Burkhard Christoph von Münnich Count Burkhard Christoph von Münnich ( 9 May 1683 – 16 October 1767 ) ( ) was a German soldier - engineer who became a field marshal and political figure in the Russian Empire . He was the major Russian Army reformer and founder of several elite military formations during the reign of Anna of Russia . As a statesman , he is regarded as the founder of Russian Philhellenism . Münnich also was a hereditary engineer and a specialist in hydrotechnology . He had the grade of count of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation . For all his contributions he is rather a forgotten Russian hero , whose resting place was later desecrated by the Soviet Army . Early career . Münnich was born at Neuenhuntorf in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg in the military family of Anton Günther Mönnich ( since 1688 " von Münnich " , an east - Frisian nobility ) . Beside the knowledge of the native Low German language he also learned the Latin and French languages . At an early age ( 17 year old ) he entered the French service . Thence he transferred successively to the armies of Hesse - Darmstadt and of Saxony where he earned his title of a colonel and later Major General . In 1721 , he was invited by the Russian ambassador in Warsaw Grigoriy Dolgorukov for engineering projects of the newly acquired northern territories . Around that time his father has died . Upon arrival to Russia he presented Peter I plans for the fortification of Kronstadt fortress , with which pleasantly surprised the Russian emperor . He was promoted to the Lieutenant General in 1722 . Among his first undertakings was the completion of the costly Ladoga Canal , which had been under construction for more than a decade . For his engineering and military - engineering achievements he was promoted to the rank of the General - in - Chief in 1726 by Catherine I , and awarded the Order of St . Alexander Nevsky . In 1727 , Münnich was appointed the Governor of Saint Petersburg city while the Imperial court was temporarily transferred to Moscow by Peter II . From 1728 to 1734 he was a General - Governor of Ingria , Karelia , and Finland as well as was awarded the title of a count . During his governorship Münnich improved the local ports , reinforced the newly established Peter and Paul Fortress ( 1703 ) , and was thinking of building a bridge towards Stockholm . Russian army reformer . Upon the coronation of Anna of Russia ( 1730 ) , he was instructed to prepare the city for the return of Imperial court . After successfully accomplishing that Münnich was promoted to a General - Fieldmarshal , was appointed to the position of president of Russian War Collegiate in 1732 as well as given an order to re - organize the Russian army . Münnich became a founder of the Leib - Guard Cavalry Regiment , the Izmaylovsky Regiment , and the Shlyakhetskiy Cadet Corps which was destined to supply the future generations of officers . Münnich also reformed numerous other military formations as well as the War Collegiate itself . He established a new formation for the Russian army at that time , the Corps which consisted of 12 regiments Cuirassier Cavalry as well as the first Hussar regiments . Münnich revised the table of ranks and evened the salary of the Russian officers with the invited foreign military specialists . He was the first to introduce the sapper regiments to the Russian army as well as founded the Engineer School for Officers . During his administration some 50 other fortresses were erected which substantially improved the well - being of the Russian Armed Forces at that time . Due to the Andrey Osterman affairs , he was released of his duties . Ottoman campaign of 1734 - 1739 . In 1734 , by the reference of Ernst Johann von Biron he was sent to take the city of Danzig ( Gdańsk ) and after a prolonged siege and evasion of Stanisław Leszczyński was heavily reproached . However after that in 1733 , the Russian Empire was able to install Augustus III of Poland as the King of Poland ( ratified in 1736 ) . In 1736 , as the Commander of the Russian army he headed the Turkish campaigns besieging the important ports of Azak and Özi . On May 21 , 1735 he stormed and sacked Or Qapı penetrating into the Crimea peninsula . Münnich destroyed the important Tatar cities of Kezlev , Aqmescit , and Bakhchisaray . He was forced out of the peninsula due to poor logistics and battle fatigue of his formations , while another General , Count Peter von Lacy , took Azak earning himself a rank of the General - Fieldmarshal . Münnich refused to resume the campaign the very next year , but he returned to the lower Dnieper steppes in 1737 , and on July 2 took the fortress of Özi with the help of the Russian artillery . During the sack of Özi , he manually raised the regimental banner of the Izmailovsky Regiment on one of the towers of fortress after a successful attack . Also the siege of Özi was later mentioned in the comedy tales of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , based on the adventures of the page to Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick , Baron Münchhausen . Due to the heavy losses , the campaign was paused again while conducting negotiations in Nemirov ( Podolie ) without much result . In 1739 , Münnich won the Battle of Stavuchany , took Khotyn two days later , and established himself firmly in Moldavia . His victory in this campaign was later mentioned in one of the Lomonosov ' s odes , considered to be the first poem of Russian literature . Threatening to burn down the capital of Moldavia , the city of Iași , he forced the Moldavian boyars to sign the annexation of Moldavia . After the Ottoman war he was awarded the Order of St . Andrew and the Golden Weapon for Courage . Due to military losses of the Habsburg monarchy and worsening of the relationship with the Swedish Hats , the Russian Empire had to sign the Treaty of Niš by which it had to return the newly acquired Nogai steppes while keeping the fortress of Azak . Marshal Münnich now began to take an active part in political affairs , the particular tone of which was given by his rivalry with Biron , duke of Courland . Münnich ' s activity was brought to a close by the revolution of 1741 ; he was arrested on his way to the border , and condemned to death . Brought out for execution , and withdrawn from the scaffold , he was later sent to Pelym , Siberia , where he remained for several years , until the accession of Peter III brought about his release in 1762 . Catherine II , who soon displaced Peter , employed the old field marshal as director - general of the Baltic ports . Münnich died four years later in Tartu and was buried at his estate nearby , where his grave was damaged by the Soviets . The Russian 37th Dragoons Regiment used to bear his name .