The Design and Symbolism of Tsitsernakaberd

The Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan is Armenia’s official memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Tens of thousands from all over the world gather at the site every April 24 to remember and pay their respects to all those who perished a century ago. Because of its centrality in the consciousness of Armenians everywhere, the design and symbolism of the memorial complex have become a subject of contemplation and popular interpretation. In this video, Dr. Hayk Demoyan, the director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute in Yerevan, looks back at the origins of the Memorial in 1967 and the meaning and symbolism behind its carefully selected location and architectural details.

Originally published November 2017.

About the speaker

Hayk Demoyan

Dr. Hayk Demoyan is the former director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute in Yerevan, Armenia. He received his doctorate degree from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences and is a graduate of Yerevan State University, where he was a lecturer in the History Department from 2002-2005. Dr. Demoyan is the author of twelve books, including The Armenian Genocide: Front Page Coverage in the World Media, Armenian Sports and Gymnastics in the Ottoman Empire, and Western Media Coverage of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict in 1988-1990, as well as a large number of academic articles on such topics as the Armenian Genocide, Turkish foreign policy and Turkey’s involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of 1991-1994.

Hayk Demoyan