Barseghyan Ruben was originally from Mush, where he and his brother were the only survivors after their entire family was tragically burned alive. A Turkish woman saved the brothers by hiding them under her skirt. Afterward, they were taken to an orphanage in Ejmiatsin. Ruben later learned the shoemaking trade and was sent to Oshakan as a young man, while his brother moved to Yerevan. Ruben eventually married Arshaluys and moved into her family home, earning the nickname "Mozu Ruben," a term for a man who lives with his wife's family.