Memorial to Aurora Mardiganian and the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide unveiled in Yerevan

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative on September 30 in Yerevan unveiled the Memorial to Aurora Mardiganian and the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.

Aurora Mardiganian was a young girl who escaped the horrors of the Armenian Genocide, moving to America, where she became a silent-era Hollywood star and a philanthropist.

The memorial was opened by Anna Afeyan, Member of the Board of Directors of Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and trustee and co-chair of the Afeyan Foundation; and Veronika Zonabend, the founding partner and the Chair of the Board of Governors of UWC Dilijan.

Soil taken from the resting place of Aurora Mardiganian and a relic from the victims of the Deir ez-Zor desert brought from Antelias have been placed beneath the sculpture.

The memorial is located near the Komitas Museum-Institute. It honors the enduring legacy of Aurora Mardiganian, whose courage and story inspired the founders of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. In addition, the Memorial pays tribute to the 1.5 million martyrs who perished during the Armenian Genocide.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Pontifical Legate of Western Europe and Representative of the Catholicos of All Armenians in Vatican; Noubar Afeyan, Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative; Eric Esrailian and Arman Jilavian, Board Members of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative;  and representatives from the city of Yerevan and the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports, among others, also attended the opening ceremony.