Statue of St. Gregory of Narek unveiled in Vatican

On the margins of his official visit to the Holy See, President Serzh Sargsyan attended the ceremony of unveiling the statue of Doctor of the Church St. Gregory of Narek in Vatican. The statue was unveiled by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Holy See Mikayel Minasyan.

The nearly two-meter-high bronze statue was assembled in the Czech Republic: the author is People’s Artist of Armenia, sculptor David Yerevantsi; the architect is Michael Hasratyan. This initiative came into effect through the efforts of Ambassador Mikayel Minasyan, co-funded by well-known Russian businessman Artur Janibekyan and organized by Vardan Karapetyan, responsible officer at the Culture Department of the Armenian Embassy in the Holy See. The statue is made of two copies: one was erected in Vatican, and the second will be installed in Echmiadzin, the spiritual center of all Armenians.

After the unveiling of the statue in the Vatican Gardens, an ecumenical ceremony was held, attended by His Holiness Pope Francis, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

The President of Armenia then visited the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Holy See where an awards ceremony was held. Under presidential decrees, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Holy See Mikayel Minasyan was awarded the 2nd Degree Medal For Services to Motherland for contribution to the strengthening and development of interstate relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Holy See; Head of the Office of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Holy See Mariam Yeremyan was awarded the Gratitude Medal; philanthropist Smbat Karapetyan was awarded Mkhitar Heratsi Medal for tireless charitable and humanitarian activities; Italian Senate’s Armenia-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group member, Senator Aldo Di Biagio was awarded Mkhitar Gosh medal for valuable contribution to the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.