Katarine Lazariants (young name-Mirzaian (1805-1881)

Katarine was a princess and philantropist. She was born in Ruse (Bulgaria), in 1816 moved to Russia. She received domestic education. At the age of 15 she married Khachatur Hovakimian-Lazarian (Lazarev)-the famous representative of an Armenian wealthy family in Moscow. Katarine was known for her charity activities (according to sources, some of them were made anonymous). In one of her testaments she left 280 000 franks, one part of which was transferred to the Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, the other one-to the Armenian churches of Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. Armenian students received grants from this testament through a long time[1].


[1] Zardarian, Vahan, Yishatakaran, vol. 4, brothers V&P. Zardarian, Constantinople, 1912, 434.