Arrest of Armenian tycoon slows construction of giant Jesus statue

By Lia Avagyan

Construction of a monumental statue of Jesus Christ on Armenia’s Mount Hatis is continuing, but work has slowed following the arrest of the project’s main sponsor, businessman and Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan.

The 33-meter statue itself is being built in Zovuni, outside Yerevan, while a 44-meter reinforced-concrete pedestal is under construction near the summit of Mount Hatis. Once completed, the statue is expected to be transported to the mountain and installed on the pedestal. 

CivilNet traveled nine kilometers up the mountain to see the progress of a project that has been under construction for several years and whose completion date has repeatedly been pushed back.

Near the summit, workers are building the massive pedestal that will eventually support the statue. They told CivilNet that about 60 percent of the work was complete, but construction had slowed over the past two months. Cable-car pylons have already been installed along the route up the mountain, while supporting infrastructure is also under construction.

Tsarukyan first announced plans for the statue in January 2022. Since then, the projected opening date has changed several times.

In May 2023, Tsarukyan said the complex was expected to open in 2024. A year later, the target was moved to the end of 2025. In March 2025, project representatives said the statue was expected to become visible on the mountain in 2026.

Prosperous Armenia spokesperson Iveta Tonoyan said the project had subsequently been scheduled for installation in 2027, but Tsarukyan’s legal troubles have disrupted the work.

“The construction of the Jesus Christ statue is continuing. It had been planned in advance that the statue would be installed in 2027,” Tonoyan told CivilNet. “Naturally, because of the developments surrounding Gagik Tsarukyan, many activities within the project have now slowed down.”

Arrest disrupts supply chain

Tsarukyan was arrested and later remanded in custody in July 2026, a month after Armenia’s parliamentary elections.

His Prosperous Armenia party had come close to clearing the threshold required to enter parliament. But after the Central Electoral Commission annulled voting results at two polling stations, the party fell below the threshold.

Tsarukyan is now accused of organizing large-scale fraud and money laundering. Several businesses belonging to him have been sealed as part of the criminal investigation, while his largest enterprise, the Ararat cement plant, has been placed under state management.

The legal measures have had a direct impact on the Mount Hatis project.

Another Tsarukyan-owned business, Multi Stone, was supposed to supply the stone used to clad the statue complex. The company is now sealed and is not operating.

“The facing stone for the Jesus Christ statue is supplied by Multi Stone, which is currently sealed,” Tonoyan said. “This creates an objective problem with stone supplies because the company is not operating.” She said the disruption has also affected agreements with partner organizations, including negotiations and planned reciprocal visits.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the project, its construction has already had an impact on nearby communities. Property prices in the villages of Zovashen, Kaputan and Hatis at the foot of the mountain have risen as work on the complex has progressed.

From tourism project to archaeological controversy

The Armenian government initially welcomed Tsarukyan’s proposal. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in 2022 that the government did not oppose the initiative and suggested the monument could become a significant tourist attraction.

“We believe that it will substantially increase tourism interest in the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinyan said at the time, adding that relevant state agencies should consider the project within appropriate deadlines.

The project later ran into a different complication.

Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports said archaeological excavations at the initially planned construction site had uncovered traces of a Bronze and Iron Age fortress. The discovery forced the developers to move the monument slightly below the summit.

The pedestal is now being built at the new site.

The statue itself has already been manufactured. The sculpture of Jesus is 33 meters tall and weighs an estimated 17 to 20 metric tons. It is designed to stand on a 44-meter reinforced-concrete pedestal, bringing the structure’s total height to about 77 meters.

For now, however, the statue remains off the mountain. With work slowed and the project’s principal sponsor in custody, no confirmed date exists for when it will finally be installed above the villages surrounding Mount Hatis.