Monument to Komitas, Bronze monument in Jardin d'Erevan, Paris, France
The monument to Komitas is a bronze statue standing in a public garden in central Paris, rising approximately 6 meters (20 feet) high. The figure rests on a white stone base and displays the green patina that develops over time on bronze.
In 1978 the Paris Armenian community, led by Archbishop Serovbe Manoukian, asked mayor Jacques Chirac for a memorial to Komitas and the 1915 genocide victims; the project stalled for years. The Paris council approved it unanimously on 29 January 2001, the day France recognised the Armenian genocide, and Bertrand Delanoë inaugurated it on 24 April 2003, with presidents Robert Kocharyan and Jacques Chirac present.
The small garden beside the statue was renamed Jardin d'Erevan on 12 March 2009, at a ceremony attended by Charles Aznavour, ambassador Edward Nalbandian and singer Hélène Ségara. The monument is a gathering point for Paris's Armenian community, especially around 24 April, when the 1915 genocide is commemorated.
The monument sits in a public garden and is freely accessible to visitors without any entrance fee. The location is in a well-connected neighborhood with nearby public transit and amenities.
Behind the bronze figure stands a khachkar, an Armenian carved stone cross; the priest holds a book, and a child's head is sculpted at his side as a symbol of new life. The monument is 6 metres tall: a 2-metre pedestal and a 4-metre bronze statue by David Erevantzi.
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