Seyran Ohanyan

Infobox Military Person
name=Seyran Ohanyan
Սեյրան Օհանյան
lived=July 1, 1962 - Present


caption=
nickname=
placeofbirth=Shusha, Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
placeofdeath=
allegiance=flag|USSR flag|Nagorno-Karabakh Republic flag|Armenia
branch=Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army, Armenian Army
serviceyears=1983 - Present
rank=Colonel General
unit=
commands=Soviet 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment, Armenian 5th Army Corps
battles=Nagorno-Karabakh War
awards=
relations=
laterwork=

Seyran Ohanyan ( _hy. Սեյրան Օհանյան, born July 1, 1962) has been the Defence Minister of Armenia since April 14 2008.

Ohanyan was born in the town of Shusha, then a part of the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. In 1979, he completed high school in the village of Mrgashen, in the region of Nairi in the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Ohanyan attended the Baku Higher Joint Command College and completed his studies there in 1983.

He used to be the commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense army. Ohanyan is a career officer who was serving in the Soviet military's 23rd Motor Rifle Division as a major before joining Nagorno-Karabakh's newly formed army in 1991 and playing a major role in the Nagorno-Karabakh war against Azerbaijan. He was seriously wounded in action in 1992 and had one of his legs amputated as a result of the injury.

In the government of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ohanyan served as Minister of Defense. Subsequently, he was appointed as chief of the general staff of the Armenian Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defense of Armenia in 2007. After Serzh Sargsyan took office as President of Armenia, he appointed Ohanyan as Minister of Defense on April 14 2008. [ [http://armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&AID=2972&CID=2904&IID=1182&lng=eng "New President Appoints Two Key Ministers"] , ArmeniaNow.com, April 15, 2008.] [ [http://www.armenialiberty.org/armeniareport/report/en/2008/04/BB1E6F8F-7C2C-4B2B-B8A8-CAB07971FEA3.ASP "Sarkisian Appoints Key Ministers in Emerging Cabinet"] , Armenialiberty.org, April 15, 2008.]

He is married and has three sons.

Awards and decorations

He has been awarded with the medals and decorations of the USSR, Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh Republic: [ [http://www.mil.am/eng/?page=6 "Mil.am: Ohanyan's Official Biography"] ]

USSR:
*70th Anniversary of USSR Armed Forces
*For Perfect Service
*For ExcellencyRepublic of Nagorno Karabakh:
*Hero of Artsakh
*Golden Eagle
*Combat Cross 1st degree,
*For the liberation of ShushiRepublic of Armenia:
*Combat Cross 1st degree
*Tigranes the Great
*For the Service to the MotherlandMinistry of Defence of Armenia:
*For Perfect Service 1st and 2nd Degrees
*Drastamat Kanayan
*Marshal Baghramyan
*For the strengthening of cooperation
*Maternal Gratitude
*Soviet Union Marshal Zhukov
*Coat of Arms

ee also

* Seyran Shahsuvaryan
* Mikael Harutyunyan

References

External links

* [http://www.mil.am/eng/index.php?page=6 Ohanyan's Official Biography]