Born in Kholmogory on the White Sea coast in the far north of Russia, nominally of peasant stock (Soviet commentators have rather overplayed this: Lomonosov’s father was a reasonably prosperous seafarer and shipowner), Mikhail Vasil’evich Lomonosov was to become beyond question the towering figure of the Enlightenment in Russia in the mid-18^th century, formidably accomplished in many fields of academic activity. There is though a clear unifying theme to all of Lomonosov’s varied endeavours: that is, his fierce Russian patriotism and his fervent admiration for the vision, ambition and achievements of Peter the Great.

Lomonosov did receive a certain level of education in Kholmogory, certainly enough to awaken in him a desi

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First published 11 January 2006

Citation: Ellis, Charles. "Mikhail Lomonosov". The Literary Encyclopedia. 11 January 2006.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=6041, accessed 20 November 2009.]