The successes of Armenians in sports have always been a source of pride. The achievements of the wrestlers also confirmed this. Armenians have made a huge contribution to the development of wrestling. Among them were special individuals who became part of sports history. In the history of freestyle wrestling in Russia, Armenak Karapetyan became a legend. He was a man with a complex fate, but the strength of his spirit proved stronger than destiny. Karapetyan was the founder of the modern wrestling school in Dagestan. Modern athletes appreciate his contribution to the development of the sport. At the peak of his fame, he became a coach, and his trainees became world champions. These people are now coaches themselves. The relay of sports success continued even after his death.
A completely different path was taken by wrestler Sanasar Oganisyan. He began to win from a young age and became a world champion as a teenager. He initially trained out of interest, but sports became the main focus of his life. Oganisyan worked hard without thinking about success. Thanks to his hard work, he became a star of Soviet sports. A well-rounded athlete, his victories amazed the world. Oganisyan’s achievements and uniqueness are still remembered.
Karapetyan and Oganisyan became examples for modern athletes. They had no special formulas for success; their arsenal consisted of perseverance and courage. Despite their success, they were not arrogant. Today, the material is dedicated to Armenian wrestlers of the past years.
Armenak Karapetyan
Wrestler Armenak Karapetyan became a legend of Russian sports. Having lived a life full of losses, he always found the strength to win. Karapetyan coached the first Olympic champion in the North Caucasus. In his short life, he trained dozens of champions. Karapetyan coached the Dagestan freestyle wrestling team. He was trusted for his professional and personal qualities. Karapetyan was respected as a reliable person, and his trainees said he was their friend and mentor.
Armenak Arshakovich Karapetyan was born on February 23, 1928, in the small village of Nngi, Martuni district of Karabakh. The death of his loved ones forced Karapetyan to move to Derbent, where his relatives lived. In his new place, he often recalled his homeland but could never return. His fate became forever tied to Dagestan, and the move marked the beginning of a new life for Karapetyan.
Since 1946, Armenak Karapetyan started practicing freestyle wrestling as a hobby to distract from his workday routine. Later, he took up sports professionally, and ten years later, he became a master of sports in freestyle wrestling. He began to win various competitions, and his professionalism was highly appreciated in Dagestan, where he became a respected specialist.
In 1948, the athlete organized coaching activities and proved even more successful in this field. Boys from all over the republic dreamed of training with him, knowing about the rigorous discipline and demands. However, this did not scare them. Karapetyan was a demanding yet responsive person. He believed discipline and relentless work were the foundations of success in sports. He approached his work with great responsibility, understanding its importance to society. Organizing leisure activities for post-war children was a crucial task, and he handled it excellently, raising outstanding athletes among his trainees.
Twenty years later, Armenak Karapetyan became an honored coach of the RSFSR. Throughout his coaching career, he trained over twenty masters of sports, including Olympic and European champions. Some of them include Yuri Shakhmuradov, world and European champion, awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, Arsen Alakhverdiyev, European champion and World Cup holder, Nabi Magomedov, USSR champion, and Medzhid Magomedov, a public figure, among others. Karapetyan also trained the first Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling in the North Caucasus, Zagalav Abdulbekov. All of them remember their mentor with respect.
In 1970, Armenak Karapetyan became an Honored Coach of the USSR, and in 1973 he was awarded the title of Honored Worker of Culture of the Dagestan ASSR. Karapetyan’s students continue to achieve success in sports and coaching. He is considered one of the founders of the Dagestan school of freestyle wrestling. Karapetyan coached the Dagestan national freestyle wrestling team and worked at the Ali Aliyev Higher Sports Mastery School. Together, they made wrestling very popular, and interest in this sport continues to grow.
Karapetyan spent the last years of his life in Makhachkala and in 1998 became an honorary citizen of Makhachkala. The legendary coach was respected and honored in Dagestan. He was one of the founders of the freestyle wrestling school in the North Caucasus. In memory of the athlete, an annual tournament is held in his name, remembered with respect and gratitude.
Sanasar Oganisyan
Sanasar Razmikovich Oganisyan was born in 1960 in Moscow. He started training at an early age. Initially, Oganisyan was fond of chess, but he quit the chess club due to the second shift at school and switched to wrestling. From the first time, he decided to continue training, and thus his career and life were predetermined. By the age of 16, he became a master of sports, and by 18, he was an international master of sports.
Until the age of 16, Sanasar Oganisyan was not taken to international competitions, as they thought he would not cope, which upset him. However, there were other opinions; two-time champion Levan Tediashvili considered him talented. Tediashvili, Oganisyan’s idol, inspired the young athlete to continue working hard. In 1978, Oganisyan won the European Junior Championship, and a year later, he became the World Junior Champion. In 1980, he won the European Championship, and his subsequent successes solidified his status as a champion. His streak of victories continued until the late 1980s, by which time Oganisyan had left the big sport.
Oganisyan developed his career alongside his studies, graduating from the Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering. He was also passionate about music. At press conferences, he would sit at the piano and play, delighting journalists and audiences. He said, “Music and wrestling are opposite hobbies. I chose wrestling, but I do not forget music.” Sanasar’s brother, Gor Chahal, chose art and became a famous artist.
Armenian wrestlers of the past became legends of sports. Through their work, they achieved success in different parts of the world. The strength of spirit was the foundation of their careers and lives. Armenak Karapetyan and Sanasar Oganisyan are remembered not only as professionals but also for their human qualities. They knew how to mentor and motivate the young, and their discipline and advice led to creation. These aspects remain relevant today. Armenians continue the legacy of Karapetyan and Oganisyan with dignity, and their achievements are hoped to be multiplied in our time.
The author of the article is journalist Karina Ayrapetova.