Vardan Stepanyan (; March 9, 1966 – July 3, 1992), better known as Dushman Vardan, was an

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

military commander during the

First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in th ...

. He is considered a hero in Armenia.

Early life and service in Afghanistan

Vardan Stepanyan was born on March 9, 1966, in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...

, Soviet Armenia. After finishing the Tumanyan School #32 of Yerevan in 1983, he was drafted to the Soviet army. He served in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

from 1984 to 1986. For his service there, Stepanyan was awarded with Medal "For Courage" and Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR". After being discharged from the Red Army, Stepanyan was admitted into the Yerevan State University Department of Law.

Karabakh war

Stepanyan joined the Karabakh movement in early 1988. He initially led the group of Armenian veterans of the Afghanistan War in transferring weapons and equipment to Karabakh Armenians. Since 1989, Stepanyan participated in self-defense in Ijevan,

Noyemberyan Noyemberyan ( hy, Նոյեմբերյան) is a town and urban municipal community in the northeast of Armenia, within the Tavush Province. It is located 2 km west of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and 9 km south of the Armenia-Georgia bo ...

Shamshadin The Shamshadin District ( hy, Շամշադինի շրջան) was a ''raion'' (district) of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1929 and later in 1991 of the Republic of Armenia until its disestablishment in 1995. The Shamshadin district to ...

. Ararat, Vardenis and Goris. In 1991 amid the escalation of the

, Stepanyan moved to Karabakh and took active role in the battles in Khojaly, Lesnoy, Krzhkan,

Malybeyli Malibeyli ( az, Malıbəyli) or Ajapnyak ( hy, Աջափնյակ) is a village ''de facto'' part of Stepanakert city in the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' in the Shusha District of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), ...

, Lachin,

Martakert Martakert ( hy, Մարտակերտ, also , ) or Aghdara ( az, Ağdərə ) is a town ''de facto'' in the breakaway Republic of Artsakh as the administrative capital of its Martakert Province, ''de jure'' in the Tartar District of Azerbaijan, in ...

Askeran Askeran ( hy, Ասկերան or , ; az, Əsgəran) is a town ''de facto'' in the Republic of Artsakh as the administrative centre of its Askeran Province, ''de jure'' in the Khojaly District of Azerbaijan, in the Political status of Nagorno-Ka ...

, Berdadzor, etc. In December 1991, the last Soviet forces withdrew from the region leaving Armenian irregulars against Azerbaijanis one on one. The Azerbaijan forces soon encircled

Stepanakert / az, Xankəndi, italic=no , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = File:StepanakertCollage.jpg , imagesize = 300px , image_caption = From top left: Holy Mother ...

, the largest city of Karabakh. He successfully led the Armenian volunteers in a battle against Azerbaijanis in Stepanakert's Krkjan district. On May 8–9, 1992, the Armenian forces captured Shusha, thus breaking the siege of Stepanakert and forcing the Azeris to retreat. Stepanyan actively participated in the "Liberation of Shushi" as Armenians say it. Azerbaijan launched

Operation Goranboy Operation Goranboy was a large-scale military offensive by Azerbaijan in the summer of 1992. Its aims were to take complete control of the entire territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and put a decisive end to the secessionist Nagorno-Karabakh Republic ...

in mid-June, pushing Armenian forces back from northern Karabakh. Vardan Stepanyan was killed by a mine explosion on July 3, 1992 in Myurishen village of the Martuni Province.

Legacy and memory

Stepanyan was buried at

Yerablur Yerablur ( hy, Եռաբլուր, translation=based on three hills) or Yerablur Military Pantheon is a military cemetery located on a hilltop in the outskirts of Yerevan, Armenia. Since 1988, Yerablur has become the burial place of Armenian soldie ...

military cemetery in Armenia's capital

. He was posthumously awarded with First Degree Order of the Combat Cross of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in 1993 and Second Degree Order of the Combat Cross of Armenia in 1996. One of the auditoriums of the Department of Law of the Yerevan State University was named after him in 1994. A street in Shusha was named "Dushman Vardan Stepanyan", while his museum operates in Yerevan. A statue of him was erected near Myurishen village.

References

;Notes ;Citations {{DEFAULTSORT:Stepanyan, Vardan 1966 births 1992 deaths Military personnel from Yerevan Soviet military personnel of the Soviet–Afghan War Armenian military personnel of the Nagorno-Karabakh War Armenian military personnel killed in action Artsakh military personnel