Armenia’s Ministry of Environment has approved the construction of a large Jesus Christ statue complex on Mount Hatis, a dormant volcano located approximately 30 kilometers northeast of Yerevan. On April 3, Minister of Environment Hakob Simidyan signed a positive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), clearing the way for the project to proceed.
The statue is a project of the Gagik Tsarukyan Charitable Foundation.
It will stand 33 meters tall and be part of a multi-level complex featuring a café, exhibition hall, visitor service area, restrooms, and a 1,300-meter cableway connecting the site to lower access points.
The structure will be built from monolithic reinforced concrete and clad in travertine panels. The design includes accessibility features such as ramps and stairways between levels.
According to the Ministry of Environment, the statue will be located between 5 and 125 meters from specially protected zones on the mountain.
These zones were defined in 2024 as part of the registration of Hatis Volcano as a geological natural monument.
The ministry stated that the project must comply with the Law on Specially Protected Areas of Nature, particularly Article 19, which outlines requirements for water usage, construction safety, and environmental standards.
Construction is expected to last 36 months. The project plans to involve local community members and create jobs during and after construction.
Mount Hatis, also known as Shamiram’s Mountain, rises to 2,528 meters above sea level and contains around twenty cultural and historical monuments registered in Armenia’s official list.
In 2019, an Armenian-Italian archaeological expedition uncovered a Bronze-Iron Age site at the summit.
In July 2022, Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (MESCS) ordered a halt to construction on the mountain, citing concerns about the proximity of the statue to historical and cultural sites.
The ministry had received a letter from the charitable foundation outlining the project but said it had not received a follow-up confirming the statue would be placed outside conservation zones, as required by law.
Despite these concerns, the Armenian government gave preliminary approval to the statue plan in July 2022.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed support for the idea, saying it could help promote tourism in Armenia. A ceremony was held shortly afterward, attended by Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan and World Tourism Organization Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.
The Mother See of the Armenian Apostolic Church has publicly opposed the project, stating that such a statue does not align with the church’s teachings.
The Ministry of Environment states it will be monitoring the project to ensure that the construction does not negatively impact the natural or cultural features of Mount Hatis.
