Armenia rarely sees projects that simultaneously touch religion, politics, national psychology, and money. Gagik Tsarukyan’s initiative to erect a monumental statue of Jesus Christ on Mount Hatis is exactly that kind of story. It is not just a construction site — it is an attempt to create a symbol so visible that neither supporters nor critics can ignore it.
The project has been debated for years. In 2022, the Armenian government announced a preliminary positive assessment, a public groundbreaking followed — and then controversy quickly emerged, including concerns about an archaeologically significant area and environmental and regulatory questions that led to interruptions and scrutiny.
“The biggest in the world”: record or branding?
The initiative is frequently framed as the “world’s tallest” or “largest” statue of Christ. Many reports describe a configuration of a 33-meter statue on a 44-meter pedestal — about 77 meters total, which would indeed be a record-level claim if built exactly as described.
At the same time, other Armenian-language outlets mention different figures (for example, 101 meters), suggesting either inconsistent reporting or evolving project specifications across phases.
In plain terms: the word “largest” works as a visibility engine — and visibility is the real currency of such monuments.
What could it bring to Armenia — the practical case
1) Tourism and a new landmark.
Supporters and official statements have linked the idea to attracting visitors: a destination easy to “package” internationally and route into regional tourism. The government’s 2022 framing also highlighted tourism potential.
2) A post-trauma symbolic reset.
Public messaging around the project often speaks in the language of unity, hope, and national revival — a visual anchor meant to provide emotional stability in a society shaped by recent shocks.
3) Social mobilization through participation.
Project communications emphasize “belonging to everyone” — Armenia, the diaspora, Christians — a narrative that turns a private initiative into a collective storyline.
Why the controversy persists
In Armenia, a religious symbol is never only religious. It is identity and tradition.
The Armenian Apostolic Church and various experts raised objections to the very form of a monumental statue, arguing it conflicts with Armenian iconographic and liturgical tradition, where cross-stones (khachkars) and established sacred imagery hold a central place.
A second layer of critique is cultural and environmental: Mount Hatis as a landscape with heritage sensitivity and regulatory constraints. Investigative and civic outlets documented the institutional friction and the questions surrounding work on the site.
And there is a third layer — social optics. Many ask why, in a country facing socioeconomic pressures, a major symbolic megaproject is prioritized over schools, healthcare, and everyday needs — even if the funding is private.
What legacy is Tsarukyan trying to leave?
Strip away party politics and the human motivation becomes easier to read.
This is not only a statue. It is an attempt at lasting authorship — a monument designed to outlive headlines, elections, and scandals. In a society where wealthy figures are often remembered through controversy, a monumental project is also an attempt to rewrite the final line of a biography: not merely businessman/politician, but a patron of national scale.
The conclusion: pride — or a long-running cultural conflict
If the project is executed with care — respecting landscape, heritage, and cultural context — it could become a powerful landmark and a genuine tourism asset.
If it is perceived as a display of power and money imposed on tradition and nature, it will not be remembered as “faith,” but as “division.”
The paradox is sharp: the statue is meant to symbolize peace — yet the road to that symbol in Armenia runs through a debate about what the country holds sacred: image, tradition, or sheer scale.
By Lida Nalbandyan, Founder and CEO of Octopus Media Group