Translation & Voice over by Neil McGowanOf all the nations which exercised cultural influence on the fledgling young capital of the Russian Empire, the Scots always occupied a very special position.Perhaps they were not so numerous as the Germans, French, Italians - or even the Sassenachs – the English - amongst whom the Scots didn't emerge clearly as a separate community.  Yet the omnipresence of the Scots in St Petersburg is striking – they distinguished themselves in the arts, in industry, and in commerce. Whatever they do, they are always remarkable for their hard work and enterprise, alongside their romanticism, dignity, pride... and their love of their distant homeland.The earliest Scots known from Russian history came to Russia during the time of the first Romanov rulers – Tsars Mikhail Fyodorovich (also Michael of Russia), and his son Alexei Mikhailovich (also Alexis of Russia) – for whom they fought as mercenaries, or 'soldiers of fortune'. You may be surprised that today's fashionable profession of 'freelancer' – meaning someone who's not an employee, but works for themselves – was termed by the great Scottish author, Sir Walter Scott. The literal meaning is 'free lance, or spear' – in other words, 'a weapon for hire', or an infantryman.  It was exactly such freelancers who were the early Scots in Russian service. Numbers of them founded branches of well-known – and less-well-known – Russian family dynasties. Soon after the founding of St Petersburg, these military gentlemen were followed by merchants, traders, entrepreneurs, and craftsmen.Thus a generation of Scots were born here in Russia – from families who had set off from Scotland, and found a new second homeland on the banks of the Neva. Yet their Scottish spirit remained steadfast, as strong as the heroes of the books of Stevenson and Scott – always winning through in any struggle, no matter how unbelievable the circumstances. 'A man's a man, for a' that' (Robert Burns).