Armenian businessman and former member of parliament, Gagik Tsarukyan has announced that construction has officially started on a 33-meter-tall statue of Jesus Christ on Mount Hatis, set to reach 100 meters when placed on its plinth.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, September 4, Tsarukyan said the project “will soon proceed at full scale” and expressed confidence that the statue would mark “a new chapter” for Armenia, filled with hope and success.
Gagik Tsarukyan launched the Jesus statue project in 2022 on Mount Hatis, his birthplace. Tsarukyan’s family is funding the project alone, despite offers of support. He plans to work alongside builders, while inviting the public to participate, symbolically planting trees or placing a stone at or near the site.
The project was started after Armenia’s 2020 war defeat to inspire hope, receiving praise from PM Nikol Pashinyan but opposition from the Armenian Apostolic Church.The proposed site has also prompted environmental and cultural concerns.
