Sardarabad Memorial

The Sardarabad Memorial is located 25 kilometers from Echmiadzin.  In violation of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty with soviet Russia, Turkish troops crossed the border in 1918 and attacked Alexandropol (Leninakan).  The aggressor intended to crush Eastern Armenia and seize Transccaucasia.  When Alexandropol fell, the Turkish Army poured into the Ararat Valley – the heart of Armenia.  There was a major engagement at Sardarabad on May 22-26, where the Turkish Army was defeated and retreated.

A memorial park was laid out on the battlefield in 1968.  The entrance is flanked by huge winged oxen made of red tuff.  A flight of steps leads to a square from which a 26-metre-high bell tower rises.  The beautiful trellis structure with its nine bells can be seen from afar.  The bells ring every year on the day of the historic victory.  A lane of eagles, symbolizing the spirit of the fearless fighting men, leads to a curved Wall of Victory (length – 55 meters, height – 7 meters) with scenes of the battle, and the figure of a woman with a child – a symbol of revival.