Christophor Araratov
Encyclopedia
Christophor Araratov (other names: Khachatur Araratyan, Christophor Araratyan) (1876–1937) – a famous Major General
of Armenian army and lieutenant colonel of the Russian army, participated in the battles of Sardarapat
and Karakilisa against Turkish invaders. In 1937 arrested and killed on charges of nationalism. Rehabilitated posthumously.
. His father, Karapet Avetikovich Araratov was a lieutenant colonel of Russian army. At the age of 10 he entered Tbilisi
cadet corps and studies there for 7 years, after which entered Mikhaylov artillery school in Petersburg
, where he was recognized as one of three best students, and this gave him the rank of a second lieutenant and right to choose the location of service. At the ceremony of finishing the study he was the head of a Cavalry troops.
would use the situation and enter Russian Armenia
and through it to Caucasus
.
On December 5, 1917, the armistice of Erzincan
was signed between the Russians and Ottomans which ended the armed conflicts between Russia and the Ottoman Empire in the Caucasus Campaign. After the Bolshevik seizure of power, a multinational congress of Transcaucasian representatives met to create a provisional regional executive body known as Transcaucasian Seim. While Armenians sending representatives to Transcaucasian Seim, at the same time, the Eastern Armenian leaders at the Erivan tried to established an Armenian Army Corps. With the efforts of Armenian National Council of Tiflis
it was set up to fight against the Ottoman Empire in late 1917 and early 1918. Units of this corps were the basis of the army Democratic Republic of Armenia. Armenians had planned to keep their existence based on a political strategy in the way of being supporting the Allies and Russia and to establish their national army with Russian support. General Nazarbekov was selected as the Commanding Officer (Sparapet of Armenia). The Sparapet
of Armenia Tovmas Nazarbekian
appreciated the talent and skills of the colonel. Erivan assigned 1th Division with 1st Erzurum/Erzinjan regiment, 2nd Khnus Regiment, 3rd Yerevan Regiment, and 4th Erzinjan/Yerevan Regiments under General Christophor Araratov. In 1918 he was the head of artillery brigade of Armenian army
.
Christophor Araratov moved to Kars
, where the staff of the brigade was located. On March 3, 1918, the Grand vizier Talat Pasha signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
with the Russian SFSR. It stipulated that Bolshevik Russia cede Batum, Kars
, and Ardahan
. Between March 14 – April 1918 the Trabzon peace conference
held among the Ottoman Empire and the delegation of the Transcaucasian Sejm. The mood prevailing in Tiflis was very different. Tiflis acknowledge the existence of a state of war between themselves and the Ottoman Empire. Then the fall of Kars made him realize that the government of Transcaucasian Seym was not interested in struggle against the invader: Caucasian Turks supported Turkey, aiming at getting the support of the latter in founding their own independent state.
On May 11, a new peace conference opened at Batum. At this conference Ottomans extending their demands to include Tiflis as well as Alexandropol and Echmiadzin which they wanted a railroad to be built to connect Kars and Julfa with Baku. The Armenian and Georgian members of the Republic’s delegation began to stall. Beginning on May 21, the Ottoman army moved ahead once again. The conflict led to the Battle of Sardarapat
(May 21–29), the Battle of Kara Killisse (1918)
(May 24–28), and the Battle of Bash Abaran
(May 21–24). During the Battle of Sardarapat the artillery brigade under the direction of colonel
Araratov fought bravely and took prisoners a battery
of Turkish soldiers. The victory at Sardarapat
made Republic of Armenia
independence possible.
After Sardarapat
Araratov was moved to the front against Georgian
Army, which occupied Lori in 1918. On October 30, The Armistice of Mudros
was signed and the Caucasus Campaign ended. The fights stopped before the New Year of 1919.
Azerbaijanis excited rebellions. In that unstable situation in March 1919 prime minister Hovhannes Katchaznouni
was substituted by Alexander Khatisyan
and military minister Ivan Hakhverdov by Christophor Araratov, who was given the rank of Major General
. In April 1920 he was moved to Kars
as a military governor of the region. But in October 1920, when the city was yielded to Turks, he was taken prisoner by Turkey
. Turkish General Kyazym Bekir Pasha used to visit him in imprisonment offering to teach a course of Russian artillery at Turkish military university, but refuses several times.
and then at National Economy Institute.
In 1937, during the Great Purge
, along with numerous other "nationalists" and "anti-soviet activists" Christophor Araratov was arrested. It happened on September 2, 1937. After about three months, on December 10 together with other heroes of Sardarapat
Movses Silikyan
, Dmitry Mirimanov, Aghasi Varosyan, Stepan Ohanesyan, Hakob Mkrtchyan, Harutyun Hakobyan, he was taken to Nork gorge and executed.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
of Armenian army and lieutenant colonel of the Russian army, participated in the battles of Sardarapat
Battle of Sardarapat
The Battle of Sardarabad or Battle of Sardarapat was a battle of the Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place near Sardarabad , Armenia from May 21-29, 1918...
and Karakilisa against Turkish invaders. In 1937 arrested and killed on charges of nationalism. Rehabilitated posthumously.
Early years
Christophor Araratov was born in a noble family in 1876 in TbilisiTbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
. His father, Karapet Avetikovich Araratov was a lieutenant colonel of Russian army. At the age of 10 he entered Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
cadet corps and studies there for 7 years, after which entered Mikhaylov artillery school in Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, where he was recognized as one of three best students, and this gave him the rank of a second lieutenant and right to choose the location of service. At the ceremony of finishing the study he was the head of a Cavalry troops.
First military experience
He chose Caucasus grenadier artillery brigade to continue service, where he had the position of senior adjutant of the brigade head. Right after Russian-Japanese War burst, he asked to move him to the front, and the knowledge gained at the artillery school made serious impact on his reputation here, very soon for some of his innovations he was awarded his first medal.First World War
He was continuing his study at Officer School at Tsarskoe Selo, when World War I burst. He passed his exams ahead of schedule and left for front. Here he served as a lieutenant colonel at the same brigade. He was awarded numerous medals during the war. He was in Romania when Bolshevik revolution took place and Russia announced its leaving the war. Realizing that the 2nd Constitutional Era of the Ottoman EmpireSecond Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire)
The Second Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire began shortly after Sultan Abdülhamid II restored the constitutional monarchy after the 1908 Young Turk Revolution. The period established many political groups...
would use the situation and enter Russian Armenia
Russian Armenia
Russian Armenia is the period of Armenia's history under Russian rule beginning from 1829, when Eastern Armenia became part of the Russian Empire to the declaration of the Democratic Republic of Armenia in 1918...
and through it to Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
.
On December 5, 1917, the armistice of Erzincan
Armistice of Erzincan
The Armistice of Erzincan or Erzincan Armistice ended the armed conflicts between Russia and Ottoman Empire in the Persian Campaign and Caucasus Campaign of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. It was signed by the Russians and Ottoman Third Army in Erzincan on December 5, 1917...
was signed between the Russians and Ottomans which ended the armed conflicts between Russia and the Ottoman Empire in the Caucasus Campaign. After the Bolshevik seizure of power, a multinational congress of Transcaucasian representatives met to create a provisional regional executive body known as Transcaucasian Seim. While Armenians sending representatives to Transcaucasian Seim, at the same time, the Eastern Armenian leaders at the Erivan tried to established an Armenian Army Corps. With the efforts of Armenian National Council of Tiflis
Armenian National Council of Tiflis
Armenian National Council in Tiflis was a representative body of the Armenians residing on the Georgian territory. It was established in October, 1917 at the All-Armenian Congress of Eastern Armenians. The Council had departments for military affairs, health, refugees' affairs and education...
it was set up to fight against the Ottoman Empire in late 1917 and early 1918. Units of this corps were the basis of the army Democratic Republic of Armenia. Armenians had planned to keep their existence based on a political strategy in the way of being supporting the Allies and Russia and to establish their national army with Russian support. General Nazarbekov was selected as the Commanding Officer (Sparapet of Armenia). The Sparapet
Sparapet
Sparapet was a hereditary military rank that originated in the 2nd century BC, under the reign of King Artashes I, and was used in the Kingdom of Armenia and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia , was supreme commander of the armed forces. It was the equivalent of the Parthian Spahbod Sparapet was a...
of Armenia Tovmas Nazarbekian
Tovmas Nazarbekian
Tovmas Nazarbekian, commonly known as General Nazarbekov , was an Armenian general in the Russian Caucasus Army that appointed as the governor of the Administration for Western Armenia and later promoted to commander-in-chief of Democratic Republic of Armenia.He was born to a wealthy Russianized...
appreciated the talent and skills of the colonel. Erivan assigned 1th Division with 1st Erzurum/Erzinjan regiment, 2nd Khnus Regiment, 3rd Yerevan Regiment, and 4th Erzinjan/Yerevan Regiments under General Christophor Araratov. In 1918 he was the head of artillery brigade of Armenian army
Armenian Army
The Armenian Army is the largest branch of the Armed Forces of Armenia and consists of the ground forces responsible for the country's land-based operations. It was established in conjunction with the other components of Armenia's military on January 28, 1992, several months after the republic...
.
Christophor Araratov moved to Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
, where the staff of the brigade was located. On March 3, 1918, the Grand vizier Talat Pasha signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
with the Russian SFSR. It stipulated that Bolshevik Russia cede Batum, Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
, and Ardahan
Ardahan
Ardahan is a city in northeastern Turkey, near the Georgian border.-Ancient and medieval:In Ancient times the region was called Gogarene, which is assumed to derive from the name of Gugars, who were a Proto-Kartvelian tribe...
. Between March 14 – April 1918 the Trabzon peace conference
Trabzon Peace Conference
The Trabzon peace conference was a conference held between March and April of 1918 in Trabzon between the Ottoman Empire and a delegation of the Transcaucasian Diet and government. The opening session was on 14 March 1918. The representatives were Rear-Admiral Rauf Bey for the Ottoman Empire, and...
held among the Ottoman Empire and the delegation of the Transcaucasian Sejm. The mood prevailing in Tiflis was very different. Tiflis acknowledge the existence of a state of war between themselves and the Ottoman Empire. Then the fall of Kars made him realize that the government of Transcaucasian Seym was not interested in struggle against the invader: Caucasian Turks supported Turkey, aiming at getting the support of the latter in founding their own independent state.
On May 11, a new peace conference opened at Batum. At this conference Ottomans extending their demands to include Tiflis as well as Alexandropol and Echmiadzin which they wanted a railroad to be built to connect Kars and Julfa with Baku. The Armenian and Georgian members of the Republic’s delegation began to stall. Beginning on May 21, the Ottoman army moved ahead once again. The conflict led to the Battle of Sardarapat
Battle of Sardarapat
The Battle of Sardarabad or Battle of Sardarapat was a battle of the Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place near Sardarabad , Armenia from May 21-29, 1918...
(May 21–29), the Battle of Kara Killisse (1918)
Battle of Kara Killisse (1918)
The Battle of Karakilisa was a battle of Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place in the vicinity of Vanadzor, in 1918. The outnumbered Armenian defenders managed to turn back the invading Ottoman forces, which broke the armistice, signed on December 1917, with Transcaucasian commissariat...
(May 24–28), and the Battle of Bash Abaran
Battle of Bash Abaran
The Battle of Bash Abaran was a battle of Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place in the vicinity of Bash Abaran, in 1918. The Ottoman divisions attacked on May 21, but after three days of fierce combat the Armenians remained firm and the Ottoman regiments retreated in defeat.Armenian...
(May 21–24). During the Battle of Sardarapat the artillery brigade under the direction of colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Araratov fought bravely and took prisoners a battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
of Turkish soldiers. The victory at Sardarapat
Battle of Sardarapat
The Battle of Sardarabad or Battle of Sardarapat was a battle of the Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place near Sardarabad , Armenia from May 21-29, 1918...
made Republic of Armenia
Democratic Republic of Armenia
The Democratic Republic of Armenia was the first modern establishment of an Armenian state...
independence possible.
After Sardarapat
Battle of Sardarapat
The Battle of Sardarabad or Battle of Sardarapat was a battle of the Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place near Sardarabad , Armenia from May 21-29, 1918...
Araratov was moved to the front against Georgian
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
Army, which occupied Lori in 1918. On October 30, The Armistice of Mudros
Armistice of Mudros
The Armistice of Moudros , concluded on 30 October 1918, ended the hostilities in the Middle Eastern theatre between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies of World War I...
was signed and the Caucasus Campaign ended. The fights stopped before the New Year of 1919.
Democratic Republic of Armenia
In the start of 1919 all around ArmeniaDemocratic Republic of Armenia
The Democratic Republic of Armenia was the first modern establishment of an Armenian state...
Azerbaijanis excited rebellions. In that unstable situation in March 1919 prime minister Hovhannes Katchaznouni
Hovhannes Katchaznouni
Hovhannes Katchaznouni was the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Armenia from May 30, 1918 to May 28, 1919. He was a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.-Personal life:...
was substituted by Alexander Khatisyan
Alexander Khatisyan
Alexander Khatisyan was an Armenian politician and a journalist. He served as the mayor of Tiflis from 1910 to 1917. During this period Count Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov consulted with him, the primate of Tbilisi, Bishop Mesrop, and the prominent civic leader Dr. Hakob Zavriev about the...
and military minister Ivan Hakhverdov by Christophor Araratov, who was given the rank of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
. In April 1920 he was moved to Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
as a military governor of the region. But in October 1920, when the city was yielded to Turks, he was taken prisoner by Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Turkish General Kyazym Bekir Pasha used to visit him in imprisonment offering to teach a course of Russian artillery at Turkish military university, but refuses several times.
Soviet Armenia period
In the end of 1921 he was returned to Soviet Armenia and took up rifle division head assistant position and later the head of military chairs at Yerevan State UniversityYerevan State University
Yerevan State University is a university in Yerevan, Armenia. Founded on May 16 1919, it is the largest university in the country with 110 departments. Of its 3,150 employees, 1,190 comprise the teaching staff which includes 25 academicians, 130 professors, 700 docents , and 360 assistant lecturers...
and then at National Economy Institute.
In 1937, during the Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
, along with numerous other "nationalists" and "anti-soviet activists" Christophor Araratov was arrested. It happened on September 2, 1937. After about three months, on December 10 together with other heroes of Sardarapat
Battle of Sardarapat
The Battle of Sardarabad or Battle of Sardarapat was a battle of the Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place near Sardarabad , Armenia from May 21-29, 1918...
Movses Silikyan
Movses Silikyan
Movses Silikyan , , Movses Silikov) was a famed Armenian general and national hero of World War I, Major General in the Russian army and subsequently in the Armenian army...
, Dmitry Mirimanov, Aghasi Varosyan, Stepan Ohanesyan, Hakob Mkrtchyan, Harutyun Hakobyan, he was taken to Nork gorge and executed.