Ivan Lazarev
Encyclopedia
Ivan Davidovich Lazarev was an Imperial Russian Army
general of Armenian
origin.
, Russian Empire
and studied at a school there. In 1839 he began his military career in the Caucasus, where, for his actions, he was made an officer in 1842.
against the Shamil (chief) of the rebels. Lazarian, unlike most officers, took the time to study and learn the Tatar language. It was a language that was known throughout the Caucasus region by the peasants, and hence foot soldiers. With this knowledge he was the first to enter into communice with the Muslim rebels and was the one to set up the plans for the peace processes. His crowning achievement in that theater of action was the talks he held with the Shamil, who he led to choose peace and surrender to the governing forces. That diplomatic act made him a general after being bestowed military orders of the highest rank.
general.
An even more memorable occurrence took place during the night of November 5 to the November 6. Before the divisions marched upon the fortresses around Kars: Hafiz, Kanlyi, Chimon, Taynasm abd Arab-Tabi, Lazarian rode in front of the divisions screaming "Now, with God!" and throwing his military cap in the air and making a sign of the cross. After this succeful storming of Kars on the fourth try, victory in the area was certain. On August 14, 1879 Lazarian died while on an expedition on the eastern side of the Caspian Sea.
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
general of Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
origin.
Biography
Hovhnanes Lazarian (Ivan Lazarev) was born in 1820 in ShushaShusha
Shusha , also known as Shushi is a town in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. It has been under the control of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since its capture in 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
, Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and studied at a school there. In 1839 he began his military career in the Caucasus, where, for his actions, he was made an officer in 1842.
North Caucasus
Before the war in Western Armenia in 1877, General Lazarian made his name in the northern Caucasus. He was assigned, like many officers, to fight in DagestanDagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
against the Shamil (chief) of the rebels. Lazarian, unlike most officers, took the time to study and learn the Tatar language. It was a language that was known throughout the Caucasus region by the peasants, and hence foot soldiers. With this knowledge he was the first to enter into communice with the Muslim rebels and was the one to set up the plans for the peace processes. His crowning achievement in that theater of action was the talks he held with the Shamil, who he led to choose peace and surrender to the governing forces. That diplomatic act made him a general after being bestowed military orders of the highest rank.
Russo-Turkish war
Eleven years after his career in Dagestan, he was called to duty on the Armenian soil against the Turks. Finally his skills would be used to save his historic homeland. When Lazarian first got to the area of the military conflict, his role was quiet limited compared to the likes of Count Loris-Melikov and General Arshak Ter-Ghukasov. Nevertheless, when duty called upon the general during the strike upon the Aladzhin position, he showed great promise on his front when given the command of the most avant garde divisions in the army, which was the only wheel-transport between Arpachay and Kegacha. With the given forces Lazarian drew back the Turkish forces towards their main location at the Kars province, forces composed of 25 battalions that later laid down their arms to Lazarian. These actions certainly added more ribbons and medals on the chest of the ArtsakhArtsakh
Artsakh was the tenth province of the Kingdom of Armenia from 189 BC until 387 AD and afterwards a region of Caucasian Albania from 387 to the 7th century. From the 7th to 9th centuries, it fell under Arab control...
general.
An even more memorable occurrence took place during the night of November 5 to the November 6. Before the divisions marched upon the fortresses around Kars: Hafiz, Kanlyi, Chimon, Taynasm abd Arab-Tabi, Lazarian rode in front of the divisions screaming "Now, with God!" and throwing his military cap in the air and making a sign of the cross. After this succeful storming of Kars on the fourth try, victory in the area was certain. On August 14, 1879 Lazarian died while on an expedition on the eastern side of the Caspian Sea.