‘Garden of Artsakh’ dedicated at Eternal Valley as testament to Armenian culture

A new garden and monument designed to be a testament to Armenian culture was dedicated in a ceremony recently at the Eternal Valley Memorial Park and Mortuary in Newhall.

The “Garden of Artsakh” is also a tribute to the mountain people of the Karabakh region of Armenia and included the installation of a 9-foot monument called “Tatik-Papik.”

Karabakh is internationally recognized to be part of Azerbaijan, but is currently controlled by the Republic of Artsakh, which is supported by Armenia.

“The Garden of Artsakh is an example of our dedication to understanding and serving the diverse cultures of our neighbors and the communities we serve,” said General Manager Richard Nunally. “Eternal Valley Memorial Park looks forward to celebrating with our community members.”

The ceremony also included a blessing of the monument by Archbishop Hovnan Derderian of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church. Derderian helped provide humanitarian aid during the Artsakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020 and has been a staunch advocate for

Armenian causes.

In addition to the blessing, guests to the ceremony were also given

memorial cards that could be filled out with the name of a loved one and hung in the trees of the garden.

Dan Watson/The Signal (Top) Archbishop Hovnan Derderian speaks before the blessing of the 9-foot replica of an Armenian monument known as “Tatik-papik,” which means grandmother and grandfather, during the grand opening of The Garden of Artsakh at Eternal Valley Memorial Park & Mortuary in Newhall.

Dan Watson/The Signal Arthur Keledjian of SCI California Funeral Services Inc. asks attendees to fill out a memorial card for unknown victims of the Armenia Genocide as speaks to attendees.