Karen Serobi Demirchyan (; 17 April 1932 – 27 October 1999) was a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and

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 ...

politician who served as President of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

in 1999 until he was killed in the

Armenian parliament shooting The 1999 Armenian parliament shooting, commonly known in Armenia as October 27 (), was a Terrorism, terrorist attack on the Armenian National Assembly (Armenia), National Assembly in the capital of Yerevan on 27 October 1999 by a group of five a ...

. He had been also the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Armenia from 1974 to 1988.

Biography

Demirchyan had a difficult childhood. Both his parents died when he was still an infant. He decided on a career in engineering, and took up studies at the Yerevan Polytechnical Institute in 1949. Anon. ''«Դեմիրճյան, Կարեն Սերոբի»'' (Demirchyan, Karen Serobi).

Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia (also rendered ''Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia''; , ''Haykakan sovetakan hanragitaran''; ASE) is the first general encyclopedia in the Armenian language. It was published in 1974-1987 by the main editorial office of th ...

. vol. iii. Yerevan, Armenian SSR:

Armenian Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) (, ''Hayastani Hanrapetut’yan gitut’yunneri azgayin akademia'') is the Armenian national academy, functioning as the primary body that conducts research and coordinates acti ...

, 1977, pg. 341. After graduating in 1954 he worked briefly for a research institute in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

before returning to Armenia to join the Yerevan Electrotechnical Factory. A member of the Communist Party since 1954, he soon became secretary of the factory party committee. His party career flourished and in 1959 Demirchyan was sent to

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

to the Higher Party School, gaining his diploma in 1961, a prerequisite for higher party service. He returned to work as chief engineer of the Yerevan Electrotechnical Factory and later director. In 1966 he became third secretary of the Yerevan party committee, joining the secretariat of the Armenian Central Committee in 1972. Demirchyan was elected first secretary of the Armenian Communist Party in November 1974, effectively the leader of Soviet Armenia. Two years later he also became chairman of the Armenian

Supreme Soviet The Supreme Soviet () was the common name for the legislative bodies (parliaments) of the Soviet socialist republics (SSR) in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). These soviets were modeled after the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, establ ...

. During his fourteen-year rule, Armenia was prosperous by Soviet standards, its economy helped by semi-legal and illegal businesses. However, Demirchyan failed to quell popular demonstrations in Armenia calling for

Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh (, ; ) is a region in Azerbaijan, covering the southeastern stretch of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range. Part of the greater region of Karabakh, it spans the area between Lower Karabakh and Syunik Province, Syunik. Its ter ...

to be transferred to Armenian jurisdiction, even siding with the protesters. He lost the support of the

Moscow Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall along with the K ...

leadership and was removed "on health grounds" in May 1988. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 when Armenia regained its independence, Demirchyan became director of the Hayelectromekena electrical equipment plant, the biggest plant in Armenia. He kept out of politics and was a half-forgotten figure from the past, until his surprise reemergence into politics in 1998. Although not a member of any political party, he contested the March 1998 presidential elections, managing to garner 30 per cent of the votes in the first round and 40 per cent in the second-round run-off against the eventual winner,

Robert Kocharyan Robert Sedraki Kocharyan ( ; born 31 August 1954) is an Armenian politician. He served as the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from 1994 to 1997 and Prime Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh from 1992 to 1994. He served as the second Presiden ...

. He later formed the People's Party, teaming up with defense minister

Vazgen Sargsyan Vazgen Zaveni Sargsyan (, ; 5 March 1959 – 27 October 1999) was an Armenians, Armenian military commander and politician. He was the first Defence Minister of Armenia from 1991 to 1992 and then from 1995 to 1999. He served as Armenia's ...

to form the Miasnutyun (Unity) alliance to contest the May 1999 parliamentary elections.

Death

The alliance won with 43 per cent of the vote and the majority of parliamentary seats. Demirchyan was overwhelmingly elected President of the National Assembly in June 1999. Four months later, on 27 October, he, along with Prime Minister

and 6 other senior politicians were shot and killed in the

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 ...

. He was buried at Komitas Pantheon which is located in the city center of Yerevan.

Personal life

Demirchyan was married with two sons, one of whom,

Stepan Demirchyan Stepan Kareni Demirchyan (; born June 7, 1959) is an Armenian politician and son of the Communist-era Armenian leader Karen Demirchyan. Biography Stepan Demirchyan was born in Yerevan and received his degree from Yerevan Polytechnic Institute ...

, became a politician in Armenia after its independence in 1991.

Legacy

A school, metro and a major concert complex are named after Karen Demirchyan in

. He was buried in a decorative tomb at the Komitas Pantheon, a cemetery in Yerevan where Armenia's most prominent artists and musicians have been buried. He posthumously received the honorary title

National Hero of Armenia National Hero of Armenia () is the highest title in Armenia. The law on the title was signed by President Levon Ter-Petrosyan on 22 April 1994. It is awarded "for outstanding services of national importance to the Republic of Armenia in defense ...

. A sort of apple, which was planted in the north-western outskirts of

under his guidance, was named after Demirchyan.

Biography

Death

Personal life

Legacy

External links

References

See also