"Vahan Barrier Combat Operations Participant" Commemorative Medal.

[CtahhR]

Here is the "Vahan Barrier Combat Operations Participant" Medal («Վահանի Ուղեկալի Մարտական Գործողությունների Մասնակից» Հուշամեդալով). The Medal was instituted in the 2009 to recognise the 15th anniversary of the revolutionary victory in the Vahan area of Armenia which is the main border "gate" with Azerbaijan. The frozen conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is still ongoing.
The only mention of this award online (in any language) is in the form of an obituary in the official Armenian Army Newspaper (Hayzinvor) for Gregory Kirkoyani, who was killed by a sniper's bullet in late 1994. «ԹԵ ՉԼԻՆԵՐ ՔՅՈՌ ԳՅՈՒԼԼԵՆ»… � HayZinvor.


Here is #194. The Medal is extremely thick and worn on the older Armenian suspension. The obverse reads "Վահանի ուղեկալի մարտական գործողությունների մասնակից" (Vahan Barrier Combat Operations Participant) and reverse "ՀՀ Հյուսիս-Արեվելյան Դարպասներ" (Republic Of Armenia North-East Gate - The term used for the Vahan area).