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 LEONID AZGALDYAN - an Armenian physicist, military leader, hero of Nagorno Karabakh War. Azgaldyan was born on Novermber 22, 1942 in Tiflis in the family of Ruben Azgaldyan who moved to Tiflis from Kamo. In 1959 Azgaldyan graduated from Askanaz Mravyan school, and in 1960 he was admitted to the Physics Department of Moscow State University.  Later he moved to Yerevan and graduated with honors from the same department of Yerevan State University. After graduation, he worked in many spheres of the national economy, mainly on planning methodology, automation of government systems and scientific research on automation systems. In different periods he was the head of department of Computing Center of laser technology of State Planning Committee, of scientific-production association "Energy", and of Yerevan branch of the computer engineering and computer programming of All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Nuclear Power Plants. 

From the very beginning of the Karabakh movement Leonid Azgaldyan, as a leading military figure, participated in the national liberation struggle.  From 1990 he became the commander of “The Independence Army”, organized the self-defense of a number of regions, particularly the self-defense of Vardenis, took part in the first attack of Nyuvardi.

After the bloody provocations in Yerevan railway station and Sovetashen (now Nubarashen) on May 21 he planned and hindered the entry of Soviet troops to Yerevan. From the end of 1990 he participated in self-defense and a liberation struggles of Getashen, Shahumyan and Martakert. 

For giving a new impetus to the Artsakh liberation struggle Azgaldyan together with Hovsep Hovsepyan, established the "The Independence Army" military organization in June, 1991. 

Leonid Azgaldyan was killed by Azerbaijanis near the village of Tonashen of the region of Martakert on June 21, 1992. Posthumously he was awarded RA and NKR order of the First Degree Battle Cross. Secondary school in Kashatagh region (NKR) was named after L. Azgaldyan.

N. Galstyan

 Source- Karabakh Liberation War, 1988-1994, Encyclopedia, Yerevan, 2004.