Hemshin Armenians residing in Russia and all over the globe were deeply concerned over demolition of monument to General Andranik Ozanyan in Sochi.

“Andranik Ozanyan is not only a national hero but our compatriot, native of Trabzon vilayet of the Ottoman Empire just like many Armenian residents of Sochi. It is not a mere coincidence that Armenians of Sochi were initiators of the monument,” reads the statement of Hemshin Armenians in Russia.

Hemshin Armenians are a group of ethnic Armenians who have been affiliated with the Hemsin district of Turkey.

“Dismantling of the monument is not only a sacrilege to the memory of Andranik, but also to the memory of our ancestors,” they said adding that Hamshin Armenians of Russia consider demolition as an act of vandalism.