Shahen Zinavori Meghrian ( hy, Շահեն Զինավորի Մեղրյան; 2 January 1952 – 17 April 1993) was an

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

n military commander and political activist.La crise du Haut Karabakh, une citadelle assiégée ? François Thual, enjeux stratégiques, 2002
He was known as the Eagle of Shahumian ( hy, Շահումյանի արծիվ, ''Shahumiani Ardziv'').Shahen Meghrian // Aravot Daily, 17.04.2008
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Biography

Meghrian was born in a traditional and well-known Armenian family of Gulistan village. He finished the local school of Gulistan, then continued his education at

Yerevan State University Yerevan State University (YSU; hy, Երևանի Պետական Համալսարան, ԵՊՀ, ''Yerevani Petakan Hamalsaran''), also simply University of Yerevan, is the oldest continuously operating public university in Armenia. Founded in 1919 ...

. After graduation Meghrian became the chief economist of manufacturing and production in the Shahumian region. In 1988 he formed the first Defense brigade of Shahumian. In 1990 Meghrian successfully led the Battle of Manashid. In 1990 he joined the

Armenian Revolutionary Federation The Armenian Revolutionary Federation ( hy, Հայ Յեղափոխական Դաշնակցութիւն, ՀՅԴ ( classical spelling), abbr. ARF or ARF-D) also known as Dashnaktsutyun (collectively referred to as Dashnaks for short), is an Armenian ...

. In the summer of 1991 he became the commander of the Shahumian defense forces. From 28 December 1991 he was also a member of the parliament of the

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a list of states with limited recognition, breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan ...

. After the forced deportations of the population of Shahumian region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Meghrian had a speech that ended with words: "Shahumian is occupied, but isn't defeated!" In June 1992, Meghryan formed a detachment of 25 people in the village of

Haterk Haterk ( hy, Հաթերք) or Hasanriz ( az, Həsənriz) is a village ''de facto'' in the Martakert Province of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' in the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The ...

and went behind enemy lines in the

Martakert region Martakert Province ( hy, Մարտակերտ) is a province of the Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The population is mainly Armenian. The province has 43 communities of which one is considered urban and 42 a ...

. Meghryan's detachment participated in the recapture of a number of villages in the Martakert region, including Haterk, Aknaberd,

Mataghis Madagiz ( hy, Մատաղիս, Mataghis) or Sugovushan (, ), is a village in the Tartar District of Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The village had an ethnic Armenian-majority population prior to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

Tonashen Tonashen (; ) or Tapakend ( az, Təpəkənd) is a village ''de facto'' in the Martakert Province of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' in the Tartar District of Azerbaijan, in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The village has ...

, Dastagir, and the Sarsang Reservoir. On 11 March 1993, Meghryan was appointed the commander of a military unit by the Ministry of Defense of Armenia. On 17 April 1993, he was killed along with several of his comrades-in-arms when their helicopter was shot down while they were flying from Shahumian to Armenia. On 24 October 2014, he was posthumously awarded the title

Hero of Artsakh Hero of Artsakh ( hy, Արցախի հերոս, Artsakhi heros) is the highest title of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. According to the official website of the President of Artsakh, the title Hero of Artsakh "is awarded for exceptional se ...

References

External links

Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meghrian, Shahen 1952 births 1993 deaths People from Shahumyan Region Yerevan State University alumni Armenian military personnel of the Nagorno-Karabakh War National Hero of Armenia Burials at Yerablur