A childhood photograph of an astrophysicist

According to the source, the photograph relates to an astrophysicist born on 18 September 1908 in Tiflis (Tbilisi). He is known for his theories on the origin and evolution of stars and stellar systems, and for the discovery of a new type of stellar associations.

In 1934 he founded and headed the first department of astrophysics in the USSR at Leningrad State University. He was the founder and long-time president (1947–1993) of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR. He was also president of the International Astronomical Union and received many international awards.

The photograph shows a small boy in a Caucasian chokha with cartridge holders on the chest and a dagger hanging from the belt.