Assembly of Armenia’s mega-Jesus statue moves ahead despite local backlash

A record-breaking statue of Jesus Christ has reportedly entered the final stages of construction in Armenia after years of delays, controversy, and legal setbacks.

The 33-meter aluminium figure of Christ will stand atop a 44-meter pedestal, giving the monument a total height of 77 meters, which would make it the tallest Jesus statue in the world, as reported by RadioFreeEurope/Radio Liberty.

The statue is being built on a larger structural complex that includes a visitor centre, bringing the full scale of the project to 101 meters — surpassing even New York’s iconic Statue of Liberty, which stands 93 meters tall, including its pedestal. The chosen height of 33 meters is intended to symbolise the 33 years of Jesus’ life.

Armenia’s massive project was first announced in 2022 by businessman and former politician Gagik Tsarukian. Yet the proposal quickly drew criticism from the Armenian Apostolic Church, which argued the monument promoted idolatry and undermined Armenia’s long Christian tradition.

Richard Giragosian, head of the Yerevan-based Regional Studies Centre, told RFE/RL that public opinion toward the project has also been largely negative.

“Both the original idea and the driving force behind the project are rooted in the personal ego of [Tsarukian], one of the more egregious corrupt Armenian oligarchs,” he said. Giragosian added that many Armenian Christians believe the money would have been better spent supporting churches and religious institutions.

Despite objections from the church, the Armenian government initially approved the project. But construction hit a major obstacle when a groundbreaking ceremony damaged an ancient fortress before final planning permission had been issued.

The plans were subsequently suspended. In 2025, Culture Minister Zhanna Andreasyan announced that the monument could not be built at its original location atop Mount Hatis, about 30 kilometres from Yerevan, because of archaeological concerns.

Construction resumed later that year after the foundations were relocated several hundred meters away and new permits were granted.

The monument currently sits in three massive sections in the nearby village of Zovuni, awaiting transport by helicopter to the construction site. A spokesperson for the project told the outlet that the statue could be fully assembled by 2027.

The current world record belongs to the Jesus Christ the Saviour statue in Sumatra, Indonesia, which stands 61 meters tall on an 8-meter base. It took the title in 2024 from Poland’s Christ the King statue in the western town of Świebodzin.

Before that, the record had been held for nearly eight decades by Rio de Janeiro’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue, which stands 38 meters tall, including its pedestal.

By Nazrin Sadigova