Naum Senyavin

Naum Senyavin was one of Russia’s earliest and most decorated naval officers. Born in 1680, he began his military career in the elite Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment. He became a sailor in 1699, was promoted to noncommissioned officer rank, and then distinguished himself in the Great Northern War (1700-1721), most notably forcing three Swedish ships to surrender during the Battle of Ösel (1719). He became a Vice Admiral in 1727, and commanded the Dnieper Fleet during the Russo-Turkish War of 1735-1739. 

In addition to the estate at Kon-Kolodez, Peter also gaвe Senyavin some land near St. Petersburg. 

The Senyavin family went on to raise many naval leaders of renown. Notably, Dmitry Nikolayevich Senyavin (1763-1831) commanded the Baltic Fleet from 1825-1831, and a group of islands in the South Pacific is named after him.