In the service of two masters: some facets of Professor Martens as seen through my personal and subjective lenses

Abstract

For years I have had my own biased thoughts on Friedrich Fromhold (Fyodor Fyodorovich) Martens. We both moved, with a hundred years difference, from Estonian countryside to the imperial capitals; as an orphan, he was sent to school to St Petersburg; I found myself, after many adventures and misadventures, at Moscow University. He became a professor of international law in St Petersburg University and was also in the service of the Empire advising the last Emperor Nicolas II and a series of foreign ministers, including the greatest Russia has ever had Prince Alexander Gorchakov. I turned out to be a professor of international law in the capital of the USSR where during the years of perestroika and glasnost I used to advise the Soviet leadership, including the first and the last President of the USSR Michael Gorbachev, on issues of international law; i.e.