Valerian Madatov
Encyclopedia
Prince Valerian Grigoryevich Madatov (1782 – September 4, 1829) was an Armenia
n prince
and a lieutenant-general of the Russian Empire
.
county of Nagorno-Karabakh
, in a minor Armenian
noble family as a melik
(prince). At the age of 15 he left Karabakh for St. Petersburg with senior nobleman to seek support from Catherine the Great in their efforts to abolish Muslim control of the region.
at the rank of praporshik, and for the next 10 years spent his time training and serving in lower officer ranks. Madatov saw action for the first time in 1808 on the Danube
during the storming of the Brailov
fortress, where he received his first order of commendation. In 1810 Madatov joined the Aleksandriya Hussar Regiment as a captain and later as a major. Madatov's first major combat experience was during the Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812
. For his actions against the Turks he was given on April 11, 1811 the Order of St. George
of 4th degree. During Napoleon's invasion of Russia, he commanded a detachment, and successfully served in Kobryn
and Barysaŭ
, as well as during the capture of Vilnius
. In 1812 Madatov received the rank of colonel. The next year he was injured in Leipzig
. Still not fully recovered from his wound, Madatov was there to march his men across Paris
. He would remain in France as one of the commanders of the occupational forces and as the Commander of the Hussar Brigade.
Field Marshal
Hans Karl von Diebitsch
referred to Madatov as "the Russian Murat
. He was called back in 1815 to serve in the Caucasus
, due to his familiarity with the region and the fact that he knew most of the major languages spoken in the area. He managed to consolidate Russian power by brokering peace with the local regional rulers. In 1816 Madatov was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Russian forces of the Karabakh khanate
, in the following year - he was in command of the forces in several other former khanates. In 1818 Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov
subjugated the Chechens with Madatov's aid.
In 1826 Persia attacked Karabakh, starting the Russo-Persian War, 1826-1828
. Madatov hurried to Tiflis to take command of the forces which would push the Persians out of Southern Caucasus. The 2,000 men under Madatov's command routed the 10,000 men Persian army on the banks of the Shamkhor river and retook Ganja
on September 5. Upon hearing the news, crown prince
of Persia Abbas Mirza
lifted the siege of Shusha
and marched towards Ganja. Additional Russian reinforcements under Ivan Paskevich
arrived just in time to join their forces with Madatov and to form a 8,000-strong corps under Paskevich's command. Near Ganja they fell upon the Persians and forced them to retreat across the Araks river
back to Persia. On 28 September of the same year Madatov was made Lieutenant General.
He concluded his career fighting the Turks once again on the Danube during the Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829
. On September 4, 1829, two days after the signing of a peace treaty that ended the war, Madatov died from a pulmonary disease, which was sharply aggravated as a result of the burdens of marching during the war. His remains are interred at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra
in Saint Petersburg.
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
and a lieutenant-general of the 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...
.
Early life
Madatov was born Rostom Madatyan in 1782 in Avetaranots, a village of the historical VarandaVaranda
Varanda may refer to:* Fizuli Rayon, Azerbaijan* Qaradağlı, Khojavend, Azerbaijan...
county of Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
, in a minor 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....
noble family as a melik
Melik
Мelik , from malik ) was a hereditary Armenian noble title, in various Eastern Armenian principalities known as melikdoms encompassing modern Yerevan, Kars, Nakhchivan, Sevan, Lori, Artsakh, Tabriz and Syunik starting from the Late Middle Ages until the end of the nineteenth century...
(prince). At the age of 15 he left Karabakh for St. Petersburg with senior nobleman to seek support from Catherine the Great in their efforts to abolish Muslim control of the region.
Military career
In St. Petersburg, young Madatov joined the Leib Guard Preobrazhensky RegimentPreobrazhensky regiment
The Preobrazhensky Regiment was one of the oldest and elite regiments of the Russian army. Along with the Semenovsky regiment also served as a gendarmie unit for the state Secret Chancellery in the 18th century, headed by the Prince Fyodor Romodanovsky.It was formed by Peter the Great in the late...
at the rank of praporshik, and for the next 10 years spent his time training and serving in lower officer ranks. Madatov saw action for the first time in 1808 on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
during the storming of the Brailov
Braila
Brăila is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County, in the close vicinity of Galaţi.According to the 2002 Romanian census there were 216,292 people living within the city of Brăila, making it the 10th most populous city in Romania.-History:A...
fortress, where he received his first order of commendation. In 1810 Madatov joined the Aleksandriya Hussar Regiment as a captain and later as a major. Madatov's first major combat experience was during the Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812
Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812
The Russo-Turkish War was one of many wars fought between Imperial Russia and the Ottoman Empire.- Background :The war broke out in 1805–1806 against the background of the Napoleonic Wars...
. For his actions against the Turks he was given on April 11, 1811 the Order of St. George
Order of St. George
The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George (also known as Order of St. George the Triumphant, Russian: Военный орден Св...
of 4th degree. During Napoleon's invasion of Russia, he commanded a detachment, and successfully served in Kobryn
Kobryn
Kobryn or Kobrin is a city in the Brest voblast of Belarus and the center of the Kobryn Raion. The city is located in the southwestern corner of Belarus where the Mukhavets River and Dnepr-Bug Canal meet. The city lies about 52 km east of the city of Brest. Kobryn is located at Latitude...
and Barysaŭ
Barysau
Barysaw , also transliterated Barysau, is a city in Belarus situated near the Berezina River in the Minsk Voblast.-History:...
, as well as during the capture of Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. In 1812 Madatov received the rank of colonel. The next year he was injured in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. Still not fully recovered from his wound, Madatov was there to march his men across Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He would remain in France as one of the commanders of the occupational forces and as the Commander of the Hussar Brigade.
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Hans Karl von Diebitsch
Hans Karl von Diebitsch
Count Hans Karl Friedrich Anton von Diebitsch und Narden was a German-born soldier serving as Russian Field Marshal....
referred to Madatov as "the Russian Murat
Joachim Murat
Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...
. He was called back in 1815 to serve in the 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...
, due to his familiarity with the region and the fact that he knew most of the major languages spoken in the area. He managed to consolidate Russian power by brokering peace with the local regional rulers. In 1816 Madatov was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Russian forces of the Karabakh khanate
Karabakh khanate
The Karabakh khanate was a semi-independent khanate on the territories of modern Azerbaijan and Armenia established in about 1750 under Persian suzerainty in Karabakh and adjacent areas. The Karabakh khanate existed until 1805, when the Russian Empire gained control over it from Persia...
, in the following year - he was in command of the forces in several other former khanates. In 1818 Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov
Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov
Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov , or Ermolov , was a Russian Imperial general of the 19th century who commanded Russian troops in the Caucasus War.-Early life:...
subjugated the Chechens with Madatov's aid.
In 1826 Persia attacked Karabakh, starting the Russo-Persian War, 1826-1828
Russo-Persian War, 1826-1828
The Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828 was the last major military conflict between the Russian Empire and the Persian Empire.After the Treaty of Gulistan concluded the previous Russo-Persian War in 1813, peace reigned in the Caucasus for thirteen years...
. Madatov hurried to Tiflis to take command of the forces which would push the Persians out of Southern Caucasus. The 2,000 men under Madatov's command routed the 10,000 men Persian army on the banks of the Shamkhor river and retook Ganja
Ganja, Azerbaijan
Ganja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city with a population of around 313,300. It was named Yelizavetpol in the Russian Empire period. The city regained its original name—Ganja—from 1920–1935 during the first part of its incorporation into the Soviet Union. However, its name was changed again and...
on September 5. Upon hearing the news, crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
of Persia Abbas Mirza
Abbas Mirza
Prince, Field-Marshal Abbas Mirza born Amol city , was a Qajar crown prince of Persia. He developed a reputation as a military commander during wars with Russia and the Ottoman Empire, as an early modernizer of Persia's armed forces and institutions, and for his death before his father, Fath Ali...
lifted the siege of Shusha
Shusha
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...
and marched towards Ganja. Additional Russian reinforcements under Ivan Paskevich
Ivan Paskevich
Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich was a Ukrainian-born military leader. For his victories, he was made Count of Erivan in 1828 and Namestnik of the Kingdom of Poland in 1831...
arrived just in time to join their forces with Madatov and to form a 8,000-strong corps under Paskevich's command. Near Ganja they fell upon the Persians and forced them to retreat across the Araks river
Araks River
The Aras , is a river located in and along the countries of Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Its total length is...
back to Persia. On 28 September of the same year Madatov was made Lieutenant General.
He concluded his career fighting the Turks once again on the Danube during the Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829
Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829
The Russo–Turkish War of 1828–1829 was sparked by the Greek War of Independence. The war broke out after the Sultan, incensed by the Russian participation in the Battle of Navarino, closed the Dardanelles for Russian ships and revoked the Akkerman Convention....
. On September 4, 1829, two days after the signing of a peace treaty that ended the war, Madatov died from a pulmonary disease, which was sharply aggravated as a result of the burdens of marching during the war. His remains are interred at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra
Tikhvin Cemetery
Tikhvin Cemetery is located at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, in Saint Petersburg, Russia.Established in 1823, some of the notables buried here are:* Mily Balakirev - , composer* Alexander Borodin - , composer...
in Saint Petersburg.