Vasily Vladimirovich Dolgorukov

His life and fortune swung like a weather vane, due to complex plots and the troubled time following Peter the Great's death.

Serving in the Preobrazhensky regiment, he took part in Russian Northern Wars and distinguished himself during the siege of Mitava in 1705.

In 1715, he was sent to Poland as a represent of Peter (who was ill at that time), where he concluded, in 1716, a pact with Danzig, forcing the city into an anti-Swedish policy.

In 1728, as an ultimate consecration of his military career, he was promoted field marshal and member of the Supreme Privy Council.

While serving in the War College, Dolgoroukov made significant improvements regarding the organization and logistics of Russian military.