The administrative heads of Armenia’s Shirak Province and Gyumri visited the village bordering the ruins of Ani and attended an event devoted to the raising of a large Armenian tricolor national flag.

Governor Tigran Petrosyan, Mayor of Gyumri Samvel Balasanyan and the persons accompanying them visited Kharkov village, which is separated from the ruins of the historic Armenian capital of Ani by just one gorge. At the initiative of three Russia-based friends, a 5-meter wide and 10-meter long Armenian tricolor national flag was waved and a memorial cross-stone was erected here.

Governor of Shirak Province Tigran Petrosyan went live from Kharkov village and declared the following: “We’re located in front of the historic capital of Ani. Today is a very symbolic and important day. The symbol of the day is the remembrance of the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide, but there is a great ceremony for perpetuation of the victims’ memory. Today a 5-meter wide Armenian tricolor flag is being waved in front of Ani through the efforts of the Aslanyan, Grigoryan and Khranyan families.”

The three Russia-based friends visited Kharkov village on the Armenian-Turkish border, saw that the Armenian national flag is smaller than the Turkish one, erected cross-stones and a 24-meter high bar on which the Armenian tricolor national flag was waved today, and they did all this in 3-4 days.

The cross-stones were consecrated, and people’s singer Murad Malkhasyan performed the song “Tesnem Anin oo Nor Mernem” (To See Ani and Die).