Count Eduard Ivanovich Totleben, a renowned Russian military leader and outstanding military engineer, was born on May 20, 1818, in Mitava, Courland Governorate, into a family of Baltic Germans. His father, Johann Heinrich von Totleben, was a merchant, and his mother, Anna Sivilla Zander, managed the household. Edward's childhood was spent in Riga, where his father owned significant real estate. From a young age, Totleben showed interest in military affairs and the exact sciences, and at 16 he was sent to study at the St. Petersburg Military Engineering School. Despite his academic successes, he could not complete the course due to health issues.

Totleben became known through General Engineer Karl Andreyevich Schilder, who assigned him complex tasks, such as developing a system to combat enemy mining galleries. His work was highly regarded, and he continued his service in the Caucasus, where his knowledge aided in capturing key points. After returning from the Caucasus, he served as an aide-de-camp to Schilder and as chief engineer of the Guard and Grenadier Corps. In 1853, at the beginning of the Danube campaign, he was alongside Schilder as a lieutenant colonel engineer.

Totleben's star moment came during the Crimean and Eastern Wars, where he developed fortifications and a defense plan for Sevastopol. After sustaining a severe injury, he left the city but later returned to develop the defense strategy for Nikolaev. His innovations in fortification were evident in enhancing the role of forts and the proper distribution of firing points. In the capital, he fortified the positions of Kronstadt and Vyborg, leading the engineering department of the empire. During the Eastern campaign, he led the siege of Plevna and participated in concluding peace with the Ottoman Empire.

The emperor awarded Totleben several orders and elevated him to the rank of count. In Bulgaria, his name is carried by a village, as well as streets and institutions. He spent his last years in Odessa and Vilnius, and passed away in Germany on June 19, 1884. His remains were later transferred to the Brotherhood Cemetery in Sevastopol, which became a tribute from Russia to a foreigner who served her faithfully.