Who Wants to Dismantle the Statue of Solomon Teyleryan?

In Maralik, rumors are circulating that there are plans to dismantle the statue of Solomon Teyleryan, which is located in the city center. This was reported by hraparak.am.

Former MP Sofia Hovsepian also commented on the news on social media, writing: “I demand the authorities to either deny or confirm the truth of this news. I can already say that I believe you will have a great desire to do so, but to avoid various manipulations later on, please speak about this matter very directly.”

Earlier, in one of her interviews, former MP Naira Zohrabyan also stated: “I receive a warning on Facebook every three days that I do not have the right to write things like that. I have precise information from my European colleagues, I insist, and I am ready to bet with anyone that in the coming months, the statue of Solomon Teyleryan will be dismantled in Maralik. I tried to raise my concerns through Facebook, but half an hour later, I received a warning, and my post was closed.”

The residents of Maralik are also puzzled. Where do these discussions come from? Some believe that the statue is not the real issue. It is merely a distracting topic. “Tomorrow they will say that no statue is to be removed, and the mass that is concerned about the statue will remain satisfied and happy, without knowing that three anti-Armenian points have already been adopted by the Turkish-friendly authorities,” noted one citizen.

The statue, which was erected in Maralik in 2015 as part of the events marking the 100th anniversary of the Genocide, was an individual initiative. Benefactor Yura Hovhannisyan, who has been living in St. Petersburg for 20 years, financed and initiated the erection of Teyleryan’s statue in his native Maralik. Now, who or what has the right to dismantle it, the residents of Maralik are angered.

Moreover, Maralik is part of the enlarged community of Ani, and decisions to dismantle the statue as a cultural heritage must be made by the Ani Council. Regarding the circulating rumors, we spoke with Ani community mayor Artak Gevorgyan. He expressed slight annoyance and said, “These are just side discussions. We do not have such information or awareness. You know, our government has so many important and serious issues right now; I honestly don’t know about these discussions. As the head of the community, I say that there is no such thing.”

It should be noted that the sculptor of Solomon Teyleryan's statue is Samvel Petrosyan from Gyumri, who has depicted the Armenian avenger with a weapon in hand, with something beneath his feet. Many interpret this as the head of Talaat Pasha, while the sculptor himself considers it a rock. “The people can interpret it as they wish; the main thing here is our avenger, whether beneath his feet is Talaat, a stone, or something else, it does not matter,” stated the sculptor.