Karen Demirchyan served as First Secretary of the Armenian Communist Party from 1974 to 1988, the most powerful political position in Soviet Armenia. He oversaw a period of relative stability and development in the republic and was celebrated for his defense of Armenian national interests within the Soviet system, including during the Karabakh movement of the late 1980s.
After Armenian independence, Demirchyan returned to politics and was elected Speaker of the National Assembly. On October 27, 1999, he was assassinated alongside Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan and six others in a terrorist attack on the Armenian parliament. He was posthumously declared a National Hero of Armenia. Groong episodes referencing Demirchyan address his legacy, the 1999 parliament attack, and the political history of pre- and post-Soviet Armenia.