Nikolay Saltykov Prince Nikolay Ivanovich Saltykov ( Russian : " Николай Иванович Салтыков " , 31 October 1736 – 28 May 1816 ) , a member of the Saltykov noble family , was a Russian Field Marshal and imperial courtier . He was the head of the Russian Army as the president of the War Collegium 1791 – 1802 . He was also the Lieutenant Grand Master of the Order of Malta from 1801 - 1803 . He was also the tutor of the eventual Tsar Paul I of Russia and his two sons , Konstantin Pavlovich Romanov , and Tsar Alexander I of Russia . Life . His parents were general Ivan Alexeivitch Saltykov ( who was himself the nephew of Anna I of Russia ) and countess Anastasia Petrovna Tolstoy . He spent a short time in the Semënovskij Regiment , of which he became a permanent member in 1748 . In 1747 , he and his father took part in the Russian advance to the River Rhine . During the Seven Years ' War he distinguished himself in several battles against Prussian forces . After the victory at over Frederick II of Prussia , Nikolay was sent to Saint Petersburg to deliver news of the victory to the commander in chief - for that service , he was made a colonel . In 1761 , under the command of Pyotr Rumyantsev , he fought at Kolberg . Peter II of Russia made Saltykov a major general and in 1763 he was given command of the troops stationed in Poland , where he took part in the Russo - Turkish War ( 1768 – 1774 ) . In 1769 he aided Prince Alexander Golitsyn in the siege and occupation of the city of Chotyn , which Russian troops entered on 10 September that year . For fighting with distinction in these battles he was made a lieutenant - general and a member of the Order of Alexander Nevsky , but due to ill health he was forced to leave the campaign in order to travel abroad in search of a cure . During this time , he spent three years visiting Europe , most notably visiting Berlin and Paris . After he returned to Russia , Catherine II of Russia made him vice - president of Russia ' s Military Council . Simultaneously , Catherine made him ' Hofmeister ' of the court . He became tutor to Grand Duke Paul , with whom he again visited Berlin in 1776 before accompanying Paul on a grand tour across Europe in 1781 and 1782 . On 24 November 1782 Catherine made Saltykov a member of the Order of Saint Andrew , a senator and a member of the high court council . In the following years Catherine made Saltykov permanent tutor to her grandsons Alexander ( the future Alexander I of Russia ) and Constantine . In 1790 , during the celebrations of the peace with Sweden , Saltykov was made a Count of the Russian Empire and granted 5 , 000 serfs in Russian Poland and an annual pension of 125 rubles . On Paul ' s accession to the throne , Saltykov was made field marshal general on 8 November 1796 and then President of the Military Council of State . Alexander I , during the celebrations of his coronation , gave Saltykov his portrait decorated with diamonds . At the start of the Napoleonic Wars , Saltykov was instructed to look after military reports and to be head of state while Alexander was away leading the Russian army in 1813 and 1814 . On Alexander ' s return to Saint Petersburg , Saltykov was promoted to Prince of the Russian Empire , with the title of Excellency . He was also made Lieutenant Grand Master of the Order of Malta from 1801 to 1803 on behalf of Alexander , who had been elected Grand Master but could not carry out his official duties . Nikolay ' s grandson Aleksey Saltykov was known for his travels in India and Persia .