'Vahagn Vishapakagh' Statue Has a New Address

The statue of Vahagn Vishapakagh (Vahagn the Dragon-Slayer), created by sculptor Karlen Nurijanyan, has been relocated to the square adjacent to the Yerevan Municipality.
Erected in 1968, the 3.5-meter-tall monument has occupied several locations over the years. Since 2004, it has been located in the Malatia-Sebastia administrative district, near the bridge on the Yerevan-Ejmiatsin highway.
The official unveiling ceremony was attended by Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan, the sculptor's niece, alongside other state officials and guests.
"Today, 'Vahagn Vishapakagh' returns to the heart of Yerevan. I put forward this initiative, but I would like to express my special thanks to Ms. Zhanna Andreasyan for so effectively bringing this proposal to life and for issuing the government decree, as well as to our colleagues in government, including the Deputy Minister.
I believe that symbols which reflect our people's dignity and victory should stand in the center of Yerevan. Vahagn holds exactly that place in our collective memory. In the writings of Movses Khorenatsi, his birth makes the world, the heavens, the earth, and the sea rejoice, as Vahagn is born out of smoke and flame.
Vahagn is born as the will to victory, a force against which the dragon is powerless. In our historical memory, the dragon was not merely a mythical creature. In different historical periods, it has symbolized the dangers and threats that our people, our nation, and our state have faced and either overcome or fallen victim to. Perhaps we failed to understand properly the dragon's appearance, or fully understand the scale of its threat. Forgive me for the slight political subtext, but recently a similar dragon has once again been defeated by the Armenian people.
And through their choice, through their vote, we have been freed from a great danger and evil, and today we proudly unveil the statue of Vahagn the Dragon-Slayer in Russia Square, because the dragon came, but left beheaded.
The author of this statue is Karlen Nurijanyan. He created Vahagn, Hayk Nahapet, and Tork Angegh-figures that have become symbols of our national strength, resilience, and dignity. For a long time, Karlen Nurijanyan's name remained in the shadow of the very figures and heroes he created. Today, we are not only restoring Vahagn to his true place; we are giving Karlen Nurijanyan the recognition he deserves.
The state must recognize its heroes-must recognize not only those who fought for their homeland, but also those who shaped our national character in bronze, stone, and wisdom. And today, Vahagn stands in the center of Yerevan as a clear message: every victory for democracy strengthens and secures its survival. A single defeat for democracy means its permanent loss. That is exactly why we will never stop fighting, for we are the masters of this state, masters of our independence, masters of our future, masters of peace, of our capital, and of the Republic of Armenia. Glory to our martyrs, and long live the Republic of Armenia. Congratulations to all of us", said Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan in his speech.