Armenak Urfanyan (; 28 January 1990 – 2 April 2016) 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 around the ...

serviceman in the

Artsakh Defense Army The Artsakh Defence Army () was the defence force of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh. Established in 1992, it united previously disorganized defence units which were formed in the early 1990s. It was disbanded on 20 September 2023 under t ...

, captain of the

Armed Forces of Armenia The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia (, abbreviated ՀՀ ԶՈՒ, ''HH ZU''), sometimes referred to as the Armenian Army (), is the national military of Armenia. It consists of personnel branches under the General Staff of the Armenian Arme ...

, participant of the Four-Day War. In 2020 he was posthumously awarded the

Hero of Artsakh Hero of Artsakh () was 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 services in the defense of the state, streng ...

military award Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medallion. Civil decorations awarded ...

, which is the highest honorary title of the self-proclaimed

Republic of Artsakh Artsakh ( ), officially the Republic of Artsakh or the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh ( ), was a breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory was internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Between 1991 and 2023, Artsakh cont ...

. During the Four-Day War, Urafanyan realized that it was impossible to resist the Azerbaijani forces, exceeding in number and military equipment, he decided to fight by himself, commanding the soldiers to retreat.

Kyaram Sloyan Kyaram or Qyaram Sloyan (; 27 April 1996 – 1/2 April 2016) was an Artsakh Defense Army soldier who was killed during the 2016 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes. After his death, he was beheaded, with videos and pictures showing Azerbaijani soldi ...

Robert Abajyan Robert Abajyan (; 16 November 1996 – 2 April 2016) was an Armenian junior sergeant in the Republic of Artsakh Defense Army. He was posthumously awarded the "Hero of Artsakh" which is the highest honorary title of the self-declared Republic of ...

and Andranik Zohrabyan fell with their commander and others were wounded.

Biography

Armenak Urfanyan was born on 28 January 1990 in

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

. In 1992 he moved to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

with his family. He was the youngest son in the family. As a child, he made up his mind to become a military. He began practicing a sport. He was a triple champion of

Taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

Military service

After returning from Russia, Urfanyan was admitted to the Military Institute of the RA Ministry of Defense. Urfanyan's fellow soldiers stated that he completely devoted himself to the military service, servicemen and his fatherland. After studying, he received the rank of lieutenant officer. At the age of 26 he received the military rank of captain and was appointed platoon commander on the front line.

Four-Day War

Overnight 1-2 April 2016, Urfanyan and his troops came under enemy fire in the area of a military post located near

Martakert Martakert (, , also , ) or Aghdara ( ) is a town in the Aghdara District of Azerbaijan, in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Until 2023 it was controlled by the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, as the centre of its Martakert Province. The villa ...

. Captain Urfanyan, together with his fellow soldiers fought back against the Azerbaijani forces for hours. During the battle, Urfanyan destroyed multiple attacking enemy fighters and one engineering-reconnaissance armored vehicle. He was killed in action from tank fire.

Funeral

On 6 April 2016, Armenak Urfanyan was buried in the Yerablur Military Pantheon.

Memorials

* A street in Artsakh’s

town has been named after Armenak Urfanyan. * On 30 June 2016, a monument was erected by Yerkrapah Volunteer Union in the position where Armenak Urfanyan,

and Andranik Zohrabyan were killed during the Four-Day War. * The Homeland Defender’s Rehabilitation Center in Yerevan opened a classroom named after Armenak Urfanyan. * The Fund named after Armenak Urfanyan was launched by his mother in memory of all fallen soldiers of the Four-Day War.

Awards

* On 6 April 2016, by the decree of the President of the Republic of Artsakh

Bako Sahakyan Bako Sahaki Sahakyan (; born 30 August 1960) is an Armenian politician who served as the third president of the ''de facto''-independent Republic of Artsakh from 2007 to 2020. He is the longest-serving president of Artsakh. He was first elected ...

, Armenak Urfanyan was posthumously awarded the "Combat Service" medal for his courage in defending the state border of the Republic of Artsakh. * On 28 May 2016, Armenak Urfanyan was posthumously awarded the "Combat Cross" Order of the 1st degree by the decree of the President of the Republic of Armenia

Serzh Sargsyan Serzh Azati Sargsyan (, ; born 30 June 1954)Official biography of Serzh Sargsyan

. * On 29 August 2020, by the decree of the President of the

Arayik Harutyunyan Arayik Vladimiri Harutyunyan (; born 14 December 1973) is an Armenian politician who served as the fourth president of the Republic of Artsakh from May 2020 to September 2023. Under his predecessor Bako Sahakyan, he served as the sixth and last ...

, Armenak Urfanyan has been posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Artsakh.

Literature

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Urfanyan, Armenak 1990 births 2016 deaths Armenian military personnel killed in action Heroes of Artsakh