Today is Vardan Stepanyan’s (Dushman Vardan) birthday

Today is the birthday of a hero of the Artsakh war, liberation fighter, owner of the First Degree Order of the Combat Cross of Artsakh medal Vardan Stepanyan or Dushman Vardan. Vardan used to say: "I am not a communist, nor I am a Hnchak or Dashnak, I am the soldier of my country".

Vardan Stepanyan was born on the 9th of March, 1966 in Yerevan. In 1984 he was drafted to the Soviet army and fought in the Afghanistan battles. From the very first days of Artsakh Movement Dushman ran to the battlefield and fought in Eraskhavan, Shahumyan, Martakert, Askeran self-defense battles. Dushman Vardan was killed by mine explosion on the 3rd of July, 1992 near Myurishen village in Artsakh.

"It is thanks to Armenians like Vardan that we have engraved such marvelous battles in the history of Armenia like Avarair and Sardarapat, went through the hell of genocide and rose again. It is such heroic and noble men that chose to sacrifice their lives for the sake of our nation and our fatherland, that chose to bear their cross imperturbably and not become a burden for their country. So, isn’t the sacrifice of the youthful life the peak of love and devotion for the county? Indeed it is. Only chosen ones have such a glorious soul, Chush-like men, Andranik-like men, men like Serob, Arabo, Tatul, Shahen, Leonid, Avo, Vardan…" – said Hakob Srapyan.