The hero of the Artsakh war, Fidayi Vardan since 1988 fully devoted himself to the Artsakh movement, the people’s liberation movement, gaining recognition and respect among the people, became a true legend.

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

In 1984 he volunteered for the Soviet Army in Afghanistan,

“I went to serve in Afghanistan voluntarily, I wanted to learn how to fight well and I fought. I was not a bad soldier, I believed that one day I will become a soldier of the Armenian Army.

In peacetime after Afghanistan it was hard for Vardan to live.

“I could not find a place. I worked at a factory for two months and lacked something important.

I decided to go to Moscow and enroll in university.

I entered a preparatory course, leaving my studies halfway. Next year, in 1987 I entered a Moscow Engineering and Construction Institute.

The life was going well, but in 1988 the Artsakh movement began.

I left my studies halfway, and rushed to Yerevan.

After learning that an “Afghantsiner” unit was being formed, I joined it.

I was given a machine gun.

It was very difficult for the conscripts in Artsakh.

Vartan inspired the young soldiers.

Then he took a handful of earth and ate it, demanding the rest of the guys to do the same.

The idea was to tell the soldiers the following: our country, our land, it’s our mother, there’s nothing sweeter in the world.

“Love her as you love your father and mother, because our land is the parent for all of us.

In 1989, when there was a shortage of arms in Artsakh, on a special assignment Vardan went to Moscow, where from unimaginable way, bypassing the inspections of still existing Soviet Union, was able to deliver to Armenia weapons and ammunition, which were later sent to the village Berdadzor of  Shushi.

With his friend Armen Yeritsyan, he created the “Aspet” military school, where Fidayi were trained to go to Artsakh.

Later Vardan creates a similar school in Artsakh.

“To take up arms and go to war – this is already a great heroism, and what kind of soldier will be, good or bad, depends on the commander.”

“I really need the war, a bullet will not catch me, if I die, the reason will only be a mine.”

Vardan died on July 3, 1992, during a combat mission with military friends Yero (Armen Yeritsyan) and Araik (Ara Avagyan) near the village of Murishen in the NKR Martuni region.

“If I die, come to my funeral, armed and neatly dressed, put a dagger under my head, so that I can fight in the other world too.