Karen Demirchian
| Karen Demirchyan | |
|---|---|
| Կարեն Դեմիրճյան | |
 |
|
| President of the National Assembly | |
|
In office 11 June – 27 October 1999 |
|
| Preceded by | Khosrov Harutyunyan |
| Succeeded by | Armen Khachatryan |
| First Secretary of the Armenian Communist Party | |
|
In office 27 November 1974 – 21 May 1988 |
|
| Preceded by | Anton Kochinyan |
| Succeeded by | Suren Harutyunyan |
| Full member of the 25th Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |
|
In office 5 March 1976 – 1988 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
17 April 1932 Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | October 27, 1999 (aged 67) Yerevan, Armenia |
| Resting place | Komitas Pantheon, Yerevan |
| Nationality | Armenian |
| Political party |
Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1954-1988) People's Party (1998-99) |
| Children | Stepan Demirchyan |
| Signature |  |
Karen Demirchyan (Armenian: Կարեն Դեմիրճյան) (April 17, 1932 – October 27, 1999) was a Soviet and Armenian politician. He served as the First Secretary of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1974 to 1988. Soon after his reemergence into active politics in independent Armenia in the late 1990s, he became President of the National Assembly in 1999 until his assassination with other politicians in parliament in the Armenian parliament shooting.
Demirchyan had a difficult childhood. Both his parents died when he was still an infant. He decided on a career in engineering, and took up studies at the Yerevan Polytechnical Institute in 1949. After graduating in 1954 he worked briefly for a research institute in Leningrad before returning to Armenia to join the Yerevan Electrotechnical Factory. A member of the Communist Party since 1954, he soon became secretary of the factory party committee.
His party career flourished and in 1959 was sent to Moscow to the Higher Party School, gaining his diploma in 1961, a prerequisite for higher party service. He returned to work as chief engineer of the Yerevan Electrotechnical Factory and later director. In 1966 he became third secretary of the Yerevan party committee, joining the secretariat of the Armenian Central Committee in 1972.
Demirchyan was elected first secretary of the Armenian Communist Party in November 1974, effectively the boss of Soviet Armenia. Two years later he also became chairman of the Armenian Supreme Soviet. During his fourteen-year rule, Armenia was prosperous by Soviet standards, its economy helped by semi-legal and illegal businesses. However, Demirchyan failed to quell popular demonstrations in Armenia calling for Nagorno-Karabakh to be transferred to Armenian jurisdiction. He lost the support of the Moscow Kremlin leadership and was removed "on health grounds" in May 1988.
...
Wikipedia