Correspondent for the French lyoncapitale.fr Paul Dalas has covered the events dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

-On the occasion of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, Lyon Municipality has organized several events dedicated to the tragic events of 1915.

There will be exhibitions, evenings of commemoration, concerts and conferences to commemorate the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide of 1915 took the lives of more than 1.5 million people. In 2015, Lyon wants to send the message to put an end to all crimes against humanity.

The events will be held between the months of March and June.

Exhibitions

 From March 5 to May 16, photographer Khazhag Ohanian will hold individual and collective exhibitions at the hall of Pulukian Foundation to condemn the barbarities that took place during the Armenian Genocide. Out of all the photos, 14 are large-scale photos portraying scenes of Aleppo with comments by historians and philosophers.

 From April 3 to June 13, photographer Antoin Akujian will hold his exhibition “Cry of Silence” at Sky Blue Gallery. Through his photos, the photographer suggests reviving Armenian remembrance. Out of all the Armenian Genocide survivors of his generation, Akujian is the only survivor whose photos have been showcased in Turkey. The aim of showcasing the photos is to have them serve for the arts as “pioneers” and living evidence.

 Concerts

 The world famous rock band System of a Down will give a concert at Tony Garnier Hall as part of the band’s Wake Up The Souls Tour dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

The band, all the members of which are Armenian, has chosen Lyon to present this unique concert tour.

 All tickets for the April 14concert are sold out.

 Arabella Adainbacher and Vardan Mamikonyan will also perform in Lyon. On April 24 at 22:30, the world famous violinist will accompany the pianist at the concert entitled “A Hundred Concerts In Memory of the Armenians of 1915”.

 Lectures and Discussions

 Lyon will also host lectures and discussions. The conference on “The Armenians: History of People in the Diaspora” will be held at the community library of Lyon’s first district on April 3 at 19:30.

 On April 15, the council of the 3^rd district of Lyon will organize a commemoration event to commemorate the genocides of three nations, including the Armenians, Jews and Durzis .

 On May 6, the speaker at the conference on “Crossed Looks: 100 Years after the Armenian Genocide” will be deported Turkish writer Pinar Selek, who currently lives in France.

 The seminars will end with a conference entitled “The Role of the Religious Factor in the Process of Genocide” at the University of Lyon on June 20 with speeches by experts Jean Pierre Mahe and Dr. Yves Ternon, who will talk about crimes against humanity.

 P. S.: Over the past years, Lyon has established close ties with Armenia. Lyon and Yerevan are sister cities. There are nearly 40,000 Armenians living in the area near Lyon, and another 135,000 live in the Ron Alb district.

 Translation by Hayern Aysor