During a ceremony on Tuesday a monument dedicated to the heroes of Operation Nemesis was inaugurated in Yerevan’s Ring Park, attended by public, cultural figures, academicians, as well as descendants of the participants in the operation.
Kamo Areyan, who conceived of the monument project, said that 108 years ago in April, an entire country was covered in blood, but the Armenians responded to a premeditated state plan to wipe Armenians from the face of the world and leave Armenia off the map. But with the battles of Sardarabad in 1918 the Republic of Armenia was established, Armenpress reported.
“And the initiative of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation in 1919, a decision was made to avenge the massacre of Armenians and restore our dignity,” Areyan said.
“Those who implemented ‘Operation Nemesis’ were intellectual Armenians—the best ones, the most dedicated ones. These men’s graves are scattered all over the world,” Areyan added, expressing his satisfaction that finally it will be possible to honor their memory in Armenia, in Yerevan.
Also present at the event was journalist Artyom Yerkanyan who is a descendant of Operation Nemesis hero Aram Yerganian. In his presentation at the foot of the monument Yerkanyan said the the Armenians owe a debt to “the avengers” for providing our nation dignity.
“Can you imagine what would have happened if Operation Nemesis hadn’t happened?” asked Yerkanyan. “We would be a sick nation, suffering from psychological complications. I often compare them to psychiatrists. They made us feel worthy. These people are not terrorists, but the executors of the just verdict that was given by a legitimate legal court.”
“I believe that any Turk who wants to feel dignified should come, bow before this monument and remember that the first country that recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide was Turkey, which later abandoned that principle.” Yerkanyan concluded.
Tigran Avinyan, Yerevan’s Deputy Mayor, said the Nemesis story represents the will of the Armenian nation to restore justice.
“The courage shown by the people whose names are etched on the monument has three main meanings. First of all, it was the act of deciding and carrying out the punishment of the criminals, the second was to provide a positive outlook to a suffering people, and to record the fact that throughout history, crimes do not go unpunished regardless of how the international community treats them. What Nemesis did was understandable for everyone, it was fair for everyone, but our goal should be to prevent possible crimes, to create mechanisms to bring criminals to justice. That should be our main message,” Avinyan emphasized.
The ARF Representative Convention of 1919, when they agreed to carry out Operation Nemesis. This photo includes five known Operation Nemesis participants: Armen Garo, first row, fourth from the left; Zadig Matigian, fourth from the right; Aaron Sachaklian, second row, second from the right; Shahan Natalie, second row, third from the right; and Zaven Nalbandian, top row, seventh from the left. (Photo from the Marian Mesrobian MacCurdy/Kerning Cultures
The ARF 1919 World Congress resolved to avenge the deaths of Armenians by targeting the organizers and perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide. The decision known as the “special project,” later was named “Operation Nemesis,” after the Greek goddess of justice and retribution.
The names of the heroes who participated in Operation Nemesis are engraved on new monument in Yerevan.
