April 2, 2003

Washington, DC – The Armenian National Institute (ANI) is pleased to announce that a database of more than 130 memorials and monuments dedicated to the Armenian Genocide is now available online. The web page, accessible through the ANI Web site, offers users detailed information and photographs of many of the most famous and important genocide memorials around the world. The Armenian Genocide Memorial Database was created as part of a larger memorial database project funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, with assistance from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

“This project is the first of its kind, giving users access to data collected about memorials in 25 countries,” said ANI Director Dr. Rouben Adalian. “The database has been in the making for over three years. Our project coordinator, Talin Ter-Grigorian, has done a superb job in compiling this information in a user-friendly format. The database is still a work in progress and will be updated as new information is developed.”

The database itself is organized by country and the monuments are listed alphabetically according to their civic location, with France and the United States in the Diaspora, listing the largest number of memorials, 34 and 23 respectively. In the U.S., Massachusetts alone is home to half a dozen memorials and the nation’s capital lays claim to the future Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial.

Users browsing the section on Armenia, for example, can find fact sheets on 27 identified monuments, with information regarding the type of memorial, its inscription and its specific placement.

The section on Syria, one of the five Middle Eastern countries in the database, lists five known memorials. The most impressive – the Monument and Memorial Complex at Der Zor – provides 20 pictures and includes information on the physical condition, construction date, commemorative events, and even tourist amenities.

To access the database, log onto www.armenian-genocide.org and select “Genocide Memorials,” located at the top of the left-hand column of the ANI homepage.

The Armenian National Institute is dedicated to the study, research, and affirmation of the Armenian Genocide. Visit its Web site at www.armenian-genocide.org.