[1] Hovhnanes Lazarian (Ivan Lazarev) was born on 17 October 1820 in Shushi in Nagorno Karabakh, then part of the Russian Empire, and studied at a school in that city.

His crowning achievement in this theater was the talks he held with the defeated Shamil, whom he led to choose peace and surrender to the governing forces in 1859.

When Lazarian first got to the area of the military conflict, his role was quite limited compared to the likes of Count Loris-Melikov and General Arshak Ter-Gukasov.

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.

As the campaign was beginning he grew ill, insisted on accompanying the troops and died at Chat on August 14, 1879.