Genocide 100: Official Presents April 22-24 Schedule of commemorative Events

YEREVAN (ArmeniaNow) — Vigen Sargsyan, President Serge Sargisian’s chief of staff, who is also coordinator of the events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, presented the schedule of April 22-24 arrangements as he spoke on the Public Television of Armenia recently.
According to Sargsyan, on April 22-23, Armenia is going to host an international forum “Against the Crime of Genocide” to be attended by about 500 scholars, politicians, public and religious figures.
A ceremony of canonization of the victims of the Ottoman-era Genocide is to be held in Holy Echmiadzin on April 23. The ceremony will end at 19:15 (on the 24-hour clock) to symbolize the year of the start of Turkey’s genocidal policy in which more than 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered. At that time, bells at Holy Echmiadzin and all Armenian churches around the world will ring simultaneously 100 times to commemorate the centennial of the Genocide, followed by observance of a minute’s silence. According to Sargsyan, many non-Armenian churches also decided to join the ceremony.
At 8:30 p.m. April 23, a System of a Down concert will be held in Yerevan’s main Republic Square. Attendance at the concert will be free for public. It is remarkably that SOAD members will gather for the first time in years for the concert commemorating the Genocide Centennial.
The April 24 events will start with a Genocide commemoration ceremony at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in the morning. It will be followed by the ceremonial opening of an updated display at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute. A concert of the joint Symphony Orchestra will be held in Yerevan’s Republic Square in the evening. As many as 140 musicians from 70 countries of the world are expected to take part in the concert.
According to Sargsyan, commemoration of the Genocide Centennial will not be limited to the mentioned period only as numerous events are planned to be held after April 24.