Roustam Raza’s (1780-?) real name was Rostom Khachaturian. He was born in Tiflis to a family from Artsakh. At the age of seven, he was kidnapped by Tatars and sent to Egypt where he was sold seven times. In 1780, Sheik El-Bakri of Cairo, gave 18-year-old Rostom as a present to Napoleon who had just landed in Egypt. Rostom became the French general’s bodyguard and took part in every Napoleonic battle until 1814 when Bonaparte was exiled. Napoleon bestowed him with the Legion of Honor medal. Rostom was featured in a number of paintings which depicted Napoleon at war. A few years after marrying a Mademoiselle Douville in a Paris suburb, he returned to the Caucasus and enlisted in the Russian army to take part in the Russo-Persian War to liberate Eastern Armenia. The army was led by General Madatov (Madatian). Following the Russian victory, Rostom lived in Shushi for a while. He was buried in the same Paris suburb where he was married. His memoirs were published in 1866.
Roustam Raza’s (1780-?) real name was Rostom Khachaturian. He was born in Tiflis to a family from Artsakh. At the age of seven, he was kidnapped by Tatars and sent to Egypt where he was sold seven times. In 1780, Sheik El-Bakri of Cairo, gave 18-year-old Rostom as a present to Napoleon who had just landed in Egypt. Rostom became the French general’s bodyguard and took part in every Napoleonic battle until 1814 when Bonaparte was exiled. Napoleon bestowed him with the Legion of Honor medal. Rostom was featured in a number of paintings which depicted Napoleon at war. A few years after marrying a Mademoiselle Douville in a Paris suburb, he returned to the Caucasus and enlisted in the Russian army to take part in the Russo-Persian War to liberate Eastern Armenia. The army was led by General Madatov (Madatian). Following the Russian victory, Rostom lived in Shushi for a while. He was buried in the same Paris suburb where he was married. His memoirs were published in 1866.