In 1683, Bruce joined the personal armed forces of
Peter I, in 1695 receiving the rank of captain in the
Preobrazhensky Regiment. He took part in the
Azov campaigns of Peter I (1695–1696) and probably accompanied Peter on his travels abroad (1697–1698). In 1700, he was appointed colonel of one of the infantry regiments, which participated in the siege of
Narva. In 1702, he was at
siege and capture of Noteburg; in 1703 he participated in the capture of
Nyenskans. On 17 May 1704 he was appointed chief commander of St. Petersburg. In this role, he served the city well, making use of the frequent absences St. Petersburg Governor
Alexander Danilovich Menshikov to improve defences. In 1706, he attempted to take the city of
Vyborg, ending in failure in October. In 1708, he was sent to protect
St. Petersburg and assist Admiral
Fedor Matveevich Apraksin. That autumn, he helped Apraksin's expedition to destroy the forces of Swedish general Lyubeker attempting to reverse Russian gains in
Ingria. In 1710, (March to June) – he was at the siege and capture of Vyborg, for which he was awarded estates. From July to the first week of September he besieged and conquered
Kexholm, taking it on 8 September. Bruce was promoted to Lieutenant General, and ended his military career. Subsequent years until his death he devoted exclusively to life in St. Petersburg, paired with the title of chief commandant. Bruce died in 1720 and was buried within the
Peter and Paul Fortress. ==References==