Heroes are Titled by People and Stamped by Time. 20 Years Ago Leonid Azgaldyan Perished

He used to say: “the most valuable is the Armenian boy who joined the army voluntarily.” Loyal to his convictions Leonid Azgaldyan together with his detachment liberated 27 villages, giving only 6 victims. Seventh victim of “Liberation Army” was the commander himself.

Leonid Azgaldyan was born on November 22, 1942, in Tbilisi. He entered Faculty of Physics of Lomonosov University in Moscow then was shifted to the Yerevan State University. Leonid Azgaldyan took part in the national-liberation struggle from the very first day of Artshakh movement. In February 1990 he created “the Liberation Army” together with Ashot Navasardyan and was the commander of the army. He organized the self defense of several regions, especially Vardenis, took part in liberation battles, including first attack on Nyuvadi, and after the bloody provocation of Sovetashen, he planned and carried out impediment of penetration of Soviet punitive troops to Yerevan.

When Ashot Navasardyan established the Republican Party of Armenia, Leonid Azgaldyan separated and in June, 1991 created “The Liberation Army” together with Hovsep Hovsepyan, which was unique in terms of uniting efforts of Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora. He was the commander of the Army till the end of his life.

The Liberation Army has participated in all the main battles of Artsakh, except for Shushi and Malibili. During the liberation of Shushi Leonid’s soldiers were defending the western line so that the Azerbaijani troops wouldn’t move to Shushi.

“Leonid was an exceptional commander war, who was the bearer of Nzhdeh’s ideology in Artsakh liberation. He was always the initiator, he fought next to the soldier and never gave orders from the front. His talent was ideological. A magnet has two poles but Leonid was a multi-polar magnet. He was attracting different types of people and it wasn’t clear how he would succeed in that. Many would ask to be included in his group. And there were strict rules there – no smoking, no drinking and extreme care to the weapon. But the volunteers would still come to him,” Gagik Ginosyan, one of Azagaldyan’s soldiers recalls.

The battle companions remember that Leonid was always next to the soldier and was equal to them. In his group the problems were never solved through conflicts and rudeness. There were cases that during shifts having noticed a drowsing soldier, Leonid not only didn’t punish him but sent back to sleep and he personally shifted him.

One time, two of Leonid’s 16-year-old juveniles thrust in the direction of enemy’s tank to stop it with their rifles. Leonid forces them back to the trench and gets angry and admonishes them that it’s impossible to win a tank with rifles. As a response the young men say, “When you are with us we think we can win a tank with a wrist rocket too.”

When Leonid’s volunteers would say that they’re willing to die for the fatherland Leonid would tell them, “I don’t need the ones who are going to die. I need people, who want to live and struggle for life.”

“Never kill a soaring thing,” once said Leonid when one of the soldiers pointed a gun to a soaring eagle. “Never forget that this bird is on our coat of arms.” Leonid’s soar ceased on June 21, 1992 by a conspiracy bullet of the enemy in Tonashen village of Martakert region.
Leonid Azgaldyan was posthumously awarded by Armenia “Military Cross” medal.