The history of the Armenian security authorities is inextricably linked with the history of our people that go deep into the millennia. 

The studies indicate that even during the Urartu period (IX-VII centuries B.C.) intelligence and counterintelligence activity was put on state bases and was one of the directions of state activity. In ancient and medieval Armenia, security matters were handled by both entire state bodies (ministries, agencies) and individual state officials. The protection of military and other secrets was in the centre of attention as well.

The archived data, though being scarce, provide a basis to assume that the special services of Armenia were an integral part of the security system of the First Republic of Armenia.

Under the difficult conditions of 1918-20 the important structure functioned as an intelligence and counterintelligence unit of headquarters of the RA Military Ministry.

The core of the activities of the special services was the fight against the hostile activities of foreign states.

With limited human resources and scarce opportunities, the required data on the deployment of forces in Transcaucasia, the movement of troops and the destructive activities, were obtained.

A number of spies were identified, including the foreign diplomat, who was neutralized and expelled from the country as a persona non grata.

A few days after the establishment of Soviet regime in Armenia, on December 6, 1920 the 1^st Decree adopted by the Revolutionary Committee of Armenia referred to the establishment of Emergency Committee (EC).

Nikolay Ayvazov (Ayvazyan) was appointed the first chair of ASSR EC. Since January, 1921 the service was headed by the well-known Bolshevik Shavarsh Amirkhanyan, whose deputy was Sergey Melik-Osipov (he headed the system in 1924-1929).  Since March, 1929 to October, 1930 Sedrak Margaryan, Hayk Petrosyan, Sedrak Otyan, including their predecessor Sergey Melik-Osipov, became the successors in the state administrative system of the Armenian SSR in 1937-1938, who then became the victims of Stalin's repressions.

During the Great Patriotic War and the post war years more than 260 participants of the war, who had bravely fought on different fronts, served in the state security authorities of Armenia.

On March 13, 1954 the Presidium of the Supreme Council of USSR passed a resolution to establish a Committee for State Security (KGB).

As a result of the nationwide referendum of 21 September 1991, the independence of Armenia became a reality, and from the very first the issue of restructuring of the security authorities became the order of the day.

According to the law on the structure and composition of the government of RA, adopted on December 4, 1991 the Committee for State Security (KGB) was renamed the RA State Directorate of National Security.

The officers of the state security authorities participated in the battles both for the protection of Armenia's borders and for Artsakh.

In 1995, the RA State Directorate of National Security was renamed the Ministry of National Security.

On 8 November 1996, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of National Security merged into the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Security.

On November 13, 1999 the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Security was again separated into the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of National Security.

On 17 December 2002, by the Decree of the President of RA, the Ministry of National Security was restructured into the National Security Service adjacent to the Government of RA.

The recent history of the RA National Security Service authorities was marked by the revelations of foreign special services agents.

On June 28, 2018, the new charter and structure of the National Security Service of RA (RA NSS), a state body subordinate to the Prime Minister of Armenia, was approved; a separate subdivision was established to ensure economic security and anti-corruption functions.

The servicemen of the RA and Artsakh National Security Services, including those of Border Guard Troops, bravely participated in the 2020 Artsakh war resulting in hundreds of victims, wounded, whose names and sacrifices, as in the case of thousands of other Armenians, will forever remain in the memory of the Armenian people.

Heads of Special Services of Armenia

Armen Vagharshak Abazyan (born in 1971),
Director of the RA NSS (since November 8, 2020)

Argishti Elbek Kyaramyan (born in 1991)
Colonel, Director of the NSS (June-October 2020)

Eduard Ashot Martirosyan (born in 1974)
Interim Director of the NSS (2019-2020)
Colonel, Director of the NSS (2020 March - June)

Artur Gagik Vanetsyan (born in 1979)
Major General, Director of the NSS (2018-2019)

Georgy Karen Kutoyan (1981-2020)
Major General, Director of the NSS (2016-2018)

Gorik Gurgen Hakobyan (1946-2017)
Colonel General, Director of the NSS (2004-2016)

Karlos Khachik Petrosyan (born in 1951)
Lieutenant General, Minister of National Security (1999-2002), Director of the NSS (2002-2004)

Serzh Azat Sargsyan (born in 1954)
Minister of National Security (1995-1996), Minister of the Interior and National Security (1996-1999)

Davit Gurgen Shahnazaryan (born in 1954)
Head of the SDNS (1994-1995)

Eduard Grigori Simonyants (1937-2005)
Major General, head of the SDNS (1993-1994)

Valeri Vagharshak Poghosyan (born in 1944)
Major General, head of the SDNS (1992-1993)

Husik Suren Harutyunyan (1945-2006)
Major General, head of the SDNS (1991-1992)

Valeri Georgy Badamyants (1940-2023)
Major General, head of the SSC (KGB) of ASSR (1988-1991)

Marius Aram Yuzbashyan (1924-1993)
Lieutenant General, head of the SSC (KGB) of ASSR (1978-1988)

Hrayr Avanes Mikhayelyan (1920-1995)
Major General, head of the SSC (KGB) adjunct to the Council of Ministers of ASSR (1975-1978)

Arcady Pavel Ragozin (1918-1998)
Lieutenant General, head of the SSC (KGB) adjunct to the Council of Ministers of ASSR (1972-1975)

Georgy Artashes Badamyants (1910-1988)
Lieutenant General, head of the SSC (KGB) adjunct to the Council of Ministers of ASSR (1954-1972)

Sergey Arcady Korkhmazyan (1912-1974)
Colonel, Minister of State Security (1947-1952)

Nikita Arcady Qrimyan (1913-1955)
Colonel, People’s Commissar of State Security-Minister of State Security (1945-1947)

Georgy Iosif Martirosov (1906-1977)
Major General,People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs (1941-1943), People’s Commissar of State Security (1952-1953), Minister of the Interior (1953-1954)

Aleksey Vasili Korotkov (1906-1945)
People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs (from February 1939 to February 1941), People’s Commissar of State Security (from February to July 1941)

Victor Vasili Khvorostyan (1903-1939)
People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs (from October 1937 to February 1939), Major of State Security

Khachik Khlghat Mughdusi (1898-1938)
Head of the NKVD (from July 1934 to January 1937), Major of State Security

Armenak Gerasim Abulyan (1895-1935)
Head of the GPU (from October 1930 to July 1934)

Sedrak Gevorg Otyan (1898-1937)
Head of the GPU (from May to October 1930)

Hayk Grigor Petrosyan(1897-1938)
Head of the GPU (from November 1929 to May 1930)

Sedrak Nikolay Margaryan (1898-1937)
Head of the GPU (from March to November 1929)

Sergey Dmitri Melik-Osipov (1882-1937)
EC chairman (from November 1924 to January 1929)

Shavarsh Mehrab Amirkhanyan (1894-1959)
EC chairman (from 9 February 1921 to May 1924)

Nikolay Yemelyan Ayvazyan (1889-1937)
EC chairman (from 6 December 1920 to January 1921)

*(EC-Emergency Committee,GPU-State Political Directorate, NKVD-People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs, NKGB-People’s Commissariat for State Security, MSS- Ministry of the State Security MI- Ministry of the Interior, SSC (KGB) – Committee for State Security, SDNS-State Directorate of National Security, MNS - Ministry of National Security, MINS - Ministry of the Interior and National Security, NSS - National Security Service)