Ruben Albeshyan, grandson of Danish missionary Maria Jacobsen (founder of the Birds’ Nest orphanage in Beirut for children saved from the Armenian Genocide), shared memories of his grandmother in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Ruben visited the plaque dedicated to his grandmother at Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan with flowers today.

“I come with flowers every year. I take pride in my grandmother. We all take pride in her for the contributions that she made to save the children,” Maria’s grandson said.

Ruben’s family returned to Armenia in the mid-1950s and settled in the Odzun village of Tumanyan region. The mother founded a kindergarten in the village and worked there until the day she died, after which Ruben moved to Yerevan.

A part of the exhibition at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute is devoted to Maria Jacobsen and features her famous diary. The orphanage she founded in Beirut operates to this day.

“This is a unique orphanage where children forget about their national belonging. There are witnesses of the Armenian Genocide, including Maria Jacobsen. There are documents, and Turkey’s attempts to deny the facts are senseless,” Ruben said. His dream is to see a school or street named after his grandmother in Yerevan.