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Movses Silikyan

Movses Silikyan (Armenian: Մովսես Սիլիկյան, Russian: Мовсес Силиков, Movses Silikov) (1862 - 1937) was a famed Armenian general and national hero, Major General in the Russian army and subsequently in the Armenian army.

Silikyan graduated from the Moscow Military Gymnasium, Alexandrople Military School and the officer rifle school. From 1884 he served in the Russian Army, being promoted from battalion adjutant to division commander. On the eve of the First World War he was the deputy commander of the forces stationed in Yerevan participating in the Caucasian Front.

Commanding a regiment with forces in Van, Colonel Silikyan took part in the taking of Mush, Bitlis, and the assault on Erzerum, after taking of which he became a Commandant. For his combat merits he was rewarded with many orders, including the Order of St. George and was promoted to Major General.

After the Russian Revolution of 1917 and subsequent withdrawal of Russian troops, Silikyan left the Russian army, in January 1918 he became the commander of the 1st Armenian rifle division. Within a short period Silikyan created combat-effective regular units and prepared them for the repulsion of Ottoman Empire and was in effective control of the forces in Yerevan. Later that year with the declaration of the new state, his forces united under the Democratic Republic of Armenia.

In May 1918, Army of Islam attacking Aleksandropol, began moving towards Yerevan, Silikyan was in general command of regular troops and militia. In the Battle of Sardarapat and the Battle of Bash Abaran the Ottoman Empire were defeated under his command. Future Marshal of the Soviet Union Hovhannes (Ivan) Baghramian who participated in the Battle of Sardarapat noted that Silikyan was the "most gifted military leader of all Armenian Generals of that time...".

In Autumn of 1920 Silikyan commanded Armenian troops in the Kars-Aleksandropol Front. After the Bolshevik takeover of Armenia, Silikyan worked in a number of Soviet establishments. He was arrested and imprisoned during the purges by Stalin in 1937 on charges of nationalism; and rehabilitated posthumously during the Kruschev era.