Stepan Zakharyan was born on July 18, 1957 in Yerevan.

Mr. Zakharyan graduated from the Khachatour Abovyan Yerevan Pedagogical Institute in 1978. He is a stage manager, prose writer, playwright and publicist. He is also a member of the Armenia Writers' Union.

From 1978-1979 he was a stage manager in the amateur theatre under the Cultural Center in Hrazdan region and a teacher in the secondary school in the village of Aghavnadzor. From 1979-1981 he worked as an assistant to the producer in the Yerevan Film Studio. From 1981-1983 he worked as a literature specialist and head of the prose division in the periodical Pioneer
. He spent the next decade as an editor, head of divi­sion and chief editor in the State Television and Radio Department. From 1993-1995 he was the deputy director of the State Television and Radio Department. From 1995-1996 he was the general director of the Armenia State Radio Company. From 1997-1998 he headed the Culture, Sport and Youth Affairs Department of the Yerevan City Council.

1999-2003 was his first term as a deputy in the NA (from the proportional list of the Unity alliance), where he served on the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. He was first a member of the Unity Faction and later the People's Voice Deputy Group.

On May 25, 2003 he was reelected to the NA from the proportional list of the Justice Alliance, where he is currently on the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations. He is also a member of the Justice Faction, the secretary and member of the board of the APP.

Mr. Zakaryan is married and has four children.