Karen Demirchyan

Karen Demirchyan was born on 17 April 1932 in Yerevan. Renowned political and state figure. In 1954, Demirchyan graduated from the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute Mechanical Department. In 1954-58, he worked as a head of a design team in a defence research institute in Leningrad. In 1958, Demirchyan was elected the secretary of the Yerevan Electrotechnical Factory’s Communist Party Committee. In 1959-1961, he studied at the Higher Party School of the Central Committee of the CPSU. In 1962, he began working as the director of the Yerevan Electrotechnical Plant. In 1966, he was elected Yerevan City Committee Secretary of the Communist Party; in 1971, he became the Second Secretary, in 1972, Armenian Communist Party Central Committee Secretary. From November 1974 to May 1988, he was the 1st Secretary of the Communist Party of Armenia. Between 1991 and 1999, he was the General Director of the Hayelectramekean cientific Research Corporation. In 1998, he ran for president. In May 1999, Demirchyan was elected the speaker the Armenian National Assembly. ON October 27 1999, he was assassinated at the National Assembly session. Since 1974, he had been repeatedly elected as a Communist Party Central Committee member, member of the CPSU Central Committee, member of the USSR and Armenian SSR Supreme Councils.
He was awarded with the USSR Lenin (2), the Red Banner of Labor (3), the October Revolution orders, a number of Soviet and foreign awards. Yerevan Metro, the Sport and Concert Complex, streets in Armenian cities have been named after him. National Hero of the Republic of Armenia (posthumously, 27.12.1999). He was awarded the highest Hayrenik Order of the Republic of Armenia.