François Jacques Le Fort also spelled Lefort (, tr. ; January 2(12), 1656 – March 2(12), 1699) was a Genevan-born Russian military figure of Huguenot origin, general admiral (1695), and close associate of Tsar Peter the Great. François Le Fort, born in Geneva, came from a merchant family. He began his military career in the Dutch army. In 1675 Le Fort arrived in Archangelsk in the company of the Prussian Colonel Jacob van Frosten in order to find employment with the Russian army. In February 1676 he came to Moscow, but military officials turned him down. The Posolsky Prikaz listed him as a visiting foreigner. Le Fort settled in the so-called Nemetskaya sloboda in Moscow, where he would gain respect among other distinguished foreigners. In July 1678 he once again applied for service in the tsarist army. Accepted with the rank of captain, Le Fort then went to one of the fronts during the Russo-Turkish War of 1676–1681. In early 1679 he was ordered to join the Kiev garrison under the command of Prince Vasily Golitsyn and General Patrick Gordon. Upon his return to Moscow from a short trip to Geneva in 1683, Le Fort carried out various diplomatic assignments until the fall of 1685. Le Fort's house gradually turned into a main attraction of the Nemetskaya sloboda, attended not only by locals, but by Russian noblemen, such as the Golitsyns. It appears that Le Fort utilized his connections with the latter and received rapid promotion. In 1687 and 1689 he took part in two unsuccessful Crimean campaigns. Peter the Great became a frequent guest in Le Fort's house from 1690. Le Fort was one of the principal organizers and participators in Peter's military games, which would pave the way for his career advancement. In 1690 Le Fort was promoted to the rank of major general. He then became lieutenant general (1691) and general (1693). In 1692 Peter I funded the construction of a large reception hall for 1,500 people, which formed an extension to Le Fort's house. This hall hosted administrative meetings and Peter's parties. Le Fort's partying soon became infamous, with noble guests such as Peter I of Russia in usual attendance. They together would form one of the first mock religions, The All-Joking, All-Drunken Synod of Fools and Jesters, which earned notable criticism from both the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as the Roman Catholic Church for