St.Petersburg's Hermitage Museum has on display more than 500 objects and documents linked to Mannerheim's life.

The exhibition, "Mannerheim, Russian Officer, Marshall of Finland", examines his career as an officer of the Tsar, later as victor of the Finnish Civil War and as the Commander-in-Chief of Finnish forces in the wars against the Soviet Union.

The exhibition has been in the making for years and has attracted much interest in Russia - not least because Mannerheim was considered a deadly foe in Soviet times.

Mannerheim was a controversial figure also in Finland after the civil war of 1918. He was idolised by the Whites and despised by the Reds, who lost the bloody war.

It was not until the Second World War that he emerged as a rallying figure when Finland fought two wars against Stalin's Red Army.

During operation Barbarossa, Nazi Geman forces cut off encircled Leningrad from the south, while Finnish troops held positions north of the city.

Despite requests from Germany, Mannerheim refused to attack Leningrad. Historians have later speculated whether he earned Stalin's gratitude for not applying pressure on Leningrad.

Whatever the case, the Soviet Union did not demand after the war that Mannerheim be tried as a war criminal as many other Finnish leaders were.

Now interest in Mannerheim has been rekindled in Russia, especially in his career in tsarist Russia. The Hermitage provides a suitable venue for the exhibition: Mannerheim was no stranger to the palace, where he served as an officer of Tsar Nicholas II's chevalier body guard.

The exhibition in St. Petersberg runs though 5th June, after which it will be displayed in Finland.