Childhood and youth
Mikhail was born on November 8 (19), 1711 in the small village of Mishaninskaya, which was located in the Arkhangelsk province. The boy was very hardworking and inquisitive from childhood. He helped his father, who owned a ship and transported private and government cargo on it.
He began to learn the basics of literacy only at the age of 12. Misha's mentor was Ivan Shubny, whose son Fedot Shubin later became a famous sculptor. Semyon Sabelnikov, who served as a clerk at the Kholmogory bishop’s court, also took part in Lomonosov’s training. Two years later, the boy mastered the basics of competent writing and reading.
Mikhail's passion for books was not supported in his home. Constant conflicts with his stepmother on this basis made the young man’s life simply unbearable.
After some time, Lomonosov learned that his father was going to marry him. He had to pretend to be sick to postpone the wedding. After these events, the young genius decided to go to Moscow.
Educational institutions in Lomonosov's biography
Mikhail ran away from home in December 1730. He took with him some clothes, books donated by a neighbor, and went on foot to the capital. On the way, he was lucky enough to meet a fish train, with which he continued on his way.
He managed to get to Moscow only three weeks later, at the beginning of 1731. To enter the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, the young man had to say that he was the son of a Kholmogory nobleman and forge documents.
It was not easy for him in school. The lack of money provoked ridicule from classmates. However, thanks to his great thirst for learning and unique abilities, six months later the boy was already transferred to the second grade, and almost immediately to the third.
Lomonosov devoted a lot of time to self-education. He studied ancient chronicles, patristics and other theological literature in one of the monasteries. He was also interested in ancient Russian books of various genres, publications of philosophical, technical and secular content.
Thanks to the Moscow Academy, Mikhail was able to receive a humanitarian education. However, Lomonosov did not want to stop there, because he had a great interest in the natural sciences. He decided to continue his studies at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, but stayed there for only a few months. He was lucky enough to learn the basics of technical and natural sciences in St. Petersburg, where he was sent after returning to Moscow from Kyiv.
Travel to Moscow
Having learned that his father decided to marry him, Mikhail Lomonosov runs away from home secretly, at night, taking with him only a couple of shirts and a sheepskin coat, as well as his favorite books for a long time - “Grammar” and “Arithmetic”.
For 3 weeks, together with a fishing caravan, 19-year-old Mikhail walked to Moscow on foot . In January 1731 he arrived there.
Education in Moscow
To enter the Slavayan-Greek-Latin Academy (Spassky Schools), Mikhail decided to forge documents, otherwise he would not have been able to become a student of this institution.
During his studies, he was known as a comprehensively developed person - he was interested in a wide variety of genres of literature - theology, philosophy, mathematics, physics and others.
Scientific activity
During his training, Lomonosov quickly distinguished himself. He was sent to Germany among the best students. There he studied chemistry, physics, mining and metallurgy. He also devoted time to foreign languages, dancing, drawing, fencing and literature. During the five years that he spent abroad, Mikhail wrote his first poems, several scientific works, and translated the works of foreign academicians into Russian.
The young scientist decided to return to Russia in 1740, but on the way home he was forcibly recruited into the Prussian army. Since service was not part of his plans, he was forced to desert.
Arriving a year later in St. Petersburg, he began working at the Academy in the department of natural science. His supervisor was Professor Amman. At this time, he was collecting minerals and other fossils for the Kunstkamera and working on a treatise in Latin.
Lomonosov approached writing scientific dissertations with particular seriousness, which were subsequently highly appreciated by the Academy of Sciences. In this educational institution, Mikhail became an adjunct of the Physics class. After taking office, he was able to conduct scientific research on his own.
In 1745, Lomonosov addressed a meeting of academicians with a request to award him the degree of professor of chemistry for four new dissertations that he wrote over several years. Having received approval from the best scientists, he began teaching at the university and also gave public lectures on physics. He also created scientific treatises in Latin.
A special place in his biography was occupied by literary creativity, including poems about events of a state nature. The scientist’s business was going well; a house was built for him using government funds, and then the first chemical laboratory in Russia.
At the age of 37, Mikhail began editing translations of foreign literature, which were published in the publishing house at the Academy of Sciences, as well as notes in the publication “St. Petersburg Gazette”. Despite the fact that Lomonosov spent a lot of energy disseminating the works of foreign authors, he also found time for the development of domestic science.
He became the author of the first textbook “Rhetoric”, which was published in Russian. During these same years, Lomonosov addressed Empress Elizabeth with a “Speech of Honor,” thanks to which he later received the position of collegiate adviser.
Having secured the support of the empress, the scientist opens a mosaic factory, of course, not without the help of I. Shuvalov. The Empress granted Lomonosov the Ust-Ruditsa manor, as well as four villages adjacent to it.
The scientist also plans to conduct experiments with electricity, for which he asks permission from Elizaveta Petrovna. He is also concerned about the fate of the family of Professor G.V. Richman, who died during physical experiments, for which he asked for a pension.
In 1757, the brilliant scientist published one of the most remarkable works, “The Tale of the Birth of Metals from the Earth’s Shaking.” Outstanding scientific works of that period include such works as “On the Layers of the Earth”, “Discourses on the Great Precision of the Sea Route”, “The First Foundations of Metallurgy or Mining”. At the same time, Lomonosov involved the leadership of the Academy in carrying out reforms in the field of education, thanks to which talented young people who did not belong to a high class were able to study at the educational institution.
A significant event in his biography was his resignation from the Department of Chemistry, which was associated with receiving the U. Salkhov Prize for solving a problem announced by the Academy of Sciences. This hasty decision deprived Lomonosov of the opportunity to conduct experiments within the walls of a scientific institution, and he had to study chemistry in his home.
The new work that he presented to the public in 1764 contained a brief description of various voyages along the Northern Seas, as well as information about the possible existence of a passage from the Siberian Ocean to India. His scientific work was taken as a basis when drawing up the route of the expedition setting off in search of a route to India through the North Seas.
Especially for organizing this expedition, Lomonosov created a “night telescope” for a detailed overview of the area at night. Despite the scientist’s efforts, this and other expeditions ended in failure; brave researchers tried in vain to break through the dangerous ice.
After Catherine II ascended the throne, the scientist’s position became rather precarious, since he was always devoted to the late Elizabeth Petrovna. However, the situation changed after the new empress became acquainted with some of the scientific works of the great scientist. She even granted him the rank of state councilor.
Brief chronology
November 19, 1711 - the future scientist was born in the village of Mishaninskaya (present-day village of Lomonosovka)
December 1730 - received a passport and fled to Moscow on December 15.
January 1731 - entered the Moscow Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, where he studied until 1734.
1734 — Studied for a year at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. Listened to lectures on philosophy, mathematics and physics.
January 1736 - was on the list of 11 students transferred to the academic university in St. Petersburg.
October 1736 - was transferred to Germany. There he studied mining and metallurgy.
February 1739 - married the landlady's daughter Elizaveta-Christina Zilch.
1739—1740 - Under the guidance of I.F. Genkel, he studied mining.
May 1740 - married in the church of the Reformed community of Marburg with Elisabeth-Christina Zilch. On his way home, he was forcibly captured by the Prussian army, from where he escaped a few weeks later.
June 1741 - returned to St. Petersburg. On June 10, he was sent to the professor of botany and natural history I. Amman to study natural history and began compiling a Catalog of collections of minerals and fossils of the Mineral Cabinet of the Kunstkamera.
January 1742 - was appointed adjunct in the physical class of the Academy of Sciences and Arts.
July 1745 - became the first Russian academician in the field of natural science. He was appointed professor of chemistry, which corresponds to the status of a full member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts in St. Petersburg.
June 1746 - gave public lectures on physics in Russian for the first time.
1748 — created the first research and educational chemical laboratory in Russia. Until 1757, he carried out work in the chemical laboratory on the production of colored glass and paints, and the chemical analysis of ores.
1752 — for the first time in history, I gave a course of lectures on physical chemistry in a chemical laboratory. The course lasted a year.
1753 — a glass factory was founded in the village of Ust-Ruditsa.
1755 - Moscow University was established. The project was created for him by Mikhail Vasilyevich.
1756 - began to defend the rights of the lower Russian class to education.
January 1757 - was appointed advisor to the Chancellery of the Imperial Academy of Sciences and Arts in St. Petersburg. In the same year, he moved from a government-owned academic apartment to his own house on the Moika. This year’s synod also demanded the suspension of Lomonosov’s scientific activities, which called for “particularly not to criticize science in sermons.”
1758 - became the head of the Historical Collection, the Geographical Department, the academic university and the gymnasium.
1759 - drew up a charter for the Academic Gymnasium and University, defending with all his might the rights of the lower classes to education.
April 1760 - The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences elected M. V. Lomonosov as an honorary member.
October 1763 - elected a member of the Academy of the Three Most Notable Arts (for his mosaic works).
April 1764 - elected honorary member of the Academy of Sciences of the Bologna Institute.
April 4, 1765 - died of pneumonia in his own house on the Moika River. On the 8th he was buried at the Lazarevskoye cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
Personal life of Mikhail Lomonosov
The girl Elizaveta Tsilch, the daughter of the owner of the apartment in which Lomonosov lived during his trip to Germany, managed to win the heart of a talented scientist from Russia. Mikhail liked her for her complaisance, sincerity and homeliness. The man looked closely at the young girl, who at that time was only 19 years old, for a long time. Gradually, the sudden passion grew into a deep feeling. It became something special and unique for Lomonosov. Later he even wrote about him: “Love is the inclination of the spirit towards another person in order to have pleasure from his well-being.”
The young people's first declaration of love happened only two years after they met. Lomonosov could not help but realize that, connecting his life with a German girl, he would have to face many problems and trials. In addition, his chosen one was of a different faith.
In 1739, Mikhail and Elizabeth got married, but did not get married in church. In the same year, the couple had a daughter, Katerina-Elizabeth. Despite the fact that she was born in marriage, the birth certificate indicated that she was illegitimate. This was explained by the fact that the union was civil, not church.
In May 1740, the wedding ceremony did take place. After this, Mikhail Vasilyevich decided that living together with his wife would be more prosperous in Russia, since at home he could engage in scientific research.
Since Elizabeth's mother was seriously ill, it was decided that Lomonosov would go to St. Petersburg alone and then send money for the move. After her husband's departure, Elizaveta Zilch gave birth to a boy, whom she named Johannes. The baby was born sickly and died a month later. Soon the girl’s mother also died. Tragic events pushed her to move quickly.
Elizabeth with her daughter and brother arrived in St. Petersburg in 1743. The couple's love survived the test of separation. Lomonosov turned out to be a monogamous man; there were no more serious relationships with other women in his life.
The first years of living together in Russia turned out to be very difficult. Lomonosov's eldest daughter died, his salary was barely enough to make ends meet. The Lomonosovs received their own two-story house, built according to a standard design “for eminent citizens,” only in the second half of 1757. It was located in the city center, and its façade overlooked the Moika River. Later, a pond was built in the courtyard of the house and an astronomical observatory was built.
The youngest daughter Elena Lomonosova was born in 1749. She grew up as a beautiful and educated girl, studied foreign languages, was interested in music and literature, married a librarian of the Imperial Library and gave birth to three daughters and a son. However, family happiness was short-lived; the girl died young, when she was only 23 years old.
Second Petersburg period
Mikhail took a very long time to return to Russia. First, the scientist attempted to go home with the Russian envoy Baron G. K. von Keyserling. But I didn't meet him. The decision arose to go home by sea. But during the journey they were forcibly recruited into the Prussian army, from where they managed to desert a few weeks later. In October 1740, Lomonosov managed to return home to his mother-in-law, where he spent a year. He left for his homeland only in May 1741. Mikhail Vasilyevich arrives in St. Petersburg alone, without his wife. For two years I did not tell anyone about the change in my marital status. And no one would have known if the wife had not found the scientist herself by sending a request to the Russian embassy. He did not deny the fact of marriage and even contributed to the family’s move to St. Petersburg.
In the photo: Elizaveta Tselykh
Immediately upon his arrival in Russia, Lomonosov began studying natural science. Under the guidance of professor of botany I. Amman, the student, without receiving payment, began to systematize the collection of minerals and fossils of the Kunstkamera. In August of the same year, he presented two dissertations on physics and chemistry to the Academicians. He expected that it would be approved and he would immediately be promoted to extraordinary professor. But the month followed one another, and the answer was silence. Only in November 1741, when Elizaveta Petrovna ascended the throne, Lomonosov received the position of adjunct of the Physics class. As soon as he took office, he proposed a project for a chemical laboratory. But as is the case with dissertations, the project remained unnoticed. Lomonosov's view of science was strikingly different from the opinion of most scientists of that time. The confrontation reached the point that Lomonosov was sent to prison for 8 months for his impudent behavior.
Scientific heritage
The outstanding Russian scientist made many discoveries in the field of physics, chemistry and astronomy, several decades ahead of Western European scientists. His main achievements include the following:
- Lomonosov made an enormous contribution to the development of the teachings of electricity, heat, geology, meteorology and optics. Thanks to scientific experiments with glass, he managed to create a unique Russian mosaic, which everyone now knows about.
- He discovered the law of conservation of matter, which summarizes all his previous observations.
- He formulated with high precision all the basic principles of the kinetic theory of gases.
- Revealed that the northern lights are actually electrical in origin. He is the author of the theory of colors, as well as the basic theory of vertical atmospheric currents.
- Discovered the atmosphere of the planet Venus. He succeeded in this thanks to a reflective telescope, unique for that time, which Lomonosov created with his own hands. Even then, he was sure that the solar surface was boiling, and the formation of tails on comets occurred under the influence of the energy of the Sun.
- He devoted a lot of time to the development of the Russian scientific language, which appeared shortly before the start of the scientific research of the famous scientist. He was engaged in streamlining foreign terminology, adapting it in such a way that it was as clear as possible and did not lose its original meaning.
- He wrote many works in poetic form, and also made many poetic translations.
- He published a number of poetic works, as well as poetic translations.
- Gave answers to many questions about the origin of most minerals and minerals.
- He wrote several famous scientific works in the field of history.
Death and legacy
Lomonosov's contribution to such sciences as physics, chemistry, geography, astronomy, mineralogy, soil science, geology, cartography, geodosy, meteorology is very great. Lomonosov's literary work contains works in different languages. This is “Russian History”, the tragedies “Tamara and Selim”, “Demophon”, and many poems by Lomonosov.
In 1754, he developed a project for Moscow University, later named Lomonosov University in his honor. In addition, Lomonosov’s short biography is significant for the discovery of the law of conservation of matter, the writing of works on color theory, and the construction of many optical instruments.
Lomonosov also made a great contribution to history. The scientist created “A Brief Russian Chronicler with Genealogy,” where he described the main events of Russian history from 862 to 1725. This publication made it easier to work with historical documents and became very popular among readers.
Death overtook Mikhail Lomonosov at the age of 54 years. The great scientist died of pneumonia on April 4 (15), 1765, and was buried at the Lazarevskoye cemetery in St. Petersburg.
The most interesting facts from the life of Lomonosov
Lomonosov’s biography is difficult to even compare with any other representative of the 18th century intelligentsia who devoted his life to science. The most interesting and unexpected facts about the most talented Russian scientist include the following:
- Mikhail had a violent temper. His mood very quickly changed from very good-natured to too furious. When he was dissatisfied with something, he could use a stick. There is a known case when Lomonosov beat three people who wanted to rob him.
- In Germany, he studied the art of fencing, thanks to which he earned the respect of local youth.
- Lomonosov was ranked among the most outstanding scientists of the 18th century.
- He was the first to scientifically substantiate the existence of the southernmost continent of the Earth - Antarctica.
- He preferred dishes that were made from fish.
- In a fit of rage, he broke the nose of one academician with whom he had an argument.
- He spoke 12 languages, sometimes for the sake of a joke he could pretend to be a foreigner.
- He was not distinguished by neatness in his clothes; he could not take off his favorite robe, even when noble nobles visited him.
- In ordinary life, he often spoke using common expressions, and could, if desired, even use obscene language. However, this did not mean that his speech was poor. He could easily outshine any nobleman of the highest rank in conversation.
