Patrick Gordon (1635-1699), born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was a Soldier of Fortune who became a Russian general under Tsar Peter I. He was a close friend and advisor to the Tsar. After his death in 1699, Gordon left detailed diary of his life and times, written in English and now edited by Dmitry Fedosov. In Volume I, Gordon writes of his early life near Ellon, Aberdeenshire, and of his military apprenticeship in the armies of Sweden and Poland, with colourful descriptions of people (including many fellow Scots), places and events.

Patrick Gordon (1635-1699), born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was a Soldier of Fortune who became a Russian general under Tsar Peter I. He was a close friend and advisor to the Tsar. After his death in 1699, Gordon left detailed diary of his life and times, written in English. Dmitry Fedosov CorrFRSE is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of World History at Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, Russia. Dr Fedosov is an expert on medieval and early modern history of Russia, Scotland, and Scotland-Russia links from the Middle Ages to the present. He is also the co-founder and chairman of the Moscow Caledonian Club, established in 1994.