ARMENIA - Yerevan (Mother Armenia & Armenian Genocide Memorial)

21:16 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

Mother Armenia is the live symbol of Armenian strength. She symbolise peace through strength. This monumental statue is located in Victory Park which is strategically located on a hill as if she is overlooking and guarding the Armenian capital, Yerevan.

The tall entrance gate to Victory Park.

Victory Park is also known as Haghtanak Park.

The map of Victory Park.

Located on the Nork hill, Victory Park serves as a recreational area for the residents of the city and also to celebrate Victory Day on May 9.

This Park is named “Victory” in commemoration of Soviet Armenia’s participation in the Second World War.

Don’t know how sturdy these things are as I didn’t try it out.

The large park has an artificial lake, an amusement park, the Mother Armenia Monument and the Mother Armenia Museum of Ministry of Defence.

And of course, Mother Armenia Monument is the main attraction in the park.

The Mother Armenia is one of the tallest statues in Yerevan, measuring 22m high. The current statue replaces a Stalin statue which is named “Father of Nations” (which was how Stalin was commonly referred to) in 1950. But the statue of Stalin in Victory Park was only removed in 1962. Its removal however cost the life of a soldier and injured dozens of people.

The Mother Armenia statue was only placed on the pedestal five years later in 1967. The statue and the pedestal are made of different materials: the statue is made of hammered copper while the pedestal of basalt. Including the pedestal, the height of the monument is around 51 meters tall.

The eternal flame burns before the statue on a granite platform. It burns in memory of those who was killed in the war. You can’t see the flames in this picture, but there is fire burning from there (from the star).

The view overlooking the city of Yerevan.

The grave of the unknown soldiers.

The Mother Armenia has a huge sword in her hands with a shield at her feet. It stands for all those women who were not afraid to take up arms and stands by their husbands during the clashes with Turkish troops and Kurdish irregulars.

A rocket launcher and a surface to air missile truck.

MiG fighter jet.

Some military truck, aeroplanes and tanks being displayed around the vicinity of the monument.

Underneath the statue is a museum.

The Mother Armenia Museum of Defence Ministry is inside the pedestal. Built in 1950 and established in 1970 as Museum of History of the Great Patriotic War, it primarily contained exhibits about World War II. Now, much of its exhibition is dedicated to the Nagarno Karabakh War.

The museum is opened daily, except for Monday. Its admission is free of charge.

The museum's lobby.

The first floor’s showroom is dedicated to Artsakh Liberation Movement.

Artsakh Liberation War lasted from 1988 – 1994.

A map featuring the capture of Shusha, a strategically important mountain town in Nagarno Karabakh conflict. The fighting swiftly concluded the next day after Armenian forces captured it and drove out the defending Azeris.

The exhibition at the ground floor is devoted to the Armenians who took part in the World War II.

The portraits of Heroes of the Soviet Union and Generals are displayed in the gallery.

Ivan Bagramyan is regarded as a national hero in the Soviet Union. He was among several Armenians in the Soviet Army who held the highest ranking officers during the war. He was the Marshal of the Soviet Union. Just look at his medals.

Victory!

Time to make a move.

The Armenian Genocide Museum is another place to visit if you’re interested in the historical facts about Armenian Genocide.

Arrived at Armenian Genocide memorial complex.

The complex consist of a memorial and a museum.

Part of the Armenian Genocide Museum was under construction to expand the current building when I was there.

Sadly it was closed as I was there quite late. Could only manage to have a peek through the glass door.

The museum opened its door in 1995, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Genocide.

View of Mount Ararat from here.

The Armenian Genocide memorial. The 100m x 3m high wall along the path leading to the memorial contains the names of towns and villages where massacres and deportations are known to have taken place.

A closer look at the wall.

Built in 1967, this is Armenia’s official memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide where nearly 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by the Turkish during World War I.

The memorial consist of a 44 meter stele and twelve slabs positioned in a circle.

The stele symbolizes the survival and spiritual rebirth of the Armenian people. The tower is vertically split symbolizing the tragic and violent dispersion of the Armenian people. But at the same time, it also expresses the unity of the people.

The 12 slabs leaning inward, forming a circle.

Having a closer look inside the memorial.

In the centre of the circle lies the eternal flames.

The eternal flames is dedicated to the 1.5 million Armenians killed during the genocide.

The 12 slabs encircling the eternal flame represents the 12 lost provinces in present day Turkey.

Every year on 24 April (Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day), thousands of Armenians gather at this memorial to commemorate the victims of the genocide.