The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (Armenian: Հայկական Սովետական Սոցիալիստական Հանրապետություն Haykakan Sovetakan Soc’ialistakan Hanrapetut’yun; Russian: Армя́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респу́блика Armjanskaja Sovetskaja Sotsialističeskaja Respublika), also known as the Armenian SSR or Soviet Armenia for short, was one of the fifteen republics that made up the Soviet Union in December 1922. It was established in December 1920, when the Soviets took over control of the short-lived Democratic Republic of Armenia and lasted until 1991. It is sometimes called the Second Republic of Armenia, following the Democratic Republic of Armenia's demise (which was also known as the First Republic of Armenia).

As part of the Soviet Union, the Armenian SSR transformed from a largely agricultural hinterland to an important industrial production center. On August 23, 1990, it was renamed the Republic of Armenia, but remained in the Soviet Union until its official proclamation of independence on 21 September 1991. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the state of the post-Union Republic of Armenia existed until the adoption of the new constitution in 1995.

John Kirakosyan (Armenian: Ջոն Կիրակոսյան, 6 May 1929, Yerevan - 20 June 1985) was an Armenian historian and political scientist. He was a Doctor of Historical Sciences and a Professor at Yerevan State University, where he headed the Faculty of Oriental Studies.

From 1955 till 1962 Kirakosyan contributed to the periodical of the Communist Party of Armenia, "Leninyan Ughiov". From 1962 till 1966 he was head of the division of propaganda and agitation of the party's Central Committee, and from 1966 till 1969 he served as chairman of the state committee of the Armenian SSR on television and radiobroadcasting. From 1969 till 1975 he was head of the science and educational division of the party, and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Armenian SSR from 1975 until his death in 1985.

Amongst his scientific works are numerous research papers and several lengthy treatises that constitute a major contribution to the understanding of key aspects of Armenian history.

In 1954 Kirakosyan successfully defended his thesis at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences, which was dedicated to the subject of British intervention in Iran in 1919-1921. In 1957 his work "A heroic page in the national liberation struggle of the Indian people" appeared in print, in which he focused on one of the most important events of India's national liberation struggle - the Sepoy Mutiny, which the Armenian community of India also took part in.