In 1974 he graduated from the Khachatur Abovian Armenian State Pedagogical University and became the director of the house of culture in Nairi that same year.
From 1970 to 1993, Shahsuvaryan worked in the Public Television Service of the Armenian SSR.
Shahsuvaryan dismissed this as "an absurd attempt to compromise Armenia in the eyes of the international community.
[2] Shahsuvaryan denied this and on September 11, 2007, more false accusations were made by Azerbaijani Defence Minister Safar Abiyev, saying that there were hidden delivered equipment in Armenian bases from both Russia and Georgia, which Shahsuvaryan repeatedly denied.
[3] During the 2008 Armenian presidential elections and the subsequent protests, Shahsuvaryan denied all claims that ex-president and presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian made, especially Ter-Petrossian's claims that deputy defence ministers Manvel Grigoryan and Gagik Melkonyan supported his 2008 campaign and would join the post-election protests.