Abram Petrovich Gannibal

Abram Petrovich Gannibal (c. 1696–1781) was a Russian military engineer and general of African origin. Captured as a child and taken to Constantinople, he was brought to Moscow in 1704 as a gift for Peter the Great, who became his godfather. He accompanied Peter on campaigns and studied engineering abroad.

After Peter's death he was exiled to Siberia in 1727 and built fortifications there. Pardoned in 1730, he continued to serve in Siberia until 1733.

Under Empress Elizabeth he rose to chief military engineer in 1756 and general-in-chief in 1759. One of his great-grandsons was the poet Alexander Pushkin.