Armenian monument to mark 25 years of diplomacy with India

CHENNAI: The government of the Republic of Armenia will, through its consulate in Chennai, set up a monument in front of the landmark Victory War Memorial, to mark 25 years of diplomatic ties with India.
Armenian President Serzh Azati Sargsyan will on a visit to Chennai in November lay the foundation stone for the monument, Republic of Armenia consul general (hon) Shivkumar Eashwaran told TOI.He said former chief minister J Jayalalithaa had granted a 3 ground-site to set up the monument.
Ties between India and Armenia, a former Soviet republic in the Caucasus region, have been growing rapidly in recent years, Eashwaran said. The country has signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with various institutions, including with IIT-M, Anna University and Ramachandra Medical College, to promote educational links with the country.
Interestingly, Armenia, which has stepped up efforts to promote foreign investment, is the latest country to play host to Tamil filmmakers. Director Selvaraghavan is currently shooting his latest movie, ‘Mannavan Vanthandi’, in that country, Eashwaran said.
But Armenians also have very old connections with the city.
“They came to Madras more than 300 years ago and settled here,” the Armenian consul general said. Many of the early Armenians in Madras were traders dealing in fine silk, gems and spices. “Others were moneylenders when the British administered the city,” he said.
Armenian merchant Coja Petrus Uscan built Marmalong Bridge in Saidapet in 1728 at a cost of Rs 1 lakh, a fortune in today’s money, and dedicated it to the city. “It was one of the Armenian migrants’ early contributions to the city,” Eashwaran said.
Another vestige of the city’s early connections to the West Asian country is Armenian Street, as is the Armenian Church of Virgin Mary, which merchants from that country built in 1712 and reconstructed in 1772.
“The Armenians of Madras were famous for their printing press and charitable work,” Eashwaran said. “They even set up an Armenian newspaper, ‘Azdarar’ (The Intelligencer), which they printed and distributed in the city.”