Torchlight march reflects strength of Armenian nation, analyst says

Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan, a political analyst and founder of the Voskanapat Analytical Center, has reflected on the annual torchlight march held on April 23 to commemorate the Armenian Genocide victims.

“I’ve been attending the torchlight march since around 2000 or 2001. Back then, I first met Ishkhan Saghatelyan while organizing the event through the ARF’s Nikol Aghbalyan Student Union. Looking back, I realize the march carries much deeper meaning than simply paying tribute to the 1.5 million genocide victims at Tsitsernakaberd. It's not just about remembrance or even demanding justice. It’s about our identity, who we are as a people, our past, present and future,” he wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.

“Since its inception, the true elite of our nation have walked in this march, which is our greatest wealth. Want to see the strength of our nation? Look at the number of the torchlight procession participants. Want to see its future? Look into their eyes. Want to understand our will? Listen to their voices and their silence. Want to be a true Armenian? Be a small part of the torchlight march wherever you are,” he added.

The 2025 torchlight march begins tonight at 7:15 p.m. from Republic Square in Yerevan.