From Christ's statue to a private zoo and allegations of rape. The Guardian's article about Tsarukyan.
22-06-2026 12:36:13 | Armenia | Press of Diaspora
Armenian Time. The authoritative British publication The Guardian has published an extensive article about the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, Gagik Tsarukyan, titled “The Armenian billionaire has a private zoo. Now he wants to build the world’s largest statue of Jesus.”
The article addresses Tsarukyan's past, political failures, and recent criminal cases, as well as the statue of Jesus Christ being built on Mount Hatis and the goals associated with that statue:
The author describes Tsarukyan's mansion, which features a private zoo with lions, tigers, and stuffed animals of wild creatures he has killed:
“With his private zoo, marble mansions, and a collection of luxury cars, he may seem like a memory of the post-Soviet boom years, when fortunes were amassed at a dizzying pace and displayed without any concern for subtlety,” the article states.
In one paragraph of the introduction, referring to the recent elections, the author primarily presents the initiative for the statue of Jesus and Tsarukyan's visions:
“In this month’s parliamentary elections, receiving less than 4% of the votes, Tsarukyan has little chance of ever leading Armenia, yet one of the country’s richest and most enigmatic individuals remains determined to leave his mark on the nation.”
The statue of Jesus Christ he has chosen will be the tallest statue in the world, erected on the summit of a mountain 2500 meters (8200 feet) high overlooking Yerevan:
The Armenian Apostolic Church has repeatedly opposed the project, arguing that its scale and style do not align with Armenia's religious and architectural traditions.
The proposal has also faced criticism from environmentalists, who warn that the construction could cause long-term damage to the natural landscape of Hatis.
Tsarukyan has ignored the objections of clergy and activists, claiming that he has good relations with the Armenian Apostolic Church and pointing to the eight churches that, according to him, he has financed and erected throughout the country,” the publication states.
The statue is described in the article as “tasteless” and harmful to nature.
“Although Tsarukyan considers it Armenia's new brand, some locals see it differently,” notes The Guardian.
After the completion of the statue of Christ, the 101-meter (331-foot) statue will be erected on the peak of Mount Hatis, about 25 km (15.5 miles) east of Yerevan, making it visible from much of the capital. Tsarukyan noted with apparent satisfaction that it will surpass Brazil's iconic Christ the Redeemer and be slightly taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York.
“We are the oldest Christian nation in the world. It makes sense that we should have the largest statue of Jesus in the world,” Tsarukyan said.
The publication also wrote that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly presented Tsarukyan as “a symbol of the country’s corrupt old order.” Furthermore, according to the article, Pashinyan sometimes brings up dark episodes from his Soviet past, including “a conviction for gang rape in 1979, which was later overturned after Armenia's independence.”
The author did not forget to mention that after the June 7 elections, when Tsarukyan's party did not enter parliament, law enforcement arrived at his estate on charges of tax crimes.
According to local news, he “attempted to flee the country before the charges were announced.”
While Tsarukyan is already showing the projects of the “Noyan Tapan” hotel-café over the phone and insisting that this is how he will write his name in history, the author concludes that the world's largest Jesus has yet to rise on the peak of Hatis.
* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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