The history of Russia is full of unanswered questions, but for almost two and a half centuries one of its most interesting questions was never even asked. How did a black African slave called Abram Gannibal come to change the face of Russian politics and literature? Tsarist and Soviet historians alike were reluctant to investigate the mystery. No doubt they feared the interloper's achievements might overshadow national heroes. Only with the discovery of new evidence in the past decade can the riddle now be solved.