Jan Peter van Suchtelen (1751–1836)

Jan Peter van Suchtelen was a Dutch-born member of the war collegium of the Russian army, and a main strategic planner for the army. He led the siege of Sveaborg in the Finnish War in 1808.

It has been estimated that van Suchtelen’s negotiation skills played a crucial role in the surrender of Sveaborg to the Russian army by commandant Carl Olof Cronstedt, 3 May 1808. After the war, emperor Alexander I appointed van Suchtelen as the Russian ambassador in Stockholm.

Jan Peter van Suchtelen’s son, lieutenant Paul van Suchtelen, also worked for Russia during the Finnish War. He was one of the Russian army’s negotiators visiting the fortress during the siege.