99 - all you should know about the Genocide April, 2014 | Page 29

Van Khachatur
Artist and sculptor,
architect, poet, scientist,
Candidate of Art Studies,
Doctor of Architecture,
academician at the
Armenian Technology
Academy. Founder
of modern Armenian
monumental art.

Construction work at the Genocide memorial complex, 1966

Chairman of the Council of Ministers Anton

the work and the person directly responsible

Kochinyan would visit the construction site

for it was Karen Demirchyan, then the Second

once a month. He would always say to us "Hurry

Secretary

up, everyone. If Moscow suddenly blows the

Things were progressing very slowly, and when

whistle, we will not be able to do anything." We

it was time for the Wall of Mourning, work was

were even ready to inaugurate the memorial

suspended. Kochinyan insisted on relief work

complex without a completed platform. The

that symbolized a rebirth, I wanted to sculpt

central authorities could stop the program at

scenes of Genocide.”

any moment.”

of

the

Yerevan

City

Committee.

The sculptor worked for a long time on the wall

Artist and sculptor Van Khachatur recalls the

relief. In his vision, the wall had to symbolize

numerous

the

the journey to the desert of Der Zor, where our

construction of the complex. “We would prepare

forefathers had been driven and massacred. The

the laborers’ plans. First Secretary of the Central

relief symbolized the unending path to pain and

Committee Anton Kochinyan was overseeing

suffering.

problems

that

arose

during