Backlash Meets Plans for World's Biggest Jesus Statue

One of Armenia's richest and most polarizing men is trying to "inscribe my name in history" with a mountain-sized monument. The Guardian's Pjotr Sauer profiles Gagik Tsarukyan, an oligarch with a private zoo and a taste for big-game trophies, who now wants to install what would be the world's tallest statue of Jesus atop Mount Hatis, overlooking Yerevan. At 101 meters (331 feet), it's designed to outdo Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer and even edge past the Statue of Liberty, and Tsarukyan pitches it as a tourist magnet and a bold statement of Armenia's ancient Christian identity.

The pushback has been just as outsized. Armenia's Apostolic Church says the mega-statue—now in three pieces awaiting installation—clashes with the country's religious and architectural traditions, while environmentalists warn of damage to the mountain. All this plays out as Tsarukyan's political fortunes sink in the face of tax-related charges. Still, he says he has nothing to fear as he doubles down on plans for a surrounding Christian theme zone, including a full-scale Noah's Ark with a museum and hotel. For a vivid look at the man, the money, and the fight over what kind of symbol Armenia should project, read the full piece at the Guardian.