April War hero Kyaram Sloyan would have turned 21 today

April 27 marks the birthday of April War hero Kyaram Sloyan. The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army mandatory soldier with Yezidi nationality would turn 21 today.

Machine gunner, private Kyaram Sloyan was one of the first victims of the four-day April War. The boys defending one of the military posts deployed at the north-eastern direction of the Line of Contact (between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan) were among the first soldiers to repel the offensive launched by Azerbaijan across the entire Contact Line. Captain Armenak Urfanyan, together with his fellow soldiers, managed to throw back the adversary’s attach twice. Under the pressure of the outnumbering forces of the adversary, the captain ordered his crew to retreat, continuing the battle alone. However, servicemnen Kyaram Sloyan, Robert Abajyan and Andranik Zohrabyan refused to retreat and heroically fell together with their commander, fighting till their last breath.

Kyaram Sloyan was born in 1996 in Artashavan, a village in Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. He was dreaming of reconstructing his parental house and helping his parents and brothers after completing his military service. Today, Kyaram’s dream has come true, as his house has been renovated due to the support of different organizations and individuals. A part in the house is Kyaram’s corner, which features his personal items, medals, printed materials and all the other things that are related to Kyaram Sloyan’s heroic path.

The relatives and friends of the April war hero describe him as a humble and kind person, which, however, did not prevent him from performing such a heroic deed. He has inherited his patriot ism from his father, an Artsakh War veteran.

On 28 May 2016, Kyaram Sloyan was posthumously awarded with the Order of the Combat Cross (first degree) of the Republic of Armenia.

To note, three Yezidi soldiers – Kyaram Sloyan, Boris Ozmanyan and Hamlet Hajoyan – lost their lives during the April War.