This Year We Will Not Visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial: What Tigran Avinyan Recommends

The Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of Staff Tigran Avinyan made a post on his Facebook page reminding the public that this year we will stay at home and not visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial.

“Dear compatriots, On April 24, the Armenian people and the entire progressive humanity will commemorate the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. For decades, thousands of people from Armenia, Artsakh, the Diaspora, and foreign guests have visited the Tsitsernakaberd memorial on this day. The ceremony holds significance and meaning for all of us in memory, demand, and rebirth.

This April of 2020, we are fighting against a global new challenge—the coronavirus, and the health restrictions imposed to overcome it and ensure the safety of our people necessitate finding new ways to pay tribute to the victims of the Great Genocide.

Thus, this year we will stay at home and not visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial, but to ensure our symbolic presence, we will take the following steps. On April 23, at 21:00, the lights in the squares and streets of Yerevan and the regions will be turned off at the sound of church bells. I urge you to turn off the lights in your homes as well and to turn on your phone's flashlight by your windows. This action will receive a symbolic response from Tsitsernakaberd, which you can follow on the Public TV live broadcast or by gazing towards the memorial.

On April 24, on behalf of all of us, the government will lay 105,000 flowers at the eternal flame of the memorial. On the same day, starting from 08:00, citizens can send a message to the short number 1915 from Armenia and to 0037433191500 from abroad to confirm their remote participation in the day's commemoration. The names of the citizens who send messages will be displayed on the columns of the memorial.

I would also like to mention that until April 25, 23:59, the police will close access to Tsitsernakaberd for security and organizational reasons. Thank you for your support, discipline, and responsibility,” Avinyan stated in his post.