Kristapor Ivanyan

Ivanyan was born in Tiflis to Armenian parents. He joined the Soviet Armed Forces in 1938. In 1940 he graduated from the Tbilisi Artillery School. During the Eastern Front of World War II, Ivanyan fought in Crimea, Transcarpathia, and Czechoslovakia. Ivanyan served as an Artillery Regiment Commander advisor from 1941 to 1942, and from 1942 to 1943 became commander of the 195th Mortar Regiment. From 1943 to 1944, he was the 318th Infantry Division Artillery commander, as part of Czechoslovakia. He was wounded several times, and was awarded various orders and medals. In 1949, he graduated from the Frunze Military Academy, and then was the head of the preparatory artillery corps from 1949 to 1952. Ivanyan than became the 280th Guards Tank Regiment commander from 1952 to 1955, as part of the Soviet forces stationed in the German Democratic Republic. Then from 1956 to 1958, he was the Special Guards Tank Regiment commander. Ivanyan was the Head of the Department of Military at the Odessa State University from 1958 to 1961, then took graduate courses from the Leningrad Military District Artillery Academy, graduating in 1962. He was the Odessa Military District commander of the 52nd Rifle Brigade from 1962 to 1968 and the Odessa Military District's 14th Army commander of the missile troops and artillery from 1968 to 1973. In 1973, Ivanyan became the Transcaucasian Military District deputy commander of the missile troops and artillery. He served in the position for five years before retiring from the Soviet Army in 1978.

With the height of the military phase of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, Ivanyan came from Saint Petersburg to Nagorno-Karabakh in order to serve Armenia. In 1992, he became an advisor to the Chairman of the Committee of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army, and was the First Deputy Commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Ministry of Defense. Ivanyan made a significant contribution to the formation of the army structures and services of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, especially in artillery, creating the training of military units, centers, shooting ranges, and polygons. He managed a number of military operations to suppress the enemy firing points, particularly in areas adjacent to Stepanakert territories and Martuni Region of Nagorno Karabakh. For courage in battle and bravery, he was awarded the Order of the Combat Cross, 1st degree. He retired from the Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh Armed Forces in 1998.

He died a year later on 30 August 1999.