In 1895, during the Hamidian massacres in Erzurum, Gavafian led an armed group to protect Armenian people in the region and soon became their spiritual leader.

After the declaration of the First World War, Keri became the commander of the 4th Armenian volunteer battalion of the Imperial Russian Army in 1914.

The battle of Sarikamish, which the British press boomed as an enormous Russian success, was absolutely won by the courage and determination of the Armenian soldiers in the Russian army, and by the military genius of Arshak Gavafian (familiarly known as Keri), whose gallant life was lost in the battle of Rowanduz, where he inflicted another heavy defeat on the Turks and saved the situation.

If it were not for Keri and Armenian soldiers, the Sarikamish battle would have been lost, and the Turkish army would have reached Tiflis.

- Diana Abgar, On the Cross of Europe's Imperialism, Armenia Crucified[4]In 1916, on his way to Mosul from Rowanduz, Keri and his detachment were surrounded and, while trying to get out, he was killed in battle.