Hussein Khan Nakhichevanski
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Hussein Khan Nakhichevanski was a Russian Cavalry General and the only Muslim to serve as General-Adjutant of the Emperor of Russia. He was born on July 28, 1863 in Nakhichevan City. His father Kelbali Khan Nakhichevanski was a major-general in the Russian Army and the son of the ruler of Nakhichevan khanate Ekhsan Khan.
Hussein Khan was admitted to the Page Corps at the age of ten and graduated with honors. He received the rank of cornet and was assigned to the elite Leib Guard cavalry regiment. Hussein Khan served there for twenty years and ascended positions from cornet to Colonel of the Leib Guard.
When the Russo-Japanese War broke out in 1904, Hussein Khan was seconded to Petrovsk-Port to form from volunteers the 2nd Dagestani cavalry regiment. During the war the regiment distinguished itself, and Khan Nakhichevanski himself received seven decorations. On January 27, 1907 he was decorated with the Order of Saint George of IV degree for launching a successful cavalry onslaught to save an encircled Russian infantry unit. He was also awarded the golden Saint George sword.
Khan Nakhichevanski was the commander of 44th Nizhegorodski Dragoon regiment from November 1905, and in 1906 he was made Fliegel-Adjutant and appointed the commander of Leib Guard cavalry regiment, where he started his military career. In 1907 he received the rank of major-general and joined His Imperial Majesty's Suite. In 1912 he was appointed the commander of 1st detached cavalry brigade, in 1914 he was conferred the rank of lieutenant-general and made the commander of 2nd cavalry division and in this position entered World War I. In August 1914 Khan Nakhichevanski was the head of the cavalry group on the right flank of 1st army. From October 19, 1914 he was commander of the 2nd cavalry corps and on October 22, 1914 he was decorated with the Order of Saint George of III degree, which was presented to him personally by Tsar Nikolas II. In June 1915 he was appointed General-Adjutant of His Imperial Majesty and became the first and only Muslim to hold that position. On November 25, 1915 Hussein Khan was seconded to the chief commander of the Caucasian Army and on January 23, 1916 he was promoted to the rank of General of the Cavalry. He was the commander of Guard Cavalry Corps from April 9, 1916 and took part in Brusilov Offensive.
When in the winter of 1917 the February Revolution began in Petrograd (modern day Saint Petersburg), Khan Nakhichevanski was one of the two Russian generals who supported the Tsar and sent a telegram to the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief to offer Nikolas II the use of his corps for suppression of the revolt, but Nikolas II never received this telegram.
After the abdication of Nikolas II, Khan Nakhichevanski refused to serve the Russian Provisional Government, retired from the army and lived with his family in Petrograd. After the October revolution and assassination of the head of Petrograd Cheka, M. Uritsky, Hussein Khan together with some other prominent citizens of Petrograd was taken hostage by the Bolsheviks and executed in Petropavlovsk Fortress in January 1919.
