Abram Petrovich Hannibal Gannibal A. P. (1696–1781)
Abram Petrovich Hannibal Gannibal A. P. (1696–1781) Sold into Turkish slavery, Abram Petrovich Hannibal was brought as a Black servant to Czar Peter I, known as Peter the Great. He became one of the royal favorites, a general-in-chief, and one of the best-educated men in Russia ๐ท๐บ in his era. His great-grandson was Alexander Pushkin, the famous Russian writer who later glorified the deeds of his black ancestor in his book, The Negro of Peter the Great. Hannibal was born on an unknown date around 1696 in the principality of Logon in present-day Cameroon. ๐จ๐ฒ Abducted by a rival ethnic group, Hannibal was sold to Turkish slave traders who brought him to Constantinople in 1703. As an eight-year-old boy he was brought to the court of Peter the Great who adopted him immediately. Being the Czar's godson, Hannibal assumed his name, Petrovich, and became his valet on Peter's various military campaigns and journeys. When the Czar visited France in 1716, Hannibal was left behind in...