In Armenia, a monumental complex with a statue of Jesus Christ, planned to be one of the tallest in the world, is due to rise on the summit of Mount Ates by the end of 2026

In Armenia, a monumental complex with a statue of Jesus Christ, planned to be one of the tallest in the world, is due to rise on the summit of Mount Ates, some 30 km from Yerevan, by the end of 2026. The statue itself will stand 33 metres high, and the monument as a whole, together with its pedestal, will reach about 77 metres.

This impressive symbol of faith in the world's first Christian country will surpass the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio, whose total height, including its 8-metre pedestal, is 38 metres.

The Armenian Apostolic Church, however, has come out against this private initiative of a prominent businessman and politician, since the erection of sculptural images of Christ does not accord with the national spiritual tradition. Ecologists and archaeologists, for their part, have also voiced concern over building works on the site of the ancient fortress where the monument is to be placed.