Government okays businessman Gagik Tsarukyan's plan to build Jesus Christ monument

YEREVAN, July 7. /ARKA/. The government of Armenia has given today a preliminary positive assessment to a project that seeks to erect a statue of Jesus Christ on Mount Atis in Kotayk province by Gagik Tsarukyan, a wealthy businessman and head of the Prosperous Armenia Party.

The news was announced by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at a government meeting on Thursday. According to him, the statue will boost tourist interest in Armenia.

"The relevant government agencies should discuss and make a decision in a timely manner so that the project advances as planned," Pashinyan said.

Tsarukyan announced the plan to build the Christ Statue in January 2022. The jury of an international competition selected 12 best designs from more than 300 designs and based on the public voting and the choice made by the competition committee, sculptor Armen Samvelyan with his project of the monumental statue of Jesus Christ was named the winner.

The idea was earlier disapproved by the Armenian Apostolic Church. While acknowledging and appreciating Tsarukyan’s distinguished services to the Church, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin said the installation of a Jesus Christ statue was not acceptable for the Church because 'it doesn’t correspond with the centuries-old depiction and worship traditions” of the Armenian Church. -0-