Russian fugitive Samson Y. Makintsev (1780–1853) and his half-century service to Iran

The article is devoted to the biography of an extraordinary Russian Samson Y. Makintsev, who deserted to Iranian side before well-known Russian-Iranian wars of 232 1804–1813 and 1826–1828 and, having served in the Iranian army for 51 years, rose to the rank of a general. Having become a traitor to his fatherland, he was subsequently forced to, as any traitor, to carry out such orders of Iranian command, which the Muslims refused to do. Being a head of the military unit where most of deserters had embraced Islam, Makintsev himself managed to maintain his Orthodox faith. Samson Khan took part in many notable historical events of the time: the battle of Aslanduz in 1812, the Herat campaign of 1832–1833 and 1837–1838, the suppression of Khorasan rebellion of Hasan Khan Salar in 1848, the execution of the founder of Babism Siyyid Ali Muhammad Shirazi (Bab) in 1850 etc. His fate made him meet many famous people — from three Iranian shahs, whom he knew personally, to the hero of Caucasian wars, Captain L.L. Albrandt.