Wales Genocide Memorial facts for kids

The Wales Genocide Memorial is a special monument located in the garden of the Temple of Peace in Cardiff, Wales. It was built to remember the many people who suffered during the Armenian Genocide. This terrible event happened in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1922, when the Turkish government harmed the Armenian population.

When Was the Memorial Opened?

The Wales Genocide Memorial was officially opened on November 2, 2007. It was built because the Wales-Armenian Society wanted to create a place of remembrance. A special religious service was held by Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian from the Armenian Apostolic Church of Great Britain.

Many important people attended the opening ceremony. These included Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, who was the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly of Wales at the time. David Yeoman, an Assistant Bishop from Llandaff, and Vahe Gabrielyan, the Armenian Ambassador to the UK, were also there. More than 300 people came to witness the event. During the ceremony, some people protested the memorial.

What Happened to the Memorial?

Armenian Genocide Memorial in Wales after it was damaged on January 27, 2008

In the early morning of January 27, 2008, the beautiful Armenian Cross on the memorial was damaged. Someone used a hammer to break it, and the hammer was found nearby. Eilian Williams from Wales Armenia Solidarity spoke out against this act. It happened just hours before a special service was planned to remember Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, and Hrant Dink.

The hammer found at the scene after the memorial was damaged

Eilian Williams said that they would fix the cross every time it was damaged. This showed their strong commitment to keeping the memorial intact.