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Coordinates: 40°11′42.90″N 44°31′29.34″E / 40.1952500°N 44.5248167°E / 40.1952500; 44.5248167
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{{about|the statue in Yerevan|the statue in Gyumri|Mother Armenia, Gyumri}}
'''Mother Armenia''' is a statue in Victory Park of an Armenian mother overlooking the Capital City of [[Yerevan]].
{{Infobox Historic Site
| name = Mother Armenia
| native_name = Մայր Հայաստան
| native_language = hy
| image = File:Mayr Hayrenik.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Mother Armenia
| locmapin = Armenia
| map_caption =
| coordinates ={{Coord|40|11|42.90|N|44|31|29.34|E|type:landmark_region:AM|display=inline,title}}
| location = [[Victory Park (Yerevan)|Victory Park]], Yerevan, Armenia
| area =
| elevation = 51 meters (167.3 feet)
| formed =
| founded =
| built = 1967
| built_for =
| demolished =
| restored =
| restored_by =
| sculptor = [[Ara Harutyunyan]]
| architect = [[Rafayel Israyelian]]
| architecture =
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body = [[Defence minister of Armenia|Ministry of Defence of Armenia]]
}}
'''Mother Armenia''' ({{langx|hy|Մայր Հայաստան|translit=Mayr Hayastan}}) is a female [[national personification|personification]] of [[Armenia]]. Her most public visual rendering is a monumental statue in [[Victory Park (Yerevan)|Victory Park]] overlooking the capital city of [[Yerevan]], Armenia.


[[Image:Mother Armenia, Yerevan, Day.jpg|thumb|280px|right|Mother Armenia]]
==Mother Armenia statue in Yerevan==
[[File:Stalin statue.jpg|thumb|left|Original statue of Stalin, replaced in 1962 by Mother Armenia]]
The current statue replaces a monumental statue of General Secretary [[Joseph Stalin]] that was created as a victory memorial for [[World War II]]. During Stalin's government of the [[Soviet Union]], [[Grigory Arutyunov|Grigor Harutyunyan]], the first secretary of the [[Communist Party of Armenia (Soviet Union)|Armenian Communist Party]]'s Central Committee, and members of the government oversaw the construction of the monument which was completed and unveiled to the people on November 29, 1950.<ref name="armenpress">{{Cite web| url= https://armenpress.am/arm/news/938650|title= "The Legend Lives On" (In Armenian)|date= June 23, 2018}}</ref> The statue was considered a masterpiece of the sculptor [[Sergey Merkurov]]. The pedestal was designed by architect [[Rafayel Israyelian]]. Realizing that occupying a pedestal can be a short-term honour, Israyelian designed the pedestal to resemble a three-nave basilica Armenian church, as he confessed many years later "Knowing that the glory of dictators is temporary, I have built a simple three-nave Armenian basilica".<ref>[http://www.a1plus.am/am/social/2010/05/7/armenia-monument "Mother Armenia" needs care (In Armenian)]</ref> In contrast to the right-angled shapes of the external view, the interior is light and pleasing to the eye and resembled [[St. Hripsime Church, Echmiadzin|Echmiadzin's seventh-century St. Hripsime Church]].


In spring 1962, the statue of Stalin was removed, with one soldier being killed and many injured during the process, and in 1967, the statue of Mother Armenia, designed by [[Ara Harutyunyan]], was installed in its place.<ref name="armenpress" />
⚫
== History ==


The prototype of "Mother Armenia" was a 17-year-old girl Genya Muradian. Ara Harutyunyan met her at the store and persuaded her to pose for the sculpture.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.rferl.org/amp/mother-armenia-yerevan-iconic-statue/31145539.html|title= Meeting 'Mother Armenia,' The Woman Behind Yerevan's Iconic Statue|date=March 11, 2021|author=Amos Chappl|work=RFE}}</ref>
During [[Stalin]]'s reign on the [[Soviet Union]], Grigor Harutyunyan, the first secretary of the [[Armenian Communist Party]]'s Central Committee and members of the government were carefully seeing to the construction of a monument for Stalin which was completed on November 29, 1950 and unveiled to the people. The statue was considered a masterpiece sculpted by Sergey Merkurov. Realizing that occupying a pedestal can be a short-term honor, Israelyan designed the pedestal to resemble an Armenian church - at least on the inside. In contrast to the right-angled shapes of the outside, inside was light and pleasing to the eye and resembled [[Echmiadzin]]'s seventh-century Hripsime Church.


"Mother Armenia" has a height of {{convert|22|m}}, thus making the overall height of the monument {{convert|51|m}}, including the pedestal. The statue is built of hammered copper while the pedestal-museum is of basalt.<ref>[http://www.yerevan.am/main.php?page_id=267&lang=3 Monuments of Yerevan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002075227/http://www.yerevan.am/main.php?page_id=267&lang=3 |date=2011-10-02 }}</ref>
In fact, Israelyan's prediction came true as the Soviet leader's time came to an end quickly afterwards and his monument was taken down. The monument was replaced in 1967 by the Mother Armenia statue which was designed by Ara Harutyunyan.


== Symbolization ==
==Symbolism==
[[File:День Победы в Армении 06.jpg|thumb|A [[military parade]] at the monument in 2018.]]
[[File:RUS 3360.jpg|thumb|The museum interior.]]
⚫
The Mother Armenia statue symbolises peace through strength. It can remind viewers of some of the prominent female figures in Armenian history, such as [[Sose Mayrig]] and others, who took up arms to help their husbands in their clashes with Turkish troops and Kurdish irregulars. It also recalls the important status and value attributed to the older female members of an Armenian family.


⚫
Its location on a hill overlooking [[Yerevan]] makes it look like a guardian of the Armenian capital. Every year on 9 May, thousands of Armenians visit the statue of Mother Armenia and lay flowers to commemorate the Armenian martyrs of the [[World War II|Second World War]]. The pedestal hosts the Mother Armenia Military Museum of the [[Ministry of Defense (Armenia)|Ministry of Defense]]. When first built it housed a military museum dedicated to World War II. Today, a large proportion of the exhibition space is devoted to the [[First Nagorno-Karabakh War|Nagorno-Karabakh War]] of 1988–1994. On display are the personal belongings, weapons, and documents of participants, and the walls are decorated with their portraits. Among other historical artifacts, there is a map on which Armenian forces worked out their campaign for the [[Battle of Shusha (1992)|Battle of Shushi]].
⚫
"Mother Armenia" statue stands to symbolize peace through strength. It reminds us of some of the prominent female figures in Armenian history, such as Sossé Mayrig and many others who never hesitated to take up arms to help their husbands who would clash with Turkish troops and Kurdish irregulars. It also represents the important status and value attributed to the older female members of an Armenian family. This is in sharp contrast to the treatment of women in some of the Islamic societies surrounding Armenia.


⚫
== Gallery ==
⚫
Its strategic location of being on a hill overlooking [[Yerevan]] makes it look like she is the guardian of the Armenian capital. Each [[May 9]], thousands pass by the statue of Mother Armenia to commemorate Armenia's war dead. In the huge territory of the monument (3,000 square meters), inside the 50-meter pedestal there is Mother Armenia Museum of the [[Ministry of Defense]]. The relics exhibited tell about heroism of Armenians in [[WWII]] and [[Nagorno-Karabakh War]] of the 1980-90s. There are personal belongings, weapons and documents of the heroes and walls are decorated with their portraits. There is a historical map, on which forces worked for the liberation of Shushi among other historical artifacts.
<gallery caption="Mother Armenia">
File:20160603 005-Jerevan Mutter Armeniens-Armenien-006.jpg|alt=Mother Armenia|Edged forms of the heroic looking figure
File:20160603 006-Jerevan Militärmuseum-Armenien-002a.jpg|alt=Entrance to the military museum|Entrance to the military museum in the base. Historical design as a stepped portal with filigree ornaments
File:Yerevan, Mother Armenia Monument, S-75 Dvina, Victory Park, Armenia.jpg |alt=Mother Armenia statue|View of Mother Armenia monument
File:Մայր Հայաստան հուշարձան.jpg|alt=Aerial view|Aerial view
File:Mother Armenia Kütahya Plate Benaki.jpg|Mother Armenia mourning the destruction of ancient cities, Kütahya ceramic.
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[List of tallest statues]]
*[[Kartlis Deda]]
*[[Mother Ukraine]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://mirrorspectator.com/2021/03/14/meeting-mother-armenia-the-woman-behind-yerevans-iconic-statue/ Meeting 'Mother Armenia,' The Woman Behind Yerevan's Iconic Statue]

{{Yerevan landmarks}}

{{National personifications}}


[[Category:National personifications]]
[[Category:National personifications]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Yerevan]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Armenia]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials built in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Colossal statues]]
[[Category:Fictional Armenian people]]
[[Category:Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Yerevan]]
[[Category:Sculptures of women in Armenia]]
[[Category:Statues in Armenia]]
[[Category:Sculptures of women in the Soviet Union]]

Latest revision as of 17:33, 8 December 2024

This article is about the statue in Yerevan. For the statue in Gyumri, see Mother Armenia, Gyumri.
Mother Armenia
Native name
Մայր Հայաստան (Armenian)
Mother Armenia
LocationVictory Park, Yerevan, Armenia
Coordinates40°11′42.90″N 44°31′29.34″E / 40.1952500°N 44.5248167°E / 40.1952500; 44.5248167
Elevation51 meters (167.3 feet)
Built1967
ArchitectRafayel Israyelian
SculptorAra Harutyunyan
Governing bodyMinistry of Defence of Armenia
Mother Armenia is located in Armenia
Mother Armenia
Location of Mother Armenia in Armenia

Mother Armenia (Armenian: Մայր Հայաստան, romanized: Mayr Hayastan) is a female personification of Armenia. Her most public visual rendering is a monumental statue in Victory Park overlooking the capital city of Yerevan, Armenia.

Mother Armenia statue in Yerevan

[edit]
Original statue of Stalin, replaced in 1962 by Mother Armenia

The current statue replaces a monumental statue of General Secretary Joseph Stalin that was created as a victory memorial for World War II. During Stalin's government of the Soviet Union, Grigor Harutyunyan, the first secretary of the Armenian Communist Party's Central Committee, and members of the government oversaw the construction of the monument which was completed and unveiled to the people on November 29, 1950.[1] The statue was considered a masterpiece of the sculptor Sergey Merkurov. The pedestal was designed by architect Rafayel Israyelian. Realizing that occupying a pedestal can be a short-term honour, Israyelian designed the pedestal to resemble a three-nave basilica Armenian church, as he confessed many years later "Knowing that the glory of dictators is temporary, I have built a simple three-nave Armenian basilica".[2] In contrast to the right-angled shapes of the external view, the interior is light and pleasing to the eye and resembled Echmiadzin's seventh-century St. Hripsime Church.

In spring 1962, the statue of Stalin was removed, with one soldier being killed and many injured during the process, and in 1967, the statue of Mother Armenia, designed by Ara Harutyunyan, was installed in its place.[1]

The prototype of "Mother Armenia" was a 17-year-old girl Genya Muradian. Ara Harutyunyan met her at the store and persuaded her to pose for the sculpture.[3]

"Mother Armenia" has a height of 22 metres (72 ft), thus making the overall height of the monument 51 metres (167 ft), including the pedestal. The statue is built of hammered copper while the pedestal-museum is of basalt.[4]

Symbolism

[edit]
A military parade at the monument in 2018.
The museum interior.

The Mother Armenia statue symbolises peace through strength. It can remind viewers of some of the prominent female figures in Armenian history, such as Sose Mayrig and others, who took up arms to help their husbands in their clashes with Turkish troops and Kurdish irregulars. It also recalls the important status and value attributed to the older female members of an Armenian family.

Its location on a hill overlooking Yerevan makes it look like a guardian of the Armenian capital. Every year on 9 May, thousands of Armenians visit the statue of Mother Armenia and lay flowers to commemorate the Armenian martyrs of the Second World War. The pedestal hosts the Mother Armenia Military Museum of the Ministry of Defense. When first built it housed a military museum dedicated to World War II. Today, a large proportion of the exhibition space is devoted to the Nagorno-Karabakh War of 1988–1994. On display are the personal belongings, weapons, and documents of participants, and the walls are decorated with their portraits. Among other historical artifacts, there is a map on which Armenian forces worked out their campaign for the Battle of Shushi.

[edit]
  • Mother Armenia
  • Mother Armenia
    Edged forms of the heroic looking figure
  • Entrance to the military museum
    Entrance to the military museum in the base. Historical design as a stepped portal with filigree ornaments
  • Mother Armenia statue
    View of Mother Armenia monument
  • Aerial view
    Aerial view
  • Mother Armenia mourning the destruction of ancient cities, Kütahya ceramic.
    Mother Armenia mourning the destruction of ancient cities, Kütahya ceramic.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b ""The Legend Lives On" (In Armenian)". June 23, 2018.
  2. ^ "Mother Armenia" needs care (In Armenian)
  3. ^ Amos Chappl (March 11, 2021). "Meeting 'Mother Armenia,' The Woman Behind Yerevan's Iconic Statue". RFE.
  4. ^ Monuments of Yerevan Archived 2011-10-02 at the Wayback Machine
[edit]
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