First school in France named after resistance hero Missak Manouchian

The central high school of Châtenay-Malabry, a town near Paris, has been renamed after Missak and Mélinée Manouchian.

The decision was made unanimously by the Council of the Ile-de-France region, the Armenian Embassy in France reported on Tuesday.

This is the first school in France to be named after French resistance hero Missak Manouchian.

The ceremony began with school students reading out Missak Manouchian’s poems. The school principal, along with history and philosophy teachers, delivered speeches highlighting the purpose of the initiative and stressing the importance of preserving the memory of Manouchian and his fellow fighters.

The ceremony was attended by Vice President of the French Senate Pierre Ouzoulias, members of the National Assembly and Senate, representatives of regional, departmental and city authorities, as well as members of the French-Armenian community.

Armenian Ambassador to France Hasmik Tolmajian also attended the event, expressing her gratitude to Châtenay-Malabry Mayor Carl Segaud for the initiative.