“The Significance of This Day Does Not Diminish Over Time”: Mikhail Galustyan on the Armenian Genocide

Today marks the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. It has been 106 years since the horrific crime against the Armenian people was committed. Armenian actor Mikhail Galustyan made a statement in which he said:

“On this day in 1915, more than 800 Armenian intellectuals were arrested and later executed in the Ottoman capital, Istanbul. As a result, the Armenian people, most of whom lived in Western Armenia at the time, lost a significant part of their intellectual elite. This was followed by the killings and deportations of ethnic Armenians, which became known as the ‘Armenian Genocide.’ Traditionally, on this day, millions of Armenians and representatives of other nations who empathize with them pay tribute to the victims of the Genocide, which claimed the lives of around 1.5 million Armenians, or about half of all Armenians at that time. Only the Armenians of the Russian Empire and the refugee Armenians in third countries survived. Every year on this day, hundreds of thousands of people in Yerevan ascend to the memorial complex and lay carnations and poppies at the eternal flame.

The significance of this day in Armenia does not diminish over time, which is partly related to the international community's campaign to compel Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide,” Galustyan wrote, adding the hashtags #WeRemember #ArmenianGenocide #Genocide.