Burkhard Christoph von Münnich

Who was Burkhard Christoph von Münnich?

Count Burkhard Christoph von Münnich 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.