22.06.2023


On June 22, the delegation led by the governor of the state of Kansas, Laura Kelly, visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, Arman Sargsyan. US Brigadier General Michael Venerdi, Commander of the Kansas National Guard, was also part of the American delegation.

The guests were welcomed by Edita Gzoyan, AGMI Deputy Director for Scientific Work, who presented the history of the creation of the Memorial. She then presented the story of the three khachkars placed at Tsitsernakaberd in memory of the Armenians who died in the massacres organized by the Azerbaijani government in the cities of Sumgait, Kirovabad (Gandzak) and Baku at the end of the 20th century, as well as the stories of the five freedom fighters buried in front of Hushapat during the Artsakh struggle of survival—these components of the Memorial emphasize the connection between the Armenian Genocide and contemporary acts of persecution and violence against Armenians. Edita Gzoyan also referred to the historical and legal aspects of the Artsakh issue, presented Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian actions and propaganda.

Laura Kelly laid wreath at the memorial complex, after which the accompanying guests put flowers at the Eternal Fire and observed a minute’s silence in memory of the innocent martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.

Edita Gzoyan accompanied the guests to Hushapat, in the back of which, in special niches, small jars full of soil taken from the graves of a number of foreign public figures, politicians, intellectuals and missionaries who raised their voice of protest against the massacres and deportations of Armenians carried out by the Turkish government, are summarized. The deputy director also presented the Memory Park, noting that the first tree in the Park was planted in 1997 by US Senator Robert Dole in memory of Hambar Kelekyan, an Armenian-American surgeon who survived the Armenian Genocide.