Rustam Gasparyan (; 11 April 1961 – 17 October 2020) 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 ...

military officer and politician. 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 ...

Biography

He was born on 11 April 1961 in Janfida village of

Armavir Province Armavir (, ), is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''marz'') in the western part of Armenia. Located in the Ararat plain dominated by Mount Ararat from the south and Mount Aragats from the north, the province's capital is the tow ...

. In 1996 he graduated from “Ararat” University of Armavir with a degree in law. In 1979 – 1981 he served in the

Soviet Army The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

. In 1989 he founded and led the militia Sev Hovaz and took part in the Artsakh freedom fighting. In 1994-2000 he served in the army of Armenia, occupying different commanding posts. On May 12, 2007 he was elected as a deputy of the National Assembly from the electoral district # 12. In 2017 he left politics and

Prosperous Armenia Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP; , abbreviated as ԲՀԿ BHK), is a conservative list of political parties in Armenia, political party in Armenia. It was founded by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan on 30 April 2004, when the constituent congress of the ...

party. In 2020 Rustam Gasparyan's car was hit by an

UAV An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human pilot, crew, or passengers onboard, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.De Gruyter Handbook of Drone ...

used by the

Azerbaijani Armed Forces The Azerbaijani Armed Forces () is the military of the Azerbaijan, Republic of Azerbaijan. It was re-established according to the country's Law of the Armed Forces on 9 October 1991. The original Azerbaijan Democratic Republic's armed forces were ...

during the

2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding occupied territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involvi ...

, as a result of which his 29-year-old son died on the spot, and Rustam Gasparyan received multiple wounds to the head. On October 16, Rustam Gasparyan was operated in

Stepanakert Stepanakert officially Khankendi is a city in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. It was the capital city of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh prior to the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in ...

, then transferred to Goris MC, then to Erebuni MC. On October 17, it was reported that Rustam Gasparyan had died.

Awards and honours

He was awarded the "Courage" Medal of

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

, the "Courage" Medal of the

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 ...

, as well as numerous Commemorative Medals of the

Ministry of Defence of Armenia The Ministry of Defence of Armenia () often abbreviated to the RA Ministry of Defence is an Armenian governmental agency in charge of overseeing the development of the Armed Forces of Armenia. The Ministry of Defence is also the executive body wh ...

and Yerkrapah Voluntary Union. On 14 September 2011, he was awarded the

Mkhitar Gosh Medal Awards and decorations of Armenia are military and civil decorations of Armenia which are bestowed by various agencies of the Armenian government for acts of accomplishment benefiting the government and the Armenian nation as a whole. National H ...

. On 25 December 2020, he was posthumously awarded the

, the highest title of the Republic of Artsakh, was awarded as well the "Golden Eagle" order. The mayor of Armavir city posthumously awarded Rustam Gasparyan with the title of Honorable Resident of Armavir.

Personal life

He was married and had two children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gasparyan, Rustam Heroes of Artsakh Armenian military personnel of the Nagorno-Karabakh War Armenian military personnel of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War People killed in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War Deaths by Azerbaijani drone strikes