Valerian Madatov

Prince Valerian Grigoryevich Madatov (; n; 1782 – September 4, 1829) was a Russian-Armenian prince and lieutenant-general of the Russian Empire.

Early life Madatov was born Rostom Madatyan in 1782 in Avetaranots of the Principality of Varanda (present-day Azerbaijan), in a minor Armenian noble family as a melik (prince). He was called back in 1815 to serve in the Caucasus, due to his familiarity with the region and the fact that he knew most of the major languages spoken in the area. He managed to consolidate Russian power by brokering peace with the local regional rulers. In 1816 Madatov was appointed the commander-in-chief of the Russian forces of the Karabakh Khanate, and was in command of the forces in several other former khanates. In 1818 Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov subjugated the Chechens with Madatov's aid.

In 1826, Persia attacked Karabakh, starting the Russo-Persian War. Madatov hurried to Tiflis to take command of the forces which would push the Persians out of the Southern Caucasus. The 2,000 men under Madatov's command routed the 10,000-man Persian army on the banks of the Shamkhor river and retook Ganja on September 5. Upon hearing the news, crown prince of Persia Abbas Mirza lifted the siege of Shusha and marched towards Ganja. Additional Russian reinforcements under Ivan Paskevich arrived just in time to join their forces with Madatov and to form an 8,000-strong corps under Paskevich's command. Near Ganja they fell upon the Persians and forced them to retreat across the Araks river back to Persia. On 28 September of the same year Madatov was made lieutenant general.

He concluded his career fighting the Turks once again on the Danube during the Russo-Turkish War. On September 4, 1829, two days after the signing of a peace treaty that ended the war, Madatov died from a pulmonary disease, which was sharply aggravated as a result of the burdens of marching during the war. His remains are interred at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in Saint Petersburg.