General Ivan Belyaev became the founder of a significant Russian colony in Paraguay after the Civil War, when many Russians left their homeland. He helped them find work and housing in South America, and also played a key role in creating a professional army for Paraguay. However, his fame on another continent was not limited to this.

After the war between Paraguay and Bolivia, at an advanced age, the general began studying the life of the indigenous people. He ventured into the jungle 13 times, mastered their language and traditions, and even gained the support of the chiefs. Belyaev said: "The Indians, my best friends, they are like big children. I won them over with kindness. They love me so much that they often travel 1000 versts to see me. On such days, my home in Asuncion resembles a gypsy camp." He succeeded in allocating land for the Maká tribe around the capital, which they began to cultivate.

The Indians nicknamed Belyaev the White Father, and he recorded the legends of the local tribes. The aborigines spoke of him as a messenger from heaven, come to restore lost lands. The elders of all tribes elected him as their supreme chief, and the government of Paraguay created a patronage for him regarding indigenous affairs.

On June 22, 1957, Belyaev passed away, and the country declared three days of mourning. He was honored in the Column Hall of the General Staff of Paraguay with military honors. President Alfredo Stroessner, who was called a bloody dictator in the USSR, came to bid farewell to the teacher under whom he served as a lieutenant and attended the entire ceremony. A crowd of Indians followed the funeral procession, crossing themselves and singing "Our Father." The general was buried on an unnamed island in the middle of the Paraguay River, with a modest inscription on the grave: "Here lies Belyaev."