Armenian Heritage Park is a memorial park dedicated to the victims of the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through t ...

located on Parcel 13 on the

Rose Kennedy Greenway The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway is a linear park located in several Downtown Boston neighborhoods. It consists of landscaped gardens, promenades, plazas, fountains, art, and specialty lighting systems that stretch over one mile through Chin ...

between

Faneuil Hall Marketplace Faneuil Hall ( or ; previously ) is a marketplace and meeting hall located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts. Opened in 1742, it was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others ...

and Christopher Columbus Park in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, Massachusetts. The Park includes an abstract sculpture, split dodecahedron, that sits on a reflecting pool. The abstract sculpture has 24–26 different configurations, which symbolize the dispersion and coming together of immigrants from different shores. The abstract sculpture is dedicated to lives lost during the Armenian genocide of 1915–1923 and all genocides that have followed. The other part of it is a grass labyrinth that not only pays tribute to the contribution to the United States, but also represents the journey of life. The Armenian Heritage Foundation, composed of dozens of Armenian-American religious, cultural, and other organizations from around Massachusetts, raised from $5 million to $6 million for the park. The groundbreaking ceremony on September 9, 2010, was attended by Governor Deval Patrick,

Karekin II Catholicos Karekin II ( hy, Գարեգին Բ, also spelled Garegin; born 21 August 1951) is the current Catholicos of All Armenians, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. In 2013 he was unanimously elected the Oriental Orthodox he ...

, Catholicos of All Armenians, Registrar of Motor Vehicles Rachel Kaprielian, Sheriff of Middlesex County

Peter Koutoujian Peter John Koutoujian (born September 17, 1961) is an American politician who is the current Sheriff of Middlesex County, Massachusetts and a former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Massachusetts House of Representatives Kou ...

, Boston Mayor

Thomas Menino Thomas Michael Menino (December 27, 1942 – October 30, 2014) was an American politician who served as the 53rd mayor of Boston, from 1993 to 2014. He was the city's longest-serving mayor. He was elected mayor in 1993 after first serving three ...

and many

Armenian-American Armenian Americans ( hy, ամերիկահայեր, ''amerikahayer'') are citizens or residents of the United States who have total or partial Armenians, Armenian ancestry. They form the second largest community of the Armenian diaspora after A ...

citizens and City and Commonwealth officials. Governor Patrick said that the park will be a "beautiful addition to the Greenway as well as a testament to the heritage of Armenian-Americans and Massachusetts' larger immigrant history". Mayor Menino also noted that the park "celebrates the distinctive history of the City of Boston and the generations of immigrants who have made Boston the wonderfully diverse community it is today". Construction of the park was expected to be completed within 12 months, but actually lasted over a year and the park was opened on May 22, 2012. Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs

Eduard Nalbandyan Eduard Aghvani Nalbandian ( hy, Էդվարդ Աղվանի Նալբանդյան; born July 16, 1956) is an Armenian diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia from April 2008 to May 2018. Biography Edward Nalbandian was born i ...

and Governor Deval Patrick joined hundreds of attendees from the Armenian community at the dedication of the park. In "On the Greenway, public arts that feels alive", Joanna Weiss, columnist for The Boston Globe, Opinion, April 11, 2015, wrote, "The Abstract Sculpture at Armenian Heritage Park "might well be the gem of the Greenway so far; an example of public art that is both permanent and alive" On July 31, 2022, Armenian singer-songwriter Maléna, winner of the

Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021 The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021 was the 19th edition of the annual Junior Eurovision Song Contest, organised by France Télévisions and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The contest was held on 19 December 2021 at La Seine Musical ...

, performed her winning track "

Qami Qami "" ( hy, "Քամի Քամի"; en, "Wind Wind") is a song by Armenian singer Maléna that won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021. The song received 224 points at the contest, that was held on 19 December in Paris. The song is mostly in A ...

" at the park.

Gallery

File:Armenian Heritage Park inscription.JPG, The inscription. File:Boston Custom House Tower View to the North.jpg, View from the Boston

Custom House Tower The Custom House Tower is a skyscraper in McKinley Square, in the Financial District neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The original building was constructed in 1837–47 and was designed by Ammi Burnham Young in the Greek Revival style. T ...

. File:Boston_Armenian_Heritage_Park_panorama_view_2015.jpg, Panorama view, 2015 File:Armenian Heritage Park - Boston, Mass.JPG, Armenian Heritage Park with North Market in background.

References

Armenian genocide memorials Armenian-American culture in Massachusetts Landmarks in Boston Protected areas established in 2010 2010 establishments in Massachusetts {{Boston-geo-stub

Gallery

See also

References