Memorable dates of Russia: Exhibition “Mikhail Lomonosov and University Education in St. Petersburg in 18th Century”

On November 16 2011 St. Petersburg State University launched an exhibition “Mikhail Lomonosov and University Education in St. Petersburg in 18th Century”.

The exhibition, prepared by St. Petersburg State University Museum of History jointly with St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Archive, is timed to celebration of 300th birth anniversary of a brilliant Russian scholar and enlightener - Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765).

The exposition, which consists of seven large posters, casts the light on milestones of life, multi-faceted and fruitful academic-pedagogic and administrative work of Mikhail Lomonosov, related to St. Petersburg University, which was set up by the order of Peter the Great in 1724 as a part of St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Between 1736 and 1742 Lomonosov was its student, in 1742 he became a junior scientific assistant in physics, in 1745 he became the first Russia’s Professor of Chemistry and initiated the practice of delivering lectures in Russian language. The time he headed departments of the Academy of Sciences – the University and the Gymnasium (from 1758) became an epoch of St. Petersburg University’s flowering in mid. 18th century.

The exhibition unveils many unique documents which date to the 1730s-1760s, owned by St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Archive, first and foremost, Mikhail Lomonosov’s fond. Among them are projects for improvement of scientific and educational activities of the Academy of Sciences, he had developed during his whole service, including Regulations of the University and the Gymnasium, projects of University’s inauguration in St. Petersburg as an independent educational institution. On the show are images of his papers and textbooks in chemistry, physics and rhetoric, the plan of Russia’s first research chemical laboratory, founded by Lomonosov where he conducted his scientific and pedagogical work. Archival documents are accompanied by graphic materials: portraits of Lomonosov’s contemporaries, his mentors, colleagues and pupils, a mosaic portrait of Peter the Great by Mikhail Lomonosov.