide. Completed in 1967 by architects S.
Kalashian and L. Mkrtchian, the Genocide Monument has become a pilgrimage site
and an integral part of Yerevan's architecture. High on a hill, dominating the
landscape, it is in perfect harmony with its surroundings. Its austere
outlines convey the spirit of the nation that survived a ruthless campaign of
extermination.
Before reaching the central part of the monument, the visitor sees on his left
a 100-meter long basalt memorial wall (unfinished) with names engraved in
stone of all the Armenian villages and towns, where the Armenian population
was massacred by Turks. From 1988-1990 khatchkars (cross-stones) were mounted
in the vicinity of the Genocide Monument to commemorate Armenians massacred in
the 1980's in the Azerbaijani cities of Sumgait, Kirovabad (Ganzak) and Baku.
As
part of the monument, an arrow-shaped stele of granite, 44 meters high,
reaches to the sky, symbolizing the survival and spiritual rebirth of the
Armenian people. Partly split vertically by a deep crevice, this tower
symbolizes the tragic and violent dispersion of the Armenian people, and at
the same time, expresses the unity of the Armenian people.
At the center of
the Monument stands the circular Temple of Commemoration. Its unroofed walls
consist of twelve, tall, inwardleaning basalt slabs forming a circle. The
shape of these walls simulate traditional Armenian khatchkars, which are stone
slabs with large carved crosses at the center. These slabs also suggest
figures in mourning. The level of the floor of the Genocide Monument is set at
one and a half-meters lower than the walkway. At its center, there is an
eternal flame which memorializes all the victims of the Genocide. The steps
leading down to the eternal flame are steep, thus requiring visitors to bow
their heads reverently as they descend.
The complex makes a powerful,
solemn and lasting impression. Each year, on April 24, many hundreds of
thousands visit the monument and lay thousands of flowers on the pavement.
Mourning Wall
Dedicated to the Memory of the Victims
of the Armenian
Genocide and to Honor those Gentle Souls who
Deeply Cared about them and made a Difference
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