Amble through the 8ème arrondissement in Paris and you’re likely to find an imposing tall statue of a man set amidst tranquil grounds by the river Seine.
Père Komitas
Père Komitas (1869-1935), born Soghomon Gevorki Soghomonyan, and renamed Komitas after the 7th century Armenian catholicos, who was also a hymn writer, was an Armenian priest and composer. His statue which is located at Jardin D’Erevan, commemorates the victims of the Armenian Genocide in Paris.
The relatively unknown jardin was inaugurated on 12 March 2009 by French foreign affairs minister Edvard Nalbandian in the presence of legendary French singer Charles Aznavour and chanteuse Helène Ségara, both Armenian in heritage. Erevan is the French name for Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
The plaques, in French and Armenian, commemorate his life as a composer, the 1500 000 victims of the Armenian genocide in 1915 under the Ottoman empire, as well as the Armenians who have fought and died for France.
The statue is located near the Pont des Invalides close to the intersection of Cours Albert 1er and Cours la Reine. The closest métro stations are Invalides and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
No, I haven’t seen this statue in Paris. Actually. I didn’t know about Jardin D’Erevan at all. Very interesting information.
Such a lovely place to come across unexpectedly…
I visited these gardens last time I was in Paris. Such a gorgeous pocket of landscaped greenery!
Lovely spot, isn’t it… so much to Paris that isn’t in a guide book!