About the book: 2019 / The book by St. Petersburg historian F. M. Lurie tells about the incredible fate of A. S. Pushkin’s great-grandfather Abram Petrovich Hannibal. From his youth until his tragic death, Pushkin diligently collected information about his ancestry. All of his ancestors belonged to ancient boyar families, and only the origin of his maternal great-grandfather, A.P. Hannibal, was shrouded in mystery. Researchers are still arguing about his place of birth and family ties. F. M. Lurie, on the basis of archival documents, numerous publications and the most valuable information obtained during the African expedition by the editor-in-chief of the magazine “World Pathfinder” I. V. Danilov, recreates the extraordinary story of the little black who became the favorite of the Russian Tsar. The reader will learn how a boy, kidnapped from his father's home in Africa, received an excellent European education, overcame adversity and exile and became a diplomat and the best military engineer of the Russian Empire. [Adapted for AlReader]