Armenian businessman and former political leader Gagik Tsarukian said on September 4 that installation work has begun on what is billed as the world’s tallest statue of Jesus Christ, reviving a controversial project that was previously halted by cultural authorities and criticised by the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The 67-year-old tycoon announced in a Facebook post that the statue, to be erected atop Mount Hatis, an extinct volcano northeast of Yerevan, will soon “advance rapidly” after numerous delays.

“Dear compatriots, Armenians of the world, real friends of my country and people, I want to share some good news,” Tsarukian wrote. “With this statue a new page will be opened in our country, new hopes and successes.”

The project, designed by sculptor Armen Manvelian, involves a 33-metre Christ figure – three metres taller than Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. It will be mounted on a 44-metre pedestal, bringing the total height of the monument to 77 metres. A complex including a café, exhibition hall and cable car is also planned.

Tsarukian said his family will cover all the costs, despite offers of financial support from Armenians abroad. “I had to reject such proposals, since my family has decided to fully fund the project,” he wrote.

To meet what he described as a “great desire of people to participate”, Tsarukian promised to create opportunities for symbolic involvement. “Every Armenian, from any part of the world, will be able to plant a tree, bring a bucket of soil, lay a stone, be able to pray … Generations will be proud of it,” he said.

He also pledged to work alongside builders on site. “I will be on the construction site next to the builder, doing labour with the labourer, gladly do any work needed on site. Anyone interested can do the same,” he said.

Tsarukian first unveiled the idea in 2022, calling the statue a “guardian of our country and people”. But the project drew opposition. The Armenian Apostolic Church said it was inappropriate and contradicted national religious traditions, while environmentalists and archaeologists warned of risks to Mount Hatis, home to dozens of ancient monuments including a Bronze Age fortress.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture ordered a halt to the works in July 2022, only a day after a ceremonial launch. Authorities cited the site’s archaeological value and lack of clear permits. Tsarukian later pledged to amend the plans.

It remains unclear whether the government has formally approved the revised project. Neither the ministry nor the church has recently commented.

Tsarukian, one of Armenia’s wealthiest men, is the founder of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), which failed to secure seats in parliament in the 2021 election. He was arrested in 2020 on vote-buying charges he rejected as politically motivated, and has largely stayed out of politics since then.