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 around the ...

military commander during the

First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nag ...

. He is considered a hero in Armenia.

Early life and service in Afghanistan

Vardan Stepanyan was born on March 9, 1966, 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 ...

Soviet Armenia The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ArSSR), also known as Soviet Armenia, or simply Armenia, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. 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, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

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" The Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" () was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on January 28, 1988 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the seventieth anni ...

. After being discharged from the Red Army, Stepanyan was admitted into the

Yerevan State University Yerevan State University (YSU; , , ), also simply University of Yerevan, is the oldest continuously operating public university in Armenia. Founded in 1919, it is the largest university in the country. It is thus informally known as Armenia's ...

Department of Law.

Karabakh war

Stepanyan joined the

Karabakh movement The Karabakh movement (), also known as the Artsakh movement (), was a national mass movement in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh from 1988 to 1991 that advocated for the transfer of the mainly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast ...

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 Ijevan ( ) is a town and urban municipal community in the Ijevan Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia, also serving as the province's administrative centre. It is located at the center of the region, at the foot of Ijevan ridge of Guga ...

Noyemberyan Noyemberyan () is a town and urban municipal community in the Noyemberyan Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia. It is located 2 km west of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and 9 km south of the Armenia-Georgia border. As of the ...

Shamshadin The Shamshadin District () 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 today constitutes a southeastern part ...

. Ararat,

Vardenis Vardenis ( ) is a town in the Vardenis Municipality of the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. It is located in the valley of the Masrik River, on the territory of the Masrik artesian basin at Above mean sea level, above sea level, near the south ...

and

Goris Goris ( ) is a town and the centre of the Goris Municipality in the Syunik Province in southern Armenia. Located in the valley of the Goris (or Vararak) River, it is 254 kilometres from the Armenian capital Yerevan and 67 kilometres from the provi ...

. In 1991 amid the escalation of the

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

Lachin Lachin (, , ; ) is a town in Azerbaijan and the administrative centre of the Lachin District. It was located within the strategic Lachin corridor, which used to link the Nagorno-Karabakh region with Armenia. The town was under control of Armen ...

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 ...

Askeran Askeran ( or , ; ) is a town in the Khojaly 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 Askeran Province. The town had an ethnic Armenian-m ...

, 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 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 ...

, 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 Martuni Province (, ) was a province of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, ''de facto'' and ''de jure'' part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. History The territory was formed from the Soviet-era raion of Martuni District within the former Na ...

Legacy and memory

Stepanyan was buried at

Yerablur Yerablur () 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 soldiers who died during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. His ...

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

was named after him in 1994. A street in

Shushi Shusha (, ) or Shushi () is a city in Azerbaijan, in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Situated at an altitude of 1,400–1,800 metres (4,600–5,900 ft) in the Karabakh mountains, the city was a mountain resort in the Soviet Union, Soviet ...

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