Groundbreaking Ceremony Of Armenian Genocide Monument Held in Fresno
Source: http://www.fresnobee.com
#genocide #armenia #usa #fresno #culture #construction
Hundreds of people packed a small outdoor ceremony at Fresno State to mark the start of construction of the Armenian Genocide Monument, which will be completed in time to mark next year's 100th anniversary of the genocide.
Leaders of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America and Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee, Fresno joined local politicians, Fresno State leaders and throngs of community members at the event. The university set out 40 chairs, but a couple hundred spectators crammed around the site where the monument will be built.
The primary message of the event was the importance of spreading awareness of the Armenian Genocide, which Fresno State Armenian Studies Coordinator Barlow Der Mugrdechian said killed as many as 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1923. Der Mugrdechian said that on April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Turkish government began arresting and executing hundreds of Armenian religious, academic and political leaders.
The stone-and-concrete monument will be dedicated on April 24, the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the genocide. It was designed by local architect Paul Halajian and will consist of nine pillars representing the six provinces of historic Armenia, Cilicia, the Diaspora and the Republic of Armenia. An incomplete halo will rest on top of the pillars, which is meant to symbolize both the damage left by the genocide and the unity of the Armenian people. It will be the first such monument marking the genocide on a U.S. college campus.
It will be located on the Maple Mall walkway just south of the Satellite Student Union on Fresno State's campus. Fresno State Vice President for Administration Cynthia Teniente-Matson said this prime location will allow every single Fresno State student to see and learn from the monument.
Leaders of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America and Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee, Fresno joined local politicians, Fresno State leaders and throngs of community members at the event. The university set out 40 chairs, but a couple hundred spectators crammed around the site where the monument will be built.
The primary message of the event was the importance of spreading awareness of the Armenian Genocide, which Fresno State Armenian Studies Coordinator Barlow Der Mugrdechian said killed as many as 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1923. Der Mugrdechian said that on April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Turkish government began arresting and executing hundreds of Armenian religious, academic and political leaders.
The stone-and-concrete monument will be dedicated on April 24, the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the genocide. It was designed by local architect Paul Halajian and will consist of nine pillars representing the six provinces of historic Armenia, Cilicia, the Diaspora and the Republic of Armenia. An incomplete halo will rest on top of the pillars, which is meant to symbolize both the damage left by the genocide and the unity of the Armenian people. It will be the first such monument marking the genocide on a U.S. college campus.
It will be located on the Maple Mall walkway just south of the Satellite Student Union on Fresno State's campus. Fresno State Vice President for Administration Cynthia Teniente-Matson said this prime location will allow every single Fresno State student to see and learn from the monument.
