Seyran Oganyan Armenian politician, current Minister of Defense of Armenia. Date of Birth: 01.07.1960 Country: Armenia

1. Biography of Seyran Oganyan
2. Early Military Career
3. Climbing the Ranks
4. Minister of Defense
5. Personal Life and Recognitions

Biography of Seyran Oganyan

Seyran Oganyan is an Armenian politician and the current Minister of Defense of Armenia. He was born in the town of Shusha, which was part of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijan SSR. In 1979, he completed his education at a small Armenian village school and then went to Baku. There, Oganyan enrolled in the Baku Higher Military Command School.

Early Military Career

After studying there for four years, Seyran was sent to Germany to serve in the stationed Soviet military group. He initially served as the commander of a motorized infantry platoon and in March 1987, he was promoted to command a full company. In 1988, Seyran was transferred to the Transcaucasian Military District, where he retained his position as a company commander. His company was part of the Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment, which was based in Stepanakert at the time.

Climbing the Ranks

Adapting to his new surroundings, Oganyan continued to climb the career ladder. In August 1989, he became the deputy commander of a battalion, and in September 1990, he took command of the battalion himself. The Transcaucasian Military District was never an easy place to serve. In September 1992, Seyran was seriously injured in combat near the village of Chldran in the Martakert district. However, this did not hinder his career. In December of the same year, Oganyan was appointed Chief of Staff of the Self-Defense Committee of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

Minister of Defense

Within two years, Seyran became the First Deputy Commander of the entire Defense Army, and four years later, in October 1998, he was appointed as the Corps Commander. In 1999, Oganyan became the Minister of Defense of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, and in 2000, he was entrusted with the leadership of the entire Republican Defense Army. After serving as a commander for seven years, Seyran changed his place of work and became of interest to the Armenian General Staff. On May 11, 2007, Oganyan became the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia and the First Deputy Minister of Defense. Less than a year later, he himself became the Minister of Defense.

Personal Life and Recognitions

Seyran Oganyan is married and has four children - three sons and a daughter. He has been awarded numerous distinctions throughout his career. During the Soviet era, he was honored with a medal for excellent service and a commemorative badge in honor of the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Armed Forces. The leadership of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic also awarded him the Battle Cross of the first degree and the honorary Order of the Golden Eagle.