His name has long been known to experts in military history. Today there is a reason to introduce him to non-experts: the future marshal, a remarkable military engineer and a member of the French Academy of Sciences was born on May 1 1633. The list of his merits occupies a quarter page in the Soviet Military Encyclopedia. He built 33 new and rebuilt 300 old fortresses, created a new fortification system adapted to firearms, developed a theory of mine warfare, established the first mine-laying and mine-clearing companies, that is, he was the founder of engineering corps.

Vauban’s effort in military engineering was very appreciated by the Russian tsar Peter the Great who ordered the translation and publication of one of his many works. And Tsar Peter built the Petropavlovsk fortress – exactly in line with Vauban’s recommendations.