UAR Sochi branch leadership resigns as result of demolition of monument to General Andranik

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Sochi branch of the Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR) held a meeting with participation of UAR Vice President German Ananyants with respect to demolition of the monument to General Andranik set in Volkonka settlement of Sochi, Russia, by the Armenian community.

According to Ananyants, the conflict is settled - Lazarevsk region’s leadership of UAR has conceived its fault and resigned. Currently all legal documents are being prepared, while the monument to Andranik Ozanyan will be set in Adler soon.

President of UAR Ara Abramyan was expected to participate in the meeting, but he has not arrived in Sochi. Earlier Abramyan condemned the monument’s demolition, saying he was unaware of the incident and promising to clarify its details and make radical decisions, if the reports are confirmed.

Armenia’s Consul General to southern part of Russia Ararat Gomtsyan, representatives of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun and Heritage party, as well as leaders of Javakheti and Hamshen communities of Russia also condemned demolition of the monument to General Andranik, youtharmenia.ru reported.

General Andranik Ozanyan is Armenia’s national hero. He is one of the leaders of the Armenian national liberation movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is also a national hero of Bulgaria. He was one of organizers of Sasun and Zangezur defense.

On August 31, 1927, legendary General Andranik Ozanyan passed away in Fresno, California. His body was transported to France, and buried in the French Pere Lachaise cemetery. In 200, the government of the second independent Armenian Republic decided to relocate General Andranik’s remains to Armenia, where he received an honorable military reburial at Yerablur Pantheon.