Gagik Tsarukyan, Armenia's most flamboyant business tycoon and opposition politician, is building the world's tallest statue of Jesus Christ atop Mount Hatis, a 2,500-metre peak overlooking Yerevan. The 101-metre monument, which will dwarf Brazil's Christ the Redeemer and stand slightly taller than New York's Statue of Liberty, is intended to be 'Armenia's calling card', Tsarukyan said during a rare interview at his estate in Arinj village.
Tsarukyan, a former arm-wrestling champion turned businessman and politician, has long been known for his ostentatious displays of wealth. On his sprawling estate, six tigers prowl behind a fence, three lions pace their enclosures, and alligators bask in the heat. Inside a dining hall with a gilded ceiling, a taxidermy menagerie includes white tigers, a stuffed eagle, and bear and wolf pelts, all shot by Tsarukyan himself.
Statue aims to attract global Christian nationalist movement
Tsarukyan hopes the statue will resonate with a growing international movement blending religious faith, nationalism, and cultural conservatism, visible in Donald Trump's Maga movement and far-right parties across Europe. 'Trump is, of course, invited. We hope he comes,' Tsarukyan said, adding that an unofficial American delegation from the US embassy had already visited the mountain site. He claimed that 10 million tourists a year would eventually visit the statue, saying, 'There's nothing else like it in the world. From ocean to ocean, everyone will be talking about it.'
Armenia is widely regarded as the world's oldest officially Christian nation, traditionally dating its conversion to AD301. 'We are the oldest Christian nation in the world. It only makes sense we should have the biggest Jesus statue in the world,' Tsarukyan said.
Church and environmentalists oppose the project
The Armenian Apostolic Church has repeatedly opposed the project, arguing that its mass scale and style sit uneasily with Armenia's religious and architectural traditions. Church leaders say Armenian Christianity has historically expressed itself through monasteries, churches, and khachkars (intricately carved stone crosses), rather than colossal statues modelled on monuments elsewhere. Environmentalists warn that construction could cause lasting damage to the natural landscape of Hatis.
Tsarukyan brushed aside objections, insisting he enjoyed good relations with the church and pointing to eight churches he says he has financed across the country. 'How can a man be afraid? Why be afraid? What will they put me in prison for?' he said when asked about potential legal challenges.
Construction logistics and future plans
Construction of the statue began in 2022 but remains unfinished. The original plan to transport sections by helicopter was abandoned in favour of hauling the enormous pieces up the mountain by truck before assembling them onsite. The statue is being pieced together in a construction yard outside Yerevan before its eventual ascent. Tsarukyan has also begun construction on a giant Noah's Ark nearby—134 metres long, 24 metres wide, and 18 metres high—featuring a museum, hotel, and cafe. 'These projects are sacred. This is how I will inscribe my name in history, for the world to see during my lifetime and long after,' he said.
Political context and controversy
Tsarukyan's Prosperous Armenia party secured less than 4% of the vote in the June parliamentary election, leaving him far from power. The result continued a reversal for a politician who for two decades was one of Armenia's most durable power brokers, building his empire on close ties to former president Robert Kocharyan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who rose to power in the 2018 Velvet Revolution pledging to dismantle Armenia's oligarchic system, has repeatedly cast Tsarukyan as a symbol of the corrupt old order. In his victory speech on 7 June, Pashinyan vowed to jail his political opponents, singling out Tsarukyan, Kocharyan, and billionaire Samvel Karapetyan. The following day, investigators arrived at Tsarukyan's estate to formally charge him with tax-related offences. Local media reported he had attempted to flee the country, but Tsarukyan rejected the allegation, saying he had planned a short trip to the United Arab Emirates but was prevented from boarding his flight.
Public reaction divided
Passersby in Yerevan have stopped to photograph the towering figure and debate its merits. 'It's beautiful. It will make Armenia known across the world. I am really proud of this,' said Arman, a 54-year-old taxi driver. Others were less convinced. 'I don't quite understand why it has to be this big. It's all a bit crass,' said Mariam, a local resident.
