ABSTRACT
The life of the “Russian Spaniard” – Agustin de Betancourt – was split into two parts between Spain and Russia. New data obtained from Russian archives and other documentary sources clarifies the unexplored moments in the biography of one of Spain’s best mechanical engineers, explains the reasons for his hasty departure from Spain and move to St. Petersburg, traces the development of his career in Russia and helps to understand the reason why the contribution of one of the most talented engineers of his time and one of the most important participants in the construction of the new “Alexandrian” Russia was diminished by those who accidentally or deliberately erased the memory of him from future generations.
