Today, at 12 p.m., the temporary exhibition dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Smyrna disaster opened in the Armenian Genocide Museum.
The director of the Armenian Genocide Museum and Institute Hayk Demoyan gave an opening remark, where he noted: “The fire of Smyrna announced the birth of a new state, which appeared on the World map as a result of Young Turks’ genocidal policy. Thus, Smyrna Disaster became the last episode of the Armenian Genocide and the starting point of the Kemalists' "Turkey for Turks" state-building policy".
Vasiliki Dikopulu, acting Ambassador of Greece to the Republic of Armenia, gave her gratitude remark during the opening ceremony.
Documents, photos, postcards concerning the life of the Armenians of Smyrna as well as unique photos, papers from the AGMI collection which present the fire of Smyrna, one of the major sea ports of Asia Minor and Kemalist massacres of tens of thousands of Armenians and Greeks in September, 1922, are included in this exhibition.
After the opening of the temporary exhibition an academic session dedicated to Smyrna Disaster hold in the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute's Komitas hall. The director of the Armenian Genocide Museum and Institute Hayk Demoyan, Verjine Svazlyan, researchers of AGMI Tehmine Martoyan and Gevorg Vardanyan presented their papers regarding Smyrna disaster, the historical memory of the Armenian population, the Turkish genocidal policy as well as the particularities of the Armenian and Greek genocides.
The screening of a short literary film dedicated to the memory of the Armenian and Greek population of Smyrna concluded the academic session.