{{Infobox noble, type , name = Jacob Bruce , title = Count , image = Bryus YaV.jpg , caption = , alt = , CoA = , more = , succession = , reign = , reign-type = , predecessor = , successor = , suc-type = , spouse = , spouse-type = , issue = , issue-link = , issue-pipe = , full name = , styles = , titles = , noble family = Clan Bruce , house-type = , father = , mother = , birth_date = {{Birth date, 1669, 05, 11, df=y , birth_place = Moscow, Russia , christening_date = , christening_place = , death_date = {{Death date and age, 1735, 05, 17, 1669, 05, 11, df=y , death_place = Moscow, Russia , burial_date = , burial_place = , religion = , occupation = , memorials = , url = , module = {{Infobox officeholder , embed = yes , office = President of the Collegium of Mining and Manufacturing , term_start = 1717 , term_end = 1722 , predecessor = office created , successor = office disbanded , monarch = Peter I , office2 = President of the Collegium of Mining , term_start2 = 1722 , term_end2 = 1726 , predecessor2 = ''Office created'' , successor2 = {{ill, Alexey Zybin, ru, Зыбин, Алексей Кириллович , monarch2 = Peter I

Catherine I Catherine I Alekseyevna Mikhailova (born Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya; – ) was the second wife and Empress consort of Peter the Great, whom she succeeded as Emperor of all the Russias, Empress of Russia, ruling from 1725 until her death in 1 ...

Count James or Jacob Daniel Bruce ({{langx, ru, Я́ков Ви́лимович Брюс, Yakov Vilimovich Bryus; 11 May 1669 – 30 April 1735) was a Russian general, statesman, diplomat and scientist of Scottish descent ( Clan Bruce), one of the chief associates of

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

; Bruce was president of the Collegium of Mining and Manufacturing from 1717 to 1722, and president of the Collegium of Mining from 1722 to 1726. According to his own record, his ancestors had lived in Russia since 1647. He was the younger brother of Robert Bruce, the first High Commandant of Saint Petersburg. He participated in the

Crimean Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrai ...

(1687, 1689) and

Azov campaigns Azov (, ), previously known as Azak (Turki/Cuman language, Kypchak: ), is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Rostov Oblast, Russia, situated on the Don River (Russia), Don River just from the Sea of Azov, which derives its name ...

(1695–1696) of Peter the Great against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

during the Russo-Turkish War. During the

Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...

Bruce was appointed major-general of artillery. He was involved in the revival of Russian

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

, which had been lost to the Swedish forces along with its commander, Prince Alexander of Imereti at

Narva Narva is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in the Ida-Viru County, at the Extreme points of Estonia, eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva (river), Narva river which forms the Estonia–Russia border, E ...

in 1700.{{cite book, last=Simpson, first=Grant G., title=The Scottish Soldier Abroad, 1247-1967, date=1992, publisher=Rowman & Littlefield, isbn=0859763412, page=59 He was commander of artillery in the Battle of Poltava (1709), for which he was made a knight of the Order of St Andrew. In 1721, he became one of the first Russian counts. Bruce was one of the best educated people in Russia at the time, a naturalist and

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

. In 1701 he founded the first Russian

observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysics, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. Th ...

; it was located in Moscow in the upper story of the Sukharev Tower. Bruce's scientific

library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

of more than 1,500 volumes became a substantial part of the

Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation; and additional scientific and social units such ...

library. Among Muscovites, Bruce gained fame as an

alchemist Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...

and magician, due in part to the innovative design of the Sukharev Tower, which was very unusual in 18th century Moscow. It was rumored that the greatest

black magic Black magic (Middle English: ''nigromancy''), sometimes dark magic, traditionally refers to the use of Magic (paranormal), magic or supernatural powers for evil and selfish purposes. The links and interaction between black magic and religi ...

grimoire A grimoire () (also known as a book of spells, magic book, or a spellbook) is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms, and divin ...

s of his collection had been bricked up into the walls of the Sukharev Tower.

Memory

* Brusov Lane in Moscow * Brusov Street in Saint Petersburg * Brusov Gymnasium in Saint Petersburg

Honours

* {{flagcountry, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Order of the White Eagle

References

{{Reflist

External links

Photograph of a page of the Calendar of Bruce, 1710 (etching) from the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg
{{Authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Bruce, Jacob 1669 births 1735 deaths Field marshals of the Russian Empire 18th-century astronomers from the Russian Empire Counts of the Russian Empire People from the Russian Empire of Scottish descent 17th-century alchemists 18th-century alchemists Jacob Bruce Russian military personnel of the Great Northern War Battle of Poltava Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland) 17th-century astronomers 17th-century Russian diplomats 17th-century Russian military personnel