"April 24 is the world day of commemorating the victims of the Armenian Genocide. This day thousands of Armenians worldwide mourn for the people who died at those tragic days of the 20th century. Armenian Cultural Association of Irkutsk annually holds commemorative evenings dedicated to that tragedy. Armenians of Irkutsk mourn for their compatriots, expressing condolences to descendants of those who died in 1920-ies of the last century and invite all Irkutsk residents to participate in commemorative evening," the statement of city administration says.

On April 24 all who wish may pay homage to the Armenian nation, which was subjected to extermination, light a candle on the khatchkar for the peace of victims' soul. Representatives of the Armenian Cultural Association of Irkutsk hope city residents will not be indifferent to the pain that the Armenian population feels. Today the memory about Genocide - no matter recognized or not - must become warning for all of us.

The statement reminds that crimes against humanity do not have statute of limitation. "The internationally recognized Holocaust, genocides in Rwanda, Yugoslavia and Iraq are those green wounds, which will bleed and which will be remembered and mourned in the whole world for a long time. However, the first genocide of an entire nation in the history of the 20th century is the events between 1915 and 1923 in Turkey. The monstrosity of this crime against the Armenian nation has been officially recognized by the world community," says the statement of the Armenian Cultural Association and Irkutsk City administration.