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YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, ARMENPRESS. Events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will continue until September 2015. Alongside with various events, the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of Fresno will organize classes dedicated to the Armenian Genocide for the local teachers.
As reports “Armenpress” citing the official website of the Committee, the Armenian Genocide Centennial Monument dedicated to the 1.5 million Armenian martyrs, who perished at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish government during the period 1915–1923, will be erected in Fresno on April 23.
Designed by Fresno architect Paul Halajian, the monument will embody symbols of cultural meaning to the Armenian people. Its principal components will be arranged in a circular pattern and angled inwards, reminiscent of the Tzitzernagapert monument in Armenia. Built from béton brut and Tufa stones, the nine pillars that make-up the body of the structure represent the six provinces of historic WesternArmenia (Van, Bitlis, Dickranagerd, Kharpert, Sepastia, and Erzerum), Cilicia, the Diaspora, and the Republic of Armenia. The pillars will gradually descend in height around the circle, with the first measuring 19 feet high and the last 15 feet to underscore the significance of the year 1915. An incomplete halo will be set above on top of the pillars, symbolizing both the fracture left by the Genocide and the unity of the Armenian people.