YEREVAN (Armenpress)–In a high-profile ceremony defense minister Serge Sarkisian handed today the sword and the medals of General Andranik to Armenian History Museum. Speaking to reporters the minister said the defense ministry spent funds from its budget to buy the sword and the medals. "A French Armenian told me that a Briton who had Andranik’s sword and medals wished to sell them. Naturally, I could not remain indifferent and after receiving President Kocharian’s approval we bought these items for Armenia," the minister said. The sword and the medals were first kept at the Armenian embassy in France and then brought to Armenia. General Andranik medals are six bestowed to him by Russia, France and the Armenian Catholicos. General Andranik fought against the Ottoman Turks in Western Armenia, then in Bulgaria and was instrumental in stopping the Turkish invasion of Eastern Armenia between 1918 and 1919 In 1919 Andranik disbanded his army and left with a group of loyal soldiers rather than be involved in political infighting. In 1922 he settled in Fresno, Calf., where he died in 1927. Some months later his remains were transported to Pere la Chaise cemetery in Paris. His remains were moved to Yerablur cemetery in Yerevan in 2000.
