The Armenian Genocide monument

This monument dedicated to the struggle of the Armenians stands on the Khrisostomou Smirnis square in Nea Smirni.

The "bell", as it's tenderly called by the Armenians of the Community, was created by the Armenian National Committee of Greece marking a place of rememberence in Nea Smirni with the help of the then Mayor Mr. Babis Bekhlivanidis who had strong feelings for the armenian people.
The artist, the sculptor Vasilis Kapadais was the one to give form to the desire of the Committee and collaborated with the Mayor and the committee all through the project.

The bell symbolizes the nostalgy for the return to the homeland. The "scars", traces and marks of brutality on it refer to the sad route of the armenian people, specially during the years of the Genocide. The struggle of the armenian nation, the fight for justice, the promise to win are represented by the sword, bound to the bell.

"The Struggle of the Armenians" wrote the hand of the artist on the stone, heritage to the next generations and the monument, the stone and the metal became an oath warming the hearts of the Armenians.

The "bell" is also well-known outside Greece. All the Armenians of the Diaspora hugged it and some of them even came all the way to visit it, to find out the strong relations between the Greek and the Armenian people, to look for the inscriptions on the stone, the "scars", the words.

The materials used for the monument and the whole synthesis reveal the emotions, the determination and the struggle of the armenian people for justice.

The "bell" waits for the next generations knowing that they will respond to its calling.