HAMAZASP (Srvandztyan Hamazasp) was born in Van, in 1873, member of the national-liberation movement. He was the nephew of the folklorist Garegin Srvandztyan. First he was the member of Armenkan then ARF parties. After finishing school he began to learn а handicraft (jeweler, watchmaker). From an early age he was involved in the liberation movement. Avoiding the persecutions of the Turkish government, he moved to Yerevan, then Shushi from Van. Hamazasp participated in the Armenian-Tatar clashes (he was especially notable in the battle of Askeran ravine on August 22, 1905, when from 200-member Turkish detachment survived only 6). He also organized the defense of Gandzak from Tatars. In 1908, the Tsarist government with Dashnaks arrested Hamazasp,   condemned him to death, but then it was replaced by 15 years of exile (Siberia). In 1913 he escaped from prison and went to Europe, then to Constantinople. In the 8th General Assembly of ARF party that took place in Karin he strongly opposed to any cooperation with the Young Turks. At the beginning of the First World War Hamazasp participated in the voluntary movement in Caucuses and was appointed a Commander of the 3rd Regiment. He took part in many battles, ensured the safe migration of the Armenian population from Basen and Alashkert. He was one of the voluntary liberators of Van in May, 1915, on June he faught for Bitlis, in October in Khizan. 

After the February Revolution in 1917, Hamazasp was appointed the military police commander of Alashkert (until Russian troops left the Caucasian front).

In 1918 he fought for the Baku Commune, as a Commander of the Armenian brigade (3,000 soldiers and officers)he  displayed his abilities to be an experienced strategist,  organizer, played a decisive role in the operations of Gandzak and Yevlakh and for 4 months fought against overwhelming Turkish forces.

After the fall of the Baku Commune he went to Persia, in autumn of 1918  (after the defeat of Turkey in the First World War) came back to Armenia, was appointed a military commander of Nor Bayazet region, participated in the defense of the Republic of Armenia and in the oppression of the May Uprising, in 1920. After the establishment of Soviet power in Armenia by the invitation of the military commissioner A. Nuridjanyan Hamazasp came to Yerevan with the aim to be helpful for the new government, but was arrested and hacked death with an axe in Yerevan prison. 

Y. Gasparyan

 

Source-Encyclopedia “The Armenian Issue”, Yerevan,1996.

 

RA, Yerevan, Alex Manoogian 1, YSU 2nd annex
the 5th floor,
Tel.: + 37460 71 00 92
E-mail: info@armin.am

© Institute for Armenian Studies of YSU
All rights are reserved. In case of full or partial use of the web-site materials or the citation the reference to www.armeniansgenocide.am is compulsory.