Nshan Sahakyan, a 13-year-old volunteer

The photograph shows Nshan Sahakyan, a 13-year-old Armenian volunteer who was awarded the Cross of St George during the Battle of Sarighamish in the First World War. The battle was fought between the Russian and Ottoman armies from December 1914 to January 1915.

The boy is seated by a rock, wearing a tall fur hat, a dark uniform and high boots, with a cartridge belt at his waist and a rifle beside him. Behind him is a painted backdrop. The photograph is a record of a young participant in those events.