Tweet
STATUE HONORS ARMENIAN WOMEN WHO SURVIVED REPUBLIC'S 1915 GENOCIDE
[ Part 2.2: "Attached Text" ]
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV
Dec 25 2013
By SANDY LOPEZ
View Staff Writer
Gary Deratzou lives comfortably in a quiet Sunrise neighborhood with
his wife, Doris. Despite his relatively peaceful life, he remembers
tragic stories shared by his mother, who lived through the Armenian
Genocide of 1915.
His close connection with his mother is what led him to sponsor a
statue to remember the women who survived the massacre.
"My wife and I used to travel around the world, and we would stop at
different Armenian centers," Deratzou said. "We never saw anything
to honor the Armenian women that escaped the genocide. I wanted to
bring my mother's intentions out into the world and give credit to
these women."
Deratzou was born in Aleppo, Syria, shortly after his father and
mother escaped the Armenian Genocide, which occurred in present-day
Turkey. The genocide took place during World War I and killed an
estimated 1.5 million people.
Michelle Tusan, professor of history at UNLV, said the Armenian
Genocide became recognized as a systematic attempt to exterminate
the Armenian community.
The event is commemorated on April 24, when the government rounded
up hundreds of leaders of the Armenian community and subjected them
to deportation and then executed most of them.
"My mom said that the massacre was very harsh," Deratzou said.
"She remembered those times and told me stories about how much the
women suffered."
Although men were initially targeted, the genocide forced the
deportation of many women and children through the harsh conditions
of the Middle Eastern desert.
"The women showed great courage and strength during the most horrible
of times," Tusan said. "These mothers and children survived in the
most inhospitable circumstances. The survival (of Armenians) was
really based on the courage of these women."
Deratzou and his wife moved to Las Vegas 28 years ago from the East
Coast. Since moving to the city, Deratzou has been involved with the
Armenian community.
In 1988, he founded the Armenian American Cultural Society of Las
Vegas. He has since retired from his position of president, but the
society is still active with nearly 60 members.
Adroushan "Andy" Armenian, secretary of the St. Garabed Armenian
Apostolic Church of Las Vegas and a member of the Armenian American
Cultural Society, said the group continues to honor the memory of the
millions of Armenians who lost their lives during the 1915 genocide
through events and memorials at the church.
Every year on April 24, people from all around the world gather to
have a day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.
With the help of Armenian, Deratzou was able to track down sculptor
Roman Galstyan to create a bronze 8-foot-by-4-foot statue in memory
of Armenian mothers who survived the 1915 genocide and created a new
generation of Armenians.
The statue is titled "The Surviving Mother" and found a home at
the entrance of St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church of Las Vegas,
2054 E. Desert Inn Road.
After three years of planning, the unveiling of the statue occurred
in May under the auspices of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian and
was celebrated with a performance by the Armenian Dancers of Las Vegas.
"The statue has been a magnet for the (Armenian) community,"
Armenian said. "Every single (Armenian) family was affected by the
genocide. People come to take photos with the statue and to honor
these women."
The church, which was established in 1994 and became consecrated this
year, has attracted Armenians from all over Las Vegas.
"The government ordered the killings of male Armenians, including
children," Deratzou said. "My father was in fear of his life, so he ran
away to Syria. Two years later, my mother was able to locate him, and
that's where I was born. I am very thankful for my mother's courage."
The women who stayed in Turkey during those times had to accept the
local religion and marry someone from Turkey, which was against their
Christian faith, Deratzou said.
"I've never seen an acknowledgement of Armenian mothers or women who
ran away," Deratzou said. "I ordered the statue and donated it.
The statue is in memory of Armenian mothers who created our new
generation in America and around the world."
Deratzou said he hopes the statue will teach the new generation of
Armenians to remember their history and cultural roots.
"This is a great accomplishment that he did," Doris Deratzou said.
"We just hope that the young Armenian generation appreciates where
they came from."
Tusan said there are an estimated 800,000 people of Armenian descent
living in the U.S. and 3,078 Armenians living in Clark County.
"These were the generations that were able to survive because of
the women who escaped the genocide," Armenian said. "We are all the
results of the dislocation of millions of Armenians."
http://www.reviewjournal.com/view/sunrise/statue-honors-armenian-women-who-s
urvived-republic-s-1915-genocide
From: A. Papazian
[ Part 2.2: "Attached Text" ]
Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV
Dec 25 2013
By SANDY LOPEZ
View Staff Writer
Gary Deratzou lives comfortably in a quiet Sunrise neighborhood with
his wife, Doris. Despite his relatively peaceful life, he remembers
tragic stories shared by his mother, who lived through the Armenian
Genocide of 1915.
His close connection with his mother is what led him to sponsor a
statue to remember the women who survived the massacre.
"My wife and I used to travel around the world, and we would stop at
different Armenian centers," Deratzou said. "We never saw anything
to honor the Armenian women that escaped the genocide. I wanted to
bring my mother's intentions out into the world and give credit to
these women."
Deratzou was born in Aleppo, Syria, shortly after his father and
mother escaped the Armenian Genocide, which occurred in present-day
Turkey. The genocide took place during World War I and killed an
estimated 1.5 million people.
Michelle Tusan, professor of history at UNLV, said the Armenian
Genocide became recognized as a systematic attempt to exterminate
the Armenian community.
The event is commemorated on April 24, when the government rounded
up hundreds of leaders of the Armenian community and subjected them
to deportation and then executed most of them.
"My mom said that the massacre was very harsh," Deratzou said.
"She remembered those times and told me stories about how much the
women suffered."
Although men were initially targeted, the genocide forced the
deportation of many women and children through the harsh conditions
of the Middle Eastern desert.
"The women showed great courage and strength during the most horrible
of times," Tusan said. "These mothers and children survived in the
most inhospitable circumstances. The survival (of Armenians) was
really based on the courage of these women."
Deratzou and his wife moved to Las Vegas 28 years ago from the East
Coast. Since moving to the city, Deratzou has been involved with the
Armenian community.
In 1988, he founded the Armenian American Cultural Society of Las
Vegas. He has since retired from his position of president, but the
society is still active with nearly 60 members.
Adroushan "Andy" Armenian, secretary of the St. Garabed Armenian
Apostolic Church of Las Vegas and a member of the Armenian American
Cultural Society, said the group continues to honor the memory of the
millions of Armenians who lost their lives during the 1915 genocide
through events and memorials at the church.
Every year on April 24, people from all around the world gather to
have a day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.
With the help of Armenian, Deratzou was able to track down sculptor
Roman Galstyan to create a bronze 8-foot-by-4-foot statue in memory
of Armenian mothers who survived the 1915 genocide and created a new
generation of Armenians.
The statue is titled "The Surviving Mother" and found a home at
the entrance of St. Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church of Las Vegas,
2054 E. Desert Inn Road.
After three years of planning, the unveiling of the statue occurred
in May under the auspices of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian and
was celebrated with a performance by the Armenian Dancers of Las Vegas.
"The statue has been a magnet for the (Armenian) community,"
Armenian said. "Every single (Armenian) family was affected by the
genocide. People come to take photos with the statue and to honor
these women."
The church, which was established in 1994 and became consecrated this
year, has attracted Armenians from all over Las Vegas.
"The government ordered the killings of male Armenians, including
children," Deratzou said. "My father was in fear of his life, so he ran
away to Syria. Two years later, my mother was able to locate him, and
that's where I was born. I am very thankful for my mother's courage."
The women who stayed in Turkey during those times had to accept the
local religion and marry someone from Turkey, which was against their
Christian faith, Deratzou said.
"I've never seen an acknowledgement of Armenian mothers or women who
ran away," Deratzou said. "I ordered the statue and donated it.
The statue is in memory of Armenian mothers who created our new
generation in America and around the world."
Deratzou said he hopes the statue will teach the new generation of
Armenians to remember their history and cultural roots.
"This is a great accomplishment that he did," Doris Deratzou said.
"We just hope that the young Armenian generation appreciates where
they came from."
Tusan said there are an estimated 800,000 people of Armenian descent
living in the U.S. and 3,078 Armenians living in Clark County.
"These were the generations that were able to survive because of
the women who escaped the genocide," Armenian said. "We are all the
results of the dislocation of millions of Armenians."
http://www.reviewjournal.com/view/sunrise/statue-honors-armenian-women-who-s
urvived-republic-s-1915-genocide
From: A. Papazian