Armenia relocates memorial to heroes of the Great Patriotic War

At a meeting on Thursday, the government of Armenia gave permission to relocate the memorial to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War in the town of Artik in the Shirak region; the opposition had earlier spoken out against this decision.

The justification notes that such a need arose "to ensure the physical preservation of the monument." The memorial is to be moved from the town square to Friendship Park, with major repair work being carried out

Earlier, former member of the country's parliament from the opposition faction "Armenia" Mher Melkonyan reported that the authorities of the Armenian town of Artik intend to dismantle and relocate the monument to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, and that they have already received a positive conclusion from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport. According to him, for decades the monument was a symbol of the Armenian people's participation in the struggle against fascism, while the town's leadership made the decision to move it without public discussions, without notifying the town's residents, and without any clear legal grounds. Melkonyan called these actions a systemic attack on historical memory, on Armenian-Russian allied relations, and on the symbols of our compatriots' victory"

The memorial dedicated to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War was built in 1965 and is considered a monument of republican significance.

Source: Sputnik Armenia