Beloved Armenian actor Artashes Aleksanyan has tragically died aged 64. The star, whose career spanned four decades across theatre, film and television, died early Monday (June 6) after being hospitalised for three days. His death was confirmed by friend Harutyun Bogaryan, who told Armenpress: "He was in the hospital for three days. This morning at 3:55, his heart stopped." The late actor would've turned 65 on July 17, was born in Yerevan in 1961. Artashes embarked on his stellar career after studying acting at the Gabriel Sundukyan National Academic Theatre’s studio under the renowned Khoren Abrahamyan.

He then continued his education at VGIK in Moscow, where he trained under iconic Russian actor Armen Dzhigarkhanyan. After making his film debut during the 1980s, he won the Best Actor of the Year award for his role in The Princess of the Fallen Fortress. The news of Artashes' death sent shockwaves across online as fans rushed to pay tribute on social media.

One penned: "What a pity. My condolences to family and friends, and to all the Armenian people."

A heartbroken co-star added: "HE IS REALLY A LEGEND. I am happy that I got to touch his great talent, starred with him in leading roles in a play, in his own production, REST IN PEACE."

"What a pity. He was a great and loved actor. Rest in peace," a third echoed.

Likening him to a national hero, another fan shared: "The news is from a reliable source, but I can't believe it, my God why? To the good, the important, the talents, the loved ones, it is unfair, unfair, may you deserve an eternal paradise, our Garegin Nzhdeh."

"May he rest in peace. 64 is far too young. Thank you for your contributions, legend," wrote a fifth.

Artashes briefly left his career during the war. From 1991 to 1992, he fought as a volunteer, serving as an honorary member of the Mahapart, the Death-Defiers detachment, joining the generation of Armenians who took up the defence of Artsakh.

He returned to the theatre after the war, acting at the Mher Mkrtchyan Artistic Theatre in Yerevan from 1992 to 1994, then working with the Lenfilm studio and several Armenian television companies through the mid-1990s.

From 1998 to 2001, he served as a director at the Mother Theatre in the Czech Republic, where he staged five productions, including Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Gogol’s The Government Inspector, broadening his artistic range across Europe.