Armenia approves Jesus statue project on Mount Hatis

PanARMENIAN.Net - On April 3, Minister of Environment Hakob Simidyan signed a positive expert conclusion on the construction project for a monumental Jesus Christ statue complex.

Although no finalized project existed in 2023, construction had effectively begun, and due to work on Mount Hatis, Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (MESCS) had contacted the police, reports CivilNet.

The statue will be built in Akunk, a community in Kotayk Province, by the Gagik Tsarukyan Charitable Foundation.

In 2024, the Ministry of Environment approved the official registry for the Hatis Volcano geological natural monument, defining specially protected zones on the mountain. The statue will be located between 5 and 125 meters from these protected zones.

The approval includes several conditions, in accordance with Article 19 of the Law on Specially Protected Areas of Nature, ensuring compliance with water usage rules, technical requirements of the construction site, and other provisions.

According to the plan, the monumental statue will be placed at the summit of Mount Hatis. The complex will consist of three levels featuring a café, a visitor service area, an exhibition hall, and restrooms.

All levels will be interconnected with stairways and ramps to ensure accessibility.

The structure will be made of monolithic reinforced concrete and clad in travertine panels. The plan also includes the construction of a 1,300-meter cableway connecting the statue with lower access points.

Construction is projected to last 36 months. The plan notes that both during and after construction, jobs will be created, with local community members involved in the building process.