MILITARY COLLEGE NAMED AFTER MONTE MELKONYAN

The first years of Armenia's independence were accompanied by the Artsakh liberation war. No matter how tangible the military successes during the war were, one thing was clear- from then on the independence and borders of Armenia and Artsakh had to be defended by their own forces, for which first of all it was necessary to have a regular army. Having a national army was an unavoidable necessity, however, in order to build it, a stable shift of skilled, experienced, and specialized soldiers was needed. It was due to this necessity that in the decisive stage of the Artsakh liberation war, according to Decree N569 of the Government of the Republic of Armenia of November 15, 1993, a military school-college complex was established on the basis of the military boarding school of the Ministry of Education, which was granted the status of a training military unit on March 14, 1994. 

On July 28, 1994, the training military unit was named after Monte Melkonyan, a national hero of Armenia and a hero of Artsakh.

During its existence, the college has had 1300 graduates. Educated, skilled and professional servicemen who have served and are serving with honor in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, have been educated in the college. The students of the college also have taken part in many international competitions and always returned to their homeland with awards, keeping the honorary Monte title high.

Approaches towards education in the world are changing rapidly today. It is necessary that we adopt new approaches, especially in those areas that relate to the security of the homeland and the inviolability of borders. Accounting for this circumstance, the college was relocated to a newly built complex in Dilijan that meets international educational standards. By Decree N983 of the Government of the Republic of Armenia of August 10, 2017, the school was renamed to "Monte Melkonyan Military College" Foundation. In August 2017, Gegham Sargsyan was appointed Executive Director of the Foundation.

The first meeting of the trustees of the Monte Melkonyan Military CollegeFoundation took place on August 30, 2017, and the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan was elected its chairman. 

On September 1, on the occasion of Knowledge Day, the solemn opening ceremony of the new complex of the Monte Melkonyan Military College took place in Dilijan. The flags of the Monte Melkonyan Military College and the Republic of Armenia were raised. The Minister announced the motto of the college "Road to the heights". Monte Melkonyan's birthday, November 25, was set as a school holiday. 

The official opening ceremony of the college took place on November 21, which was attended by RA President Serzh Sargsyan. On the same day, a monument to Monte Melkonyan (by sculptor Levon Tokmanjyan) was unveiled in the college. 

In different years, the college was run by:

14.03.1994- 29.07.1997- Lieutenant Colonel Alexan Minasyan

29.07.1997-18.03.2002- Major Sirakan Minasyan

02.09.2002-27.09.2005- Colonel Armen Sargsyan

27.09.2005- 23.07.2007- Colonel Roland Keleshyan

23.07.2007- 2017- Colonel Vitaly Voskanyan

In August 2017, Gegham Sargsyan was appointed Executive Director of the Foundation.