Vagharshak Kosyan ( Hamshen Armenian: Վաղարշակ Կօսեան) is an Armenian-Abkhazian military leader and politician. During the

War in Abkhazia War in Abkhazia may refer to: *War in Abkhazia (1992–1993) The War in Abkhazia was fought between Georgian government and paramilitary forces, and a coalition of Abkhaz separatist forces and North Caucasian militants between 1992 and 1993 ...

, he was commander of the

Bagramyan Battalion The Bagramyan Battalion (; ), also known officially as the Independent Motorized Rifle Battalion named after Marshal Ivan Khristoforovich Baghramyan () was a unit formed in Abkhazia and predominantly composed of ethnic Armenians living in Abkhazi ...

. Kosyan was awarded the

Hero of Abkhazia A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such things for the sake of ...

title, the highest state award of Abkhazia, for his services. He is a former Deputy Speaker of the

People's Assembly of Abkhazia The People's Assembly – Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia (, ka, აფხაზეთის ე.წ რესპუბლიკის სახალხო კრება, tr, ) is the unicameral legislature of the Abkhazia, Republic o ...

Biography

His family originally came from

Ordu Ordu () or Altınordu is a port city on the Black Sea coast of Turkey and the capital of Ordu Province. The city forms the urban part of the Altınordu, Ordu, Altınordu district, with a population of 235,096 in 2023. Name Kotyora, the origina ...

(ancient Kotyora), on what is now the Turkish Black Sea coast, and took refuge in

Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...

during the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...

. He was the first secretary of the

Gagra Gagra ( ka, გაგრა; Russian language, Russian and ) is a town in Abkhazia/Georgia (country), Georgia, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. Its subtropical climate made Ga ...

Komsomol The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, usually known as Komsomol, was a political youth organization in the Soviet Union. It is sometimes described as the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), although it w ...

during the Soviet period. During the

, Kosyan organized the creation of the Armenian motorized infantry

within the Abkhaz separatist army. He was praised for combat effectiveness by Abkhazian President

Vladislav Ardzinba Vladislav Ardzinba (, ka, ვლადისლავ არძინბა; 14 May 1945 – 4 March 2010) was an Abkhaz historian and politician who served as the first '' de facto'' president of Abkhazia. Ardzinba led Abkhazia to '' de fact ...

. For his services, Kosyan was awarded the

, Order of Leon, and Medal "For Courage" honors. After the war he worked in economics. Kosyan was thrice elected deputy of the Gagra District Assembly and is a former Deputy Speaker of the

Honors

* Order of Leon * Medal "For Courage"

References

External links

Interview (in Russian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kosyan, Vagharshak Living people 5th convocation of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia Abkhaz Armenians Year of birth missing (living people)