Oscar Boris Beck-Sophieff

Part of the nobility of the province of Tiflis (today Tbilissi), son of an officer. He comes from the Azerbaijani Beck de Sophieff family. His father Abas-kouli-Beck Sophieff was military commander of the Volga regiment of the Terek Cossack army. His mother-Mikhalina Stepanovna Yakubovskaya, came from a Lithuanian-Tatar family. In the 90s of the 19th century, he converted to Orthodoxy and took the name Boris Alexandrovich. He received a general education in the Pskov cadet corps. He entered service as a second lieutenant in the 110th Kama Infantry Regiment in 1894. In 1894, he was sent to the 6th Artillery Brigade and later transferred to artillery. In 1896 he transferred to the 6th Artillery Brigade with enlistment in the 8th Battery. In 1898 he transferred to the 2nd Artillery Brigade. He was promoted to lieutenant on July 19, 1898, then staff captain on August 19, 1901. He participated in the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905. In 1907 he transferred to the 1st East Siberian Mortar Artillery Division and was promoted to captain. In 1912 he transferred to the 19th Artillery Brigade. In 1913, he was assigned to the Officers' Artillery School, from which he graduated with the mark "successfully." In 1914 he was appointed battery commander of the 19th Artillery Brigade. With the start of the First World War, he was transferred on August 7, 1914 to the 65th Artillery Brigade to command the 5th Battery. On August 31 of the same year, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel with the approval of the battery commander. On January 13, 1915, he was decorated with the Order of Saint George, 4th degree. On February 24, 1915, he was decorated with the arms of Saint George. On August 22, 1915, he was decorated with the Order of Saint Vladimir, 4th degree with swords and ribbon. He was promoted to colonel on November 4, 1915. On April 30, 1916, he was appointed commander of the 1st Division of the 57th Artillery Brigade. Fought in the Volunteer Army from the summer of 1918. He was a gunner on the armored train "Officer" and in 1919 he formed the 2nd howitzer heavy artillery division and commanded it. He then became the chief of artillery of the 5th Infantry Division. He participated in the Yaroslavl uprising and the Bredov campaign. In 1920, he was evacuated from Crimea to Yugoslavia, then settled in France.