Armenian Genocide Memorial Restoration Completed Amid False Demolition Rumors

Thousands of Armenians made their way to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex today to commemorate the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, following months of controversy and misinformation surrounding renovation work at the site.

The annual April 24 remembrance marks the mass killing of approximately 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915, an event recognized as genocide by Armenia and more than 30 countries worldwide, though Turkey continues to reject this characterization.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President Khachaturyan, and Parliamentary Speaker Simonyan paid their respects at the memorial today, dispelling rumors that had been circulating for months suggesting the government was planning to cancel commemorative events or permanently alter the memorial complex.

“The work at this stage has been completed. The memorial complex is fully ready for April 24 and the upcoming commemorative events,” Pashinyan confirmed after a site inspection last week.

The controversy began when opposition figures claimed authorities were “demolishing and dismantling the memorial complex” under the guise of reconstruction. After these claims were disproven, the same actors began spreading new disinformation, suggesting that public pressure had halted a supposed demolition plan.

Armenian fact-checking organization Fip.am investigated the claims, concluding that “open sources, analysis of official information and the actual situation do not confirm conspiracy theories either about cancelling commemorative events or about the reconstruction of the memorial complex.”

Some of the most inflammatory claims included allegations that the memorial was being dismantled at the request of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a narrative promoted by Davit Ananyan, former head of the State Revenue Committee and member of the “Wings of Unity” party.

“One of Turkey’s long-standing demands is to erase the topic of the genocide. A practical step in that direction could be the dismantling of Tsitsernakaberd,” Ananyan had claimed, suggesting photos of construction work might be “presented to Erdoğan as a political report.”

The disinformation campaign gained additional traction when Armenak Danielyan, a Yerevan city council member, predicted authorities would deliberately leave the renovation incomplete to prevent commemorations and “gradually accustom people to the absence of this memorial.”

Notably, these false narratives spread beyond Armenian media. Turkish propaganda outlets also amplified the claims, with one Turkish journalist, Okay Deprem, alleging the Armenian government had ordered the cancellation of genocide commemoration events and planned to rewrite history textbooks. Fact-checkers revealed Deprem is based in Luhansk and regularly promotes pro-Russian propaganda while presenting himself as an independent commentator.

Education, Science, Culture and Sport Minister Zhanna Andreasyan has been transparent about the renovation process, explaining it will proceed in multiple phases with completion expected by 2028. She detailed the first phase improvements, which included repairing the Temple of Eternity columns, installing a new drainage system, waterproofing the memorial wall’s foundations, and constructing a new pedestrian walkway.

“Experts inspect every single stone without exception, confirming whether it can be used in the structure,” Andreasyan noted, adding that the work schedule is designed to ensure annual completion ahead of April 24 commemorations.

The completed first phase of the restoration has triggered substantial social media reaction in Armenia, with many users expressing frustration at those who spread the false demolition claims. Comments ranged from calling the rumor-spreaders “liars seeking to overthrow the state” to sarcastic remarks about the government supposedly using “AI-generated images” to hide their “true intentions.”

The controversy highlights ongoing political tensions in Armenia and the complex interplay between historical memory, national identity, and current geopolitical dynamics in the South Caucasus region as the country continues to navigate relationships with Turkey, Russia, and Western powers.