Vitya Ayvazyan

Born on 29 December 1955 in the village of Spandaryan, Artik District/Shirak Marz, Armenia. In 1977, he graduated from the Yerevan State University, Department of Mechanical Mathematics. In 1977-1979, he worked as a senior economist at Hayshinbank. In 1979-1981, he served in the Soviet Army. In 1981-1983, he worked at the Sirius Factory in Abovyan; in 1983-1988 as engineer designer and engineer technologist at the Yerevan Factory of Bulbs Special Design Bureau. In 1983, he was enrolled in distant learning programme at the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute, Department of Mechanics. In 1988, he was working at the Lazur Corporation, where he organised and headed the Karabakh Committee. He turned his summer residence into a secret storage for banned literature, leaflets, explosives and weapons. On 12 January 1989, Ayvazyan was detained in the Nubarashen Prison for nearly a month. At the 1st congress of the Pan-Armenian National Movement, he was elected a member of the board in charge of the economic section. He was among the first members of the central headquarters of Armenia’s Yerkrapah detachments. He was in charge of providing clothes, food, arms and ammunition to the volunteers. In 1990, he was elected to Armenia’s Supreme Council. He was killed on 29 August 1990 in Yerevan. National Hero of Armenia (posthumous, 20.09.1996). He was awarded the highest Hayrenik Order of the Republic of Armenia.