François Le Fort

François Le Fort (1656–1699) was a Genevan adventurer who became Peter the Great's favourite and Russia's first general-admiral. He entered Russian service as a captain in 1678.

From 1690 he was the tsar's closest companion, organizing the toy-army manoeuvres and the All-Joking, All-Drunken Synod of Fools and Jesters, and rose to general by 1693.

In 1695 he took naval command in the Azov campaigns, and in 1696 jointly led Peter's Grand Embassy to Western Europe. He died in Moscow in March 1699, mourned by Peter as his one trusty man.