Armenian Government to Lay 105 Thousand Flowers at Tsitsernakaberd Memorial on April 24

YEREVAN — The Armenian Govenmnet will lay 105 thousand flowers at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial on behalf of all Armenians on the 105th anniversary of the Genocide. The Memorial Complex will be closed to all visitors until 25 April.

In a statement on Wednesday, police said all pedestrian and vehicle routes leading to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial are shut down from April 21 to April 25, 10pm.

As the traditional public commemoration events for the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day are cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown, other events are planned to take place to pay homage to the memory of the victims of the genocide.

On April 23 11pm, church bells will ring and simultaneously street lights in Yerevan and other major cities will be switched off.

“We will ask our citizens also to switch off the lights of their homes and use the mobile phone display light out of their windows to symbolize the united presence near the Eternal Flame. The luminous commemoration moment will have its symbolic response from Tsitsernakaberd, where Kamo Seyranyan and Liana Alexanyan will perform the Ari Im Sokhak song,” Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office Eduard Aghajanyan said at a news conference.

Starting at 8:00am on April 24, citizens can send a message to the short number 1915 from Armenia, and 0037433191500 from abroad. The names of the citizens who sent the message will be reflected on the columns of the memorial, thus signaling their symbolic participation and tribute to the memory of the Holy Martyrs.

It is expected that only limited number of officials will be able to visit the Memorial complex on April 24, among them Prime Minister Pahinyan, Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan, President Armen Sarkissian, Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.