Today’s hero of the Sons of Western Armenia series is Astvatsatur Petrosyan, a prominent figure of the Artsakh Liberation War, at the roots of the Liberation Movement, dedicated to his homeland and military struggle.
Astvatsatur Petrosyan, father’s name Avetik, was born on December 8, 1952 in the village of Hay Pamp, Spitak district, Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (now Lernapar village, Aragatsotn district) into a family of civil servants. He graduated with honors from the local secondary school, then in 1970 he graduated from the N 8 high school named after G. Sundukyan in the city of Kirovakan. In 1970-75 he entered the Faculty of Metallurgy of the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute named after Karl Marx and graduated in “Metallurgy, technology and equipment of heat treatment of metals” and received the qualification of an engineer-metallurgist.
In 1975-78 he was sent for work to the Moscow Aviation Engineering Plant No. 2 branch in the city of Yampol, Vinnytsia region, Ukrainian SSR. He worked as an engineer-technologist, senior engineer in metallurgy and heat treatment technology. In 1987, he graduated (excellent) from the All-Soviet Union higher qualification courses in metrology and modern measurements of the Tbilisi Institute.
He is the author of dozens of articles, monographs, scientific innovations, inventions and investments, starting with the defense of his diploma on scientific subjects at the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute.
Since 1990 he is the author of a series of articles on the national liberation movement.
Between 1995-2007 he wrote and published articles, monographs, public speaking materials, books and pamphlets on military history, military science, military security, military strategy, and as a military advisor he advised on books and films “Mahapartner”, “Dro”, “Njdeh”, “Sardarapat”, “Bash Aparan”…
In 1988-91, he joined the Karabakh movement, first as the head of the Karabakh Committee of the scientific-industrial company “Almast”, then he was elected deputy chairman of the military council, coordinator of the information department of the “Karabakh” committee.
In 1989-95, he had the opportunity to act legally according to the Resolution N305 of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia of 1990, he was elected a member of the military council (7 people). He founded and headed the scientific-production cooperative “Bor” of the Medical Equipment Association of the Ministry of Health. In 1989-91 he was the chief of the Central Staff of the “Yerkhapah” detachments, people’s deputy of the Nairi region (1990-1995), head of the Ministries of Defense, Internal Affairs and the Civil Defense Commission. In 1991 he was nominated as a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1990-91, he participated in the defense of the borders of the E.R. as the head of the headquarters of the “Yerkrapah” detachments in the Nairi region, the coordinating commander of operations in the Noyemberyan and Lori directions. In 1990-92, as the head of the “Yerkrapah” detachments, head of the coordination board, he led a number of combat operations, organized all cargo transportation by convoys. In 1991-92 he was appointed Head of the Civil Defense Mobilization Department of the Defense Committee under the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia and Head of the Central Headquarters of the “Yerkhapah-Zinapartner” detachments (101 detachments, 5800 fighters).
In 1992, he continued to serve as the head of the Central Headquarters of the “Yerkhapah-Zinapartner” detachments and was appointed head of the organizational personnel department of the Personnel Department of the Ministry of Defense. In 1992-93, while serving as deputy minister for Artsakh affairs, he became the head of the Central Headquarters of the “Yerkhapah-Zinapartner” detachments and headed the 9th special coordination department (recruitment of soldiers into self-defense groups, qualification, arming detachments, providing them with material and food supplies and sending them to Artsakh).
From 1993 to 2000 he was Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia. In 1992, at the famous call of Vazgen Sargsyan, he was appointed as the general coordinating commander of the “Artsiv” regiment, which consisted of 500 selfless men who fought for the motherland. During this time, they victoriously ended the battle for the village of Vaghuhas, and the self-defense soldiers were for the first time awarded high honors by the government for their enormous achievements. In 1992-94 he took part in the organization of operations in Karadaglu, Khocalu, Malibeyli, Martakert region, Shushi-Berdzor and southeast of Berdzor, in the recruitment of contract military units, self-defenders, deployment of reserve battalions and implementation of control programs.
In 1992, he was sent to Artsakh as the authorized representative of the Minister of Defense in Nagorno-Karabakh for the coordination of the ground guard detachments of the Mardakert region, where he coordinated plans for the integration of detachments and self-defense forces with Vazgen Sargsyan and Major General Arkadi Tadevosyan.
In 1993-1994 he took part in the organization of the Narishtar-Korchu-Getavan-Carektar-Mrov operations, as well as in the combat operations of the Martakert and Karvachar regions and in the organization of other difficult defensive battles. On June 14, 1993, on the initiative of Vazgen Sargsyan and on his own initiative, the “Yerkrapah-Zinapart” union was founded, at the 1st Founding General Assembly he was elected co-chairman of the board of directors (chairman: V. Sargsyan). In 1993-2000 he was a member of the board of directors and vice-president of the “Yerkrapah Volunteers Association”.
Since 1998, he has been the founding president of the “Artsiv Mahapartner Association” (Those who sacrificed their lives for the Motherland). From 1992 to 2000, he was the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, initially in the field of organization, coordination and management of Artsakh’s contract military units, bouncer and volunteer detachments, then in the field of media, ideological and personnel work, health and socio-cultural issues.
In 1993, through the efforts of Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan and his own efforts, he founded the military-sports school named after Monte. In 1996, he was sent to the Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, graduating with honors in 1997 with the official and professional qualification of a high commander (international certificate) in the field of security and operational strategic high command and personnel.
From 1998, he was the Deputy Minister of Defense for Personnel and Organizational Military Training Institutions, the head of the Housing commission and the commission granting participant status in combat operations, in line with the EC Ministry of Defense’s coordination of legislative reforms and foreign relations.
Defense Ministers Vazgen Sargsyan, Serzh Sargsyan. Vazgen Manukyan, Vagharshak Harutyunyan, Commander of the NKR Defense Army, Samvel Babayan, generals A. Harutyunyan, Ter-Grigoryants, A. Ter-Tadevosyan, M. Harutyunyan, G. Dalibaltayan, Andreasyan, M. Sargsyan, S. Martirosyan, S. Ohanyan, G. Melkonian, M.G.Harutyunyan, A.Zinevich, A.Abrahamyan, A.Abrahamyan and a number of other national personalities, participated in the creation and establishment of the National Army of the Republic of Armenia, in the management and guidance of public political processes. He received awards and recognitions for a number of special achievements and services. In 2000, he was appointed Deputy Head of the Department of Emergency Situations reporting to the Government of the EC in the direction of the management of the Rescue Forces and Civil agreements formations and training centers and institutions. He chaired the commission for combatants. In 2000-2017 he was Deputy Director of the Armenian Rescue Organization of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the EC, Deputy to the Minister of Emergency Situations of the EC for special tasks /2017-2018/.
In 1996 he was the author of the lyrics of the anthems of the “Yerkrapah” unit, in 1997 the “Artsiv Mahapartner” unit /composer. R. Petrosyan/. He was the lyricist /composer Ara Gevorgyan/ of the award-winning anthem “Yerevan” in 2000. He was the author of the “Savior Anthem” written in 2012. He organized and personally participated in the repatriation ceremonies of the bodies of our national heroes and commanders (General Andranik, Sose, Dro).
He was the founding president of the “Artsiv Mahapartner” Union.
Astvatsatur Petrosyan died in 2020.