YEREVAN, DECEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. The success of the initiative which emerged as a result of discussions of authors’ articles in the room of the editor back in 2013, had been somewhat predetermined. Our aim was to introduce to the reader sometimes vague but still valuable memories of the witnesses diminishing year by year not only on the 114th day on the calendar – ahead of April 24, which has special significance for all the Armenians spread all over the world, but as long as we would be able to speak about all the living witnesses of the Armenian Genocide who reside in the territory of Armenia.   

It was hard to imagine that the project would have a 2-year history, will expand its technical possibilities (the video version of the project was added to the text) and geography, and most important of all would touch the readers’ souls living all over the world.  

The project, fulfilled ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, presented to the readers in 3 languages 32 stories of the living witnesses of one of the most savage crimes of the past century.  In the first part of the project we presented 10 stories, after which we received positive responses from Armenia and abroad, as well as suggestions for cooperation namely from the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and which set up a base to start the second part of the project dedicated to eyewitnesses living in the regions.

We are very happy to inform that the stories of the project were also referred to in other media, citing “Armenpress”.

The project was also referred to by “Hard Monday” TV program, during which the director of “Armenpress” news agency Aram Ananyan presented the significance of the project, as well as touched upon a range of initiatives of the agency, related to the topic of the Armenian Genocide.

“100 years of silence: The last survivors of the Armenian Genocide” titled book was presented which, based on a visit to Armenia, tells the Italian-spoken reader about Armenian people’s century of pain and Turkey's denial of a century.

As we have already said, the main aim of our agency was to have our small contribution to the process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Thanks to the consistency and addressing the social issues the witness-survivors are facing nowadays, Republic of Armenia Ministry of Healthcare made an initiative to assist and solve their health problems. Republic of Armenia Ministry of Healthcare together with a partner organization provides continual medical treatment to the witness-survivors.

Summing up the activity, we would like to express our gratitude to the Social Security Service of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia for presenting details on place of residence of the Armenian Genocide witness-survivors as well as their cooperation. We also thank Albert Muradyan for assisting the shooting.

Today 26 genocide survivors live in Armenia, 3 of them are men.  The number of witness-survivors was 39 till 2014, 25 of which - women and 14 - men.

Many of the witnesses have social problems, some lack warmth and need somebody just to talk to, tell their story; generally they hardly ever complain.

The author of the project is Tatevik Grigoryan, photographers – Eduard Sepetchyan, Artur Harutyunyan, Felix Arustamyan, Anahit Minasyan, journalists Ani Nazaryan, Araks Kasyan and Syune Barseghyan, video and photo editors Tatev Duryan and Levon Dadasyan, as well as computer specialists Sona Sargsyan, Ani Safaryan, driver Gevorg Mkrtchyan.