This black granite statue with the name Gomidas
engraved in gold is one of Detroit's most moving and thought-provoking.
During World War
I and in the years immediately following, approximately 1.5 million Armenians
died in Turkey—one of several massive killings of ethnic minorities
in the
20th century. Many Armenian scholars and historians attribute the massacre
to Turks, while some Turkish scholars and historians dispute that attribution.
Father Gomidas was a composer who was imprisoned with many other Armenians in
1915. Diplomatic efforts eventually secured his released. He was taken to Paris
where he died in exile.
Detroit's large and prosperous Armenian community erected this statue in 1981
to commemorate their dead co-ethnics and remind us of the tragedy of ethnic
slaughters. The statue clearly emphasizes the pain that Father Gomidas and Armenians
felt in the World War I era. His right arm bent across his body may symbolize
the grief that he felt and contained within himself. Note the effective use
of black granite and bronze.
Date of completion: 1981
Sculptor: Arto Tchakmakchian
Material: Granite and Bronze