ARMENIAN PEOPLE IN THE VICTORY IN GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR (1941-1945)

Abstract

The Armenian people made a worthy contribution to the victory in the Great Patriotic
War. In all, about 600,000 Armenians took part in the war, of which 300 000 were from Soviet
Armenia, 200,000 from other USSR republics, and 100 000 from the Diaspora. Of these, 106
were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, four of them in the Soviet-Finnish War
(1939-1940), 99 in the Great Patriotic War, and three in post-war peace. Hovhannes
Baghramyan and Nelson Stepanyan were twice awarded the high rank. In addition, 10 foreign
citizens of Soviet Armenia were also awarded the title of Hero. 26 Armenian soldiers were
honored with the 3 rd , 2 nd and 1 st Degrees of the Order of Glory, becoming full knights of that
Order. Hovhannes Baghramyan was awarded the title of USSR Marshal, Hovhannes Isakov –
the title of USSR Admiral, Hamazasp Babajanyan – the title of Chief Marshal of the Command
troops, Armenak Khanperyants (Sergey Khudyakov) – the title of Marshal of Aviation, Sergey
Aganov – the title of Marshal of engineering troops, 149 military were awarded the title of
General, and 9 the title of Admiral. Eight Armenians were awarded the title of Socialist Work
Hero during the war. Six Armenian national divisions operated in the Red Army. Backward
workers, Diaspora Armenians, Armenian participants of the guerrilla and resistance movement,
the Armenian Apostolic Church, prominent Armenian state figures, scholars and intellectuals
made their worthy contribution to the victory in the war