Who were these two Swedish officers?

January 27, 2019 (Poltava Battle Museum)  The Poltava Battle Museum hosted a scientific seminar devoted to the 110th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Pavlovsky, the founder and the first director of the museum. Many papers that were presented at the seminar are dedicated to the different aspect of the battle, but one on my understanding was of a special interest to the museum.

The matter is that among many old books that are preserving in the museum’s archives there is a unique document dated after 1909. This is the first inventory of all exhibits that was executed and then published personally by Ivan Pavlovsky. It was very interesting to get know that some exhibits for the museum that was opened on June 28, 1909 were delivered to Poltava from the National Archives in Stockholm due to the active participation of A.A.Tahm, Swedish General Staff Officer. 

A fragment of the inventory where two Swedish officers, namely Spare and Tamm (Tham) were mentioned.

I have made many attempts to find out who this man was and why he decided to deliver many portraits of Charles XII army’s top commanders to Poltava but in vain. Besides it is well known that Mr. Tahm was accompanied by another officer who bore a last name Sparre and was a far descendant of Axel Sparre. It would be interesting to get know more about these two Swedish officers who made a valuable contribution to the creation of the first Museum of the Battle of Poltava.

Colonel Ivan Pavlovsky, founder of Poltava Battle museum. He got in touch with many Swedish historians, officers and officials while collecting exhibits for the museum.