Daniel-Bek Abisoghomi Pirumyan ( hy, Դանիէլ Բէկ Աբիսողոմի Փիրումեան; 22 November 1861 – 1922) was an

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

military commander who served in the Imperial Russian Army during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and in the army of the First Republic of Armenia. He was one of the commanders of Armenian forces at the

Battle of Sardarabad The Battle of Sardarabad ( hy, Սարդարապատի ճակատամարտ, translit=Sardarapati chakatamart; tr, Serdarabad Muharebesi) was a battle of the Caucasus campaign of World War I that took place near Sardarabad, Armenia, from 21 to ...

. During the

Turkish–Armenian War The Turkish–Armenian war ( hy, Հայ-թուրքական պատերազմ), known in Turkey as the Eastern Front ( tr, Doğu Cephesi) of the Turkish War of Independence, was a conflict between the First Republic of Armenia and the Turkish ...

of 1920, he commanded the unsuccessful defense of Kars and was taken prisoner.

Biography

Daniel-Bek Pirumyan was born in 1861 in

Nakhichevanik Nakhichevanik ( hy, Նախիջևանիկ, Nakhijevanik) or Nakhchivanly ( az, Naxçıvanlı) is a village ''de facto'' in the Askeran Province of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, ''de jure'' in the Khojaly District of Azerbaijan, in the dispu ...

village of the

Elisabethpol Governorate The Elizavetpol Governorate, also known after 1918 as the Ganja Governorate, was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Yelisavetpol (present-day Ganja). The area of the governorate st ...

of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

(now in the disputed region of

Nagorno-Karabakh Nagorno-Karabakh ( ) is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik, and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. The region is m ...

). He graduated from the public school in

Shusha / hy, Շուշի , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg , image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govha ...

and began his service in the Imperial Russian Army in 1881 in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...

. He studied at the

Tiflis Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million pe ...

Infantry School and the Infantry Officers' School in Oranienbaum Military Academy. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1913 and

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

in 1915. During

, he fought on the Caucasus Front, commanding the 3rd Battalion of the 153rd Infantry Regiment in

Western Armenia Western Armenia (Western Armenian: Արեւմտեան Հայաստան, ''Arevmdian Hayasdan'') is a term to refer to the eastern parts of Turkey (formerly the Ottoman Empire) that are part of the historical homeland of the Armenians. Weste ...

. During the Erzurum offensive, he captured the Turkish fort of Dalangez and then fought off the Turkish army trying to reclaim it. Of the 1,400 Russian and Armenian officers and soldiers defending the fort, 1,100 were killed and the survivors were injured. Nevertheless, eight assaults were repulsed by the fort and Dalangez was not given to the enemy. On 26 May 1918, he participated in the

as general commander of the Sardarabad unit. His cousin Poghos Bek-Pirumyan also participated in the battle as the commander of the 5th Karabakh Regiment. Daniel-Bek held the rank of lieutenant general in the army of the First Republic of Armenia. He commanded Armenian forces at the

Battle of Kars The Battle of Kars was a decisive Russian victory over the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). The battle for the city took place on November 17th, 1877, and resulted in the Russians capturing the city along with a large po ...

and was taken prisoner by Kâzım Karabekir's army after the fall of the city. He was released from imprisonment in October 1921. Several sources claim that Daniel-Bek Pirumyan was arrested and executed along with other officers in 1921 following the

Sovietization of Armenia The Red Army invasion of Armenia, also known as the Sovietization or the Soviet invasion of Armenia, the Soviet occupation of Armenia, or Soviet intervention in Armenia was a military campaign which was carried out by the 11th Army of Soviet Ru ...

, either near

Dilijan Dilijan ( hy, Դիլիջան) is a spa town and urban municipal community in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The town is one of the most important resorts in Armenia, situated within the Dilijan National Park. The forested town is home to num ...

or in

Ryazan Ryazan ( rus, Рязань, p=rʲɪˈzanʲ, a=ru-Ryazan.ogg) is the largest city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Cens ...

, and that his cousin Poghos-Bek Pirumyan committed suicide after finding out about this. In reality, Pirumyan, whose health had deteriorated in Turkish captivity, died suddenly in Yerevan in the autumn of 1922, as he was preparing to leave Armenia and join his wife in Moscow. Pirumyan's remains are buried in the courtyard of Saint Gayane Church in

Etchmiadzin Vagharshapat ( hy, Վաղարշապատ ) is the 4th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is comm ...

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 ' ...

Awards

* Order of Saint Stanislaus, 2nd class * Order of Saint Stanislaus, 3rd class *

Order of St. Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holst ...

, 2nd class * Order of St. Anna, 3rd class * Order of St. Anna, 4th class *

Order of St. George The Order of Saint George (russian: Орден Святого Георгия, Orden Svyatogo Georgiya) is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. Originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) a ...

, 3rd class *

Order of St. Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir (russian: орден Святого Владимира) was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptize ...

, 3rd class *

Gold Sword for Bravery The Gold Sword for Bravery (russian: Золотое оружие "За храбрость") was a Russian award for bravery. It was set up with two grades on 27 July 1720 by Peter the Great, reclassified as a public order in 1807 and abolished ...

Legacy

Daniel Bek-Pirumian 2018 stamp of Artsakh

In 2013, Yuri Pirumyan, the grandson of Daniel-Bek, published a book about his grandfather's life titled ''The Life of'' ''Daniel-Bek Pirumyan'' (). Pirumyan wrote the book using archival data, noting that later historical publications contain many facts contradict each other, whereas his book contains documented historical facts.

References

Notes

Citations

External links

Outstanding people of Karabagh

Armenian news report about book ''The Life of'' ''Daniel-Bek Pirumyan''Hayazg.info
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bek-Pirumyan, Daniel 1861 births 1921 deaths People from Khojaly District Imperial Russian Army personnel Russian military personnel of World War I Armenian colonels Armenian people of World War I People of the First Republic of Armenia Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 2nd class Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree Recipients of the Gold Sword for Bravery 20th-century executions by Russia Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 3rd class Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 4th class