Henrik Kocharyan

Henrik Kocharyan (February 02, 1997, Vayk, Vayots Dzor - April 11, 2023, Tegh community, Syunik), lieutenant of the armed forces of Armenia, scout, participant of the Armenian-Azerbaijani war.
==Biography==
Henrik Kocharyan was born on February 2nd, 1997, in Vayk. He was the eldest child in the family. From 2003 to 2012 he studied at Vayk N2 Secondary School, and from 2012-2015 at Vayk Humanitarian College. In 2008, he started attending karate at Vayk Sports School and gained lots of success. In 2015 he was admitted to the Armenian State Institue of Physical Culture and Sport.
==Military service in the RA Armed Forces==
In 2015, Henrik Kocharyan was drafted into compulsory military service in the RA Armed Forces. After completing six months in the military training unit in Armavir, Henrik was stationed in the Republic of Artsakh, Askeran region, village Ivanyan, and participated in the 2016 April war.
At the end of his mandatory military service, in 2018, Henrik Kocharyan joined the contract military service in the special forces of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia.
==Participation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani War==
Henrik Kocharyan took an active part in the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani war. He was serving in a special purpose unit. Due to Henrik's direct participation, He was able to successfully carry out several combat operations in Jrakan, Kovsakan, Shushi, and Berdzor. During the war, Henrik was injured twice but returned to the ranks again. His comrades-in-arms document his heroic spirit and tell that during one of the battles, Henrik did not leave his wounded friend on the battlefield and carried him out of the fire on his shoulder.
==Military education==
After the end of the war, Henrik decided to strengthen his military knowledge. In November 2021, he was sent to Greece to participate in a week-long event with the purpose of exchanging military experience with Cyprus, Greece, and Armenia. In 2022, Henrik was admitted to study at Vazgen Sargsyan Military University.
In August of the same year, the RA Ministry of Defense awarded Henrik Kocharyan the rank of lieutenant. After receiving the title, Henrik was again sent to Greece for three-month courses. As soon as he returned, he went to serve.
==The heroic death==
Starting from December 12th, 2022, the Azerbaijani side closed the interstate highway connecting Artsakh to Armenia, and already on March 30th, 2023, the Azerbaijani armed forces closed the Goris-Stepanakert highway in the section of Aghavno and Tegh villages. On April 11th, 2023, to provoke a new provocation, the servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces approached the servicemen of the RA Armed Forces carrying out engineering works. At the initiative of the Azerbaijani side, a shootout began between the Armenian and Azerbaijani position guards, as a result of which four servicemen of the RA armed forces, including Henrik Kocharyan, were fatally wounded. 
Other servicemen who became heroes are Artur Sahakyan (born in 1999), Narek Sargsyan (born in 1994), and Mkrtich Harutyunyan (born in 1989).
The funeral of Henrik Kocharyan took place on April 13th in the Saint Trdat Church in Vayk. The funeral of the hero took place on April 14th at the fraternal cemetery of the Zaritap community of Vayots Dzor.
==Rewards==
On April 19th, 2023, Henrik Kocharyan was posthumously awarded the "Courage" medal for his contribution to the defense and security of the homeland, his courage and unfailing dedication during combat operations, by the decree of RA President Vahagn Khachaturyan.
Category:1997 births
Category:Military of Armenia
Category:Scouting
Category:2023 deaths