Hovhannes Vasily Hakhverdyan ( hy, Հովհաննես Հախվերդյան; russian: Ованес Ахвердян, Иван Васильевич Ахвердов) (29 July 1873 – 28 April 1931) was the first Minister of Defence of the

First Republic of Armenia The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն), was the first modern Armenian state since the loss of Armenian statehood in the Middle ...

from 15 April 1918 to 27 March 1919.

Early life

Hovhannes Hakhverdyan was born in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

on 29 July 1873 in an

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...

n noble family. His father, Vasily Fyodor Hakhverdov, was a Real State Councilor. He had two brothers, Major General Gavriil Hakhverdov and Lieutenant Colonel Georgiy Hakhverdov. He graduated from the 1st Cadet Corps of Saint Peterburg in 1890, the 1st Military Pavlov School in 1892 and the Nikolaev Academy of Joint Staff in 1902.

Military career

Hakhverdyan participated in the

Russian-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

. He was appointed a

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

of the Russian Army on 22 October 1915. On 11 May 1916, he became head of Joint Staff of 120th Infantry Division. After switching allegiance to the Republic of Armenia, Hakhverdyan was appointed

Minister of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in s ...

in the cabinet of

Hovhannes Katchaznouni Hovhannes Kajaznuni or Katchaznouni (; 14 February 1868 – 15 January 1938) was an Armenian architect and politician who served as the first Prime Minister of the First Republic of Armenia from June 6, 1918 to August 7, 1919. He was a member of ...

on 30 June 1918. He was not member of any political party and was supported by most of the powers as a professional and fair candidate for the Defense Minister position.

Drastamat Kanayan Drastamat Kanayan (; 31 May 1884 8 March 1956), better known as Dro (Դրօ), was an Armenian military commander and politician. He was a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. He briefly served as Defence Minister of the First Republic ...

was originally chosen to be the first Defence Minister, but had turned the position down. On 27 April 1919, Hakhverdyan left his position and Christophor Araratov became Defense Minister. Afterwards, he occupied the position of Head of Joint Staff. From 5 May 1920 to 25 November 1920, he was Vice-Minister of Defense. During the Soviet invasion in December 1920, he was arrested with about 1,500 Armenia officers, including Tovmas Nazarbekian and Movses Silikyan. He later worked as a cashier. In 1930, he was arrested "for being a member of the counter-revolutionary monarchist officers' group, participating in the gatherings of the group, and having uncompromising attitudes toward the Soviet government". He was shot in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

on 28 April 1931. Hakhverdyan was rehabilitated on 20 October 1989.

Personal life

Hakhverdyan is the grandfather of famous Armenian bard

Ruben Hakhverdyan Ruben Hakhverdyan ( hy, Ռուբեն Հախվերդյան; born December 3, 1950) is a popular Armenian poet, guitarist, singer, songwriter, and lyricist. He attended Yerevan's theater institute and in 1975, earned his degree in television and t ...

Military Awards

* Order of St. Anna, 4th degree (1902) *

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus ( pl, Order Św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika, russian: Орден Святого Станислава), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poni ...

, 3rd degree with Swords and Bow (1905) * Order of St. Anna, 3rd degree with Swords and Bow (1905) *

, 4th degree with Swords and Bow (1906) *

, 2nd degree with Swords (1906) * Order of St. Anna, 2nd degree with Swords (1906) * Order of St. George, 4th degree (3 February 1916) * Order of the Golden Star of Bukhara, 2nd degree

External links

Orientica.netHayazg.info
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hakhverdyan, Hovhannes 1873 births 1931 deaths Military personnel from Saint Petersburg Imperial Russian Army generals Russian military personnel of the Russo-Japanese War Russian military personnel of World War I Armenian generals Armenian people of World War I Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 2nd class Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class People of the First Republic of Armenia Defence ministers of Armenia People murdered in Russia Executed people from Saint Petersburg Armenian people murdered abroad Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 3rd class Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 4th class