Alexander Iyas,a Finn in Persian service

Peter H · Post by **Peter H** » 01 Aug 2007 04:24

http://www.factum-arte.com/eng/conserva ... ult_en.asp

When WWI broke out in Europe and Turkey sided with Germany against Russia , the situation in the Kurdish provinces of Persian Azerbaijan became increasingly explosive. In November 1914 Turkish troops crossed the border to join up with Kurdish bands and Soujbulak was captured on December 3rd. Iyas, now Lieutenant, withdrew with the few Russian and Persian Cossacks under his command to the near-by town of Mianduab . On the 29th, as the Turkish and an ever-increasing number of Kurdish tribesmen prepared to attack again, Iyas ordered a general retreat of his forces, but himself returned to retrieve some items from the house where he had been temporarily residing. There he was shot, beheaded, his head lanced and paraded in front of the irregular army which now moved North to capture the provincial capital, Tabriz. General Myshlayevsky, Head of the Caucasian Army, panicked and ordered a retreat of all Russian troops from Persian Azerbaijan. But less than three weeks later Tabriz was retaken, and after the battle of Sufian, Iyas' portable icon, his wax seal, some medals and photographic negatives were found on a fallen Turkish officer. These were all eventually returned to his sister in Lovisa, stored in a suitcase and, as the years passed, forgotten.

Tapani K. · Post by **Tapani K.** » 01 Aug 2007 06:11

Just a short note on the name:

The original Finnish name is probably Ijäs. This name, when transliterated into Cyrillic and then again transliterated according to the English usage, would give Iyas, which looks, at first sight, definitely non-Finnish.

regards,
Tapani Kossila

Tapani K. · Post by **Tapani K.** » 01 Aug 2007 12:29

Actually, the name seems to be Ijas. There is a mention of him in Suomalaiset ensimmäisessä maailmansodassa. This is a publication of the Finnish Prime Minister's office (Valtioneuvoston julkaisusarja). The Finnish-language pdf-file can be downloaded here http://www.vnk.fi/julkaisut/julkaisusar ... ?year=2004 .

According to this publication, he was a Colonel.

regards,
Tapani K.