Khachkar at Sèvres, France

The Manufacture nationale de Sèvres is one of the principal European porcelain factories. It is located in Sèvres, Hauts-de-Seine, France. It is the continuation of Vincennes porcelain, founded in 1740, which moved to Sèvres in 1756. It has been owned by the French crown or government since 1759.

Since March 3, 2001, a khachkar made of ochre-red tuff, mounted on a pedestal in front of the imposing National Museum of Ceramics in Sèvres, has been catching the eye of passersby. Upon closer inspection, one can now pay tribute, in Armenian or French, to the “Memory of the 1,500,000 Armenians who were victims of the genocide perpetrated by the Young Turk government in 1915”, as well as to the “Armenians who died for France.”

The inauguration of this “stone cross,” sculpted in Armenia, brought together about 500 people on a crisp morning. Among them were the Armenian ambassador, Edward Nalbandian, religious authorities, and numerous senators and deputies from nearby constituencies, including Senator Hélène Luc and Deputies René Rouquet, Jean Pierre Fouchet, and Jean-Jacques Guillet.

Historian Yves Ternon and representatives of the Greek, Cypriot, Assyrian communities, as well as the Great Mosque of Paris, also attended the ceremony. Antoine Bagdiguian, president of the AACRA, inaugurated and commented on the monument, which now belongs to the “French heritage, as a sign of recognition, memory, hope, and faith.” The mayor of Sèvres, François Kosciusko-Morizet, and the president of the Hauts-de-Seine General Council, Charles Pasqua, were thanked for having “granted this prestigious location” for the khachkar. Indeed, this very spot was where the Treaty of Sèvres was signed on August 10, 1920. After recalling the Armenians’ contributions and sacrifices in service to France, Alexis Govciyan invited participants to look toward the future and to “engage in dialogue with Turkey and encourage it to confront its history.”

During the second part of the ceremony, additional speeches revealed the symbolic significance of this event, which coincided with the 1700th anniversary of Armenia’s conversion to Christianity. This was the first official event following the recognition of the genocide by parliamentarians and the visit of President Kocharyan. The various addresses highlighted the keen interest in Armenian history shared by the speakers, particularly Jean-Jacques Guillet, deputy of the constituency. Charles Pasqua, a natural orator, mixed personal memories with broader reflections on the commitment of Armenians. His poignant question still resonates: “Erecting a monument to honor the memory of sacrificed Armenians is commendable, but have we truly repaid our debts?” The former minister reaffirmed his reservations about Turkey’s accession to the European Union and concluded with a stanza from “Ils sont tombés” (“They Fell”).

News from Armenia Magazine, Issue 63, April 2001