Article about Lomonosov: biography, science, creativity

November 17, 2014 admin Home page » Pedagogy » Experience of the greats

Wonderful words have not yet been written about

What can the Russian land give birth to its own Platos and quick-witted Newtons,

and in Rus' a man had already appeared who, in intelligence, sharpness, breadth and depth of thought, almost surpassed Newton and many other outstanding European thinkers and scientists of his time. It was the author of these proud patriotic lines - Mikhailo Vasilyevich Lomonosov . He was the first to glorify Russian science throughout the world , lay the foundation for the creation of the Russian literary language, and create Russian poetry .

Family of Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov

The great Russian poet and one of the greatest Russian scientists, Lomonosov, came from the “deepest depths” of our people.

Lomonosov was born in the village of Mishaninskaya on Kurostrov, one of the islands formed by the Northern Dvina at its confluence with the White Sea, not far from the city of Kholmogory. The date of his birth is considered to be November 8 (19), 1711.

Lomonosov is the son of a Pomor peasant. The Pomors did not know serfdom from the landowners; they were black-sown peasants, that is, state-owned peasants. The Pomors worked on the “black” land, which was considered to belong to the state, but in the eyes of the Pomors it was their property.

This lack of “personal dependence, remoteness from the center of the feudal state created living conditions for the Pomors that were significantly different from those in which the vast majority of the Russian peasantry lived. Pomors had more opportunities to show personal initiative and use their energy and abilities in their own way. There were no schools in Lomonosov’s homeland, but there were more literate people than in the fortress village, and book culture was more valued.

Lomonosov's father built a ship (in addition to agriculture, many northerners were engaged in marine fishing) - a “new-style gukor-sailboat” “Chaika”. On this sailboat, Lomonosov the father sailed to cod fisheries, delivering bread for military garrisons in Kola and Pustozersk.

The son often went sailing with his father. These travels could not but leave a deep imprint on the soul of an impressionable boy, an inquisitive young man. He saw the sea in a storm, saw the midnight sun, polar ice, observed the mysterious northern lights; From an early age he learned to fight the powerful elements, and this instilled in him determination and strengthened his will. The beauty of northern nature (nowhere is the sky, sunsets and sunrises as beautiful as in the North!) developed in him a love for beauty. Apparently, here, at sea, he became a poet.

Lomonosov and classicism

M.V. Lomonosov was born in 1711 and died in 1765; the period of his active work occurred in the first half and middle of the 18th century. European, including Russian, culture was during this time period under the influence of classicism.

Definition 2

Classicism is an aesthetic movement in the culture of the 17th - 19th centuries, characterized by the presence of a cult of reason and a strict system of standards.

The classicists were interested only in eternal problems and large-scale events; they explored the moral ideal, strived for it and tried to live up to their own high standards. Classicism existed for about two centuries, having a significant influence on the development of art, including literature.

Definition 3

Classicism in literature is a movement based on the ideas of rationalism.

Finished works on a similar topic

Course work of Lomonosov in Russian literature 460 ₽ Abstract of Lomonosov in Russian literature 280 ₽ Test paper of Lomonosov in Russian literature 220 ₽

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Classical writers declared the human personality to be the highest value and believed that we can understand the world around us only by analyzing it, relying on rationality. The literary standard of the classicists were the works of Antiquity.

Classicism, which originated in France in the 17th century, came to Russian literature at the beginning of the 18th century. The reason for its establishment was the Europeanization of Russian culture that followed the reforms of Peter I.

M.V. Lomonosov was both influenced by classicism and himself influenced the trends of its development within the Russian literary space. A distinctive feature of Lomonosov's work, however, was his desire to talk about the future and great truths, and not to delve into the details of the reflection of the surrounding reality.

Note 1

Lomonosov developed Russian national traditions. It was in his work that the idea of Russian national identity was first heard.

Lomonosov was not satisfied with the social system that existed in Russia, but in his works he loudly declared his pride in the military victories of his country and praised the monarch. While revolutionary scientific and social concepts were being discovered one after another in Europe, Russia still lived according to medieval laws. Being a patriot, Lomonosov contributed as best he could to the development of the Russian Enlightenment.

Definition 4

The Enlightenment is an era in the history of European culture associated with the development of scientific, social and philosophical thought, which was based on the ideas of rationalism and freethinking.

Lomonosov's studies in his youth

Very early, the future poet and scientist learned to read (his mother was the daughter of a deacon; both his neighbors and the deacon of the local church could teach him to read). While still a boy, he managed to obtain a grammar of the Church Slavonic language by Smotritsky and “Arithmetic” by Magnitsky, and read a poetic arrangement of the “Psalter” by Simeon of Polotsk. These books had a great influence on the mental development of the teenager (he later called them “the gateway to his learning”), but “Arithmetic” played a particularly large role in the life of young Lomonosov. In it, the boy found, in addition to a course in elementary mathematics, information on geography, astronomy, physics, and navigation. Books aroused in him a thirst for knowledge, which soon could no longer be satisfied by re-reading textbooks that had long been memorized by an inquisitive young reader.

In the winter of 1731, nineteen-year-old Lomonosov took out his passport and, together with the fish carts, went on foot to Moscow to study. This was Lomonosov's first great feat in life. He not only managed to get to Moscow, but also to enter the only higher school at that time - the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy.

Biographers of Lomonosov, talking about the years of his study, emphasize that teaching at the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was of a scholastic nature, and students were told many absurdities (for example, a discussion about the weight of angels). But still, the students acquired a lot of valuable knowledge at the academy. Here Lomonosov perfectly studied the Latin and Greek languages, and yet all scientific works were written and published in Latin in those days; he studied the rules of syllabic versification and oratory; became acquainted with outstanding works of ancient literature. The books of the great thinkers of antiquity and the works of modern scientists published in the Peter the Great era broadened the horizons of the talented young man and gave impetus to deep reflections about the world, about its structure, about life.

Excellent knowledge of the Latin language enabled Lomonosov to study the works of the French scientist and thinker Descartes, and to gain a clear understanding of the teachings of the great Polish astronomer Copernicus, who revolutionized the science of the universe.

The young man Lomonosov had to study in extremely difficult conditions. Already being a professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, Lomonosov wrote to the nobleman I.I. Shuvalov: “Having one altyn per day of salary, it was impossible to have more for food per day than for a coin (half a kopeck) of bread and a coin for kvass, etc. for paper, for shoes and other needs. I lived this way for five years and never left science.”

The more Lomonosov's circle of knowledge expanded, the less satisfied he was with his teaching at the Academy, the more he was drawn to the heights of science, but not scholastic science, but science related to life.

Lomonosov's main discoveries in physics

The nature of the polar lights.

Mikhail was able to prove that the aurora is formed not just like that, but as a result of the action of electric force. Since childhood, he loved to watch the beautiful color changes in the sky. In the future, he proved and explained why this happens. Now, based on his theory, the aurora is explained as follows: the glow of the upper layers of the planets. But only those planets that have a magnetosphere. By interacting with charged parts of the solar wind, a glow is formed.

Development of an electrical measuring instrument.

In 1745, conducting research together with G.V. Richman, it was possible to develop an electrical measuring device. Designated as an “electrical pointer”. Thanks to the design of the device, in the form of a wooden quadrant with a degree scale, it became possible to measure the degree of electricity. The sensor showed any change in electricity when weather conditions changed.

Making glass

It is difficult to attribute this science to physics or chemistry, since Lomonosov created the physicochemical direction. But he believed that physics is closely related to chemistry, and on this basis he created glass. Having developed not only theory, he made discoveries in production technologies. He was the first to create colored glass and mosaics. Based on this successful experiment, the mosaic painting “Battle of Poltava” was created in the future. Already in 1751, a factory for the production of colored glass was opened.

Lomonosov's studies in Germany

The young man’s exceptional abilities clearly manifested themselves from the very first years of study at the Academy (he passed the first three grades alone). Therefore, when in 1735 twelve of the best students were requested from St. Petersburg to be enrolled as students at the Academy of Sciences created by Peter the Great, Lomonosov was among them. And in the fall of 1736 he was sent to Germany to study chemistry and mining.

Lomonosov's first teacher was the outstanding scientist and philosopher of that time, Christian Wolf. Lomonosov learned a lot of valuable knowledge from him, but in the field of scientific worldview he went further than his teacher.

In the summer of 1739, Lomonosov, along with two other students, moved to the city of Freiberg, where he studied mining and metallurgy. He soon becomes convinced that his new teacher, Henkel, is a man of scholastic views on science and nature. Not limiting himself to theoretical knowledge, Lomonosov practically studied mining, going down into mines and talking with miners.

Here, in Freiberg, Lomonosov writes his ode to the capture of the Turkish fortress Khotyn by Russian troops. This ode, written in silabotonic verse, new for Russian poetry, was recognized by the great Belinsky as the beginning of Russian literature... Sending his ode to St. Petersburg, Lomonosov also sent to the Academy of Sciences a “letter on the rules of Russian poetry,” setting out a new concept for Russian versification.

Already during the years of his stay abroad, the extraordinary breadth of interests and aspirations of the young Lomonosov became evident. Studying the exact sciences and their application in life practice, Lomonosov deals with issues of language, literature, versification, and philosophy.

In the spring of 1740, he left Henkel and spent a year traveling around Germany and Holland, where he became acquainted with the extraction of peat. After a series of adventures, he finally manages to return to St. Petersburg, where he is appointed an adjunct (assistant professor) in the “physics class.”

Lomonosov's merits in mechanics

Creation of a helicopter prototype.

Lomonosov managed to develop an aircraft that takes off vertically, and not with a set of speed. It could be called a modern drone. Since the device is designed only for lifting weather instruments. He created and released the device in 1755, giving the name aerodynamic machine. The design is made in such a way that with the help of wings, pressing on the air, the car should rise. Unfortunately, the original design has not survived, but in museums you can see replicas of the conceived idea.

Lomonosov's contribution to Russian science

The most fruitful activity of Lomonosov as a scientist begins, lasting about 25 years, until his premature death. From that time on, the path of Lomonosov the man and the story of his life are inseparable from the life of Lomonosov the scientist.

Lomonosov's activities were extremely versatile. Scientist, physicist and chemist (in 1745 he was appointed professor of chemistry), mathematician, geologist, metallurgist, geographer, astronomer, specialist in mining, history, philologist, expert in oratory, specialist in making mosaics, poet and public figure, Lomonosov He was not an amateur in any of his professions.

Among his many specialties, there was not a single case where he did not show himself to be a talented (even brilliant) researcher and an ardent science enthusiast.

He created the first chemical laboratory in Russia, where he made remarkable discoveries of world significance (including the law of conservation of weight of substances); founded physical chemistry, developed the foundations of atomic-molecular science; how an astronomer, observing the passage of Venus across the solar disk, discovered the atmosphere of Venus; made several valuable discoveries related to atmospheric electricity and raised a number of important issues of national importance to the Russian government.

Lomonosov was not only a great theoretical scientist. With all his activities, he convinced of the need for a close connection between theory and practice. Here is the clearest example. Having conceived a new big business - the creation of “mosaic art” in Russia, Lomonosov organized (on the estate granted to him by the Empress) a factory for the production of colored glass and beads according to his recipes, he himself taught students this business and worked as a mosaic artist. A wonderful mosaic painting by Lomonosov “The Battle of Poltava” has survived to this day. In the mosaic business, the great Russian scientist showed himself simultaneously as an artist, and as a chemist, and as a technician, and as a historian.

Devoting most of his time and labor to the exact sciences, Lomonosov also did a lot in the field of the humanities. In the field of Russian history, Lomonosov acted as a major scientist of his time.

In 1753 he was commissioned to write Russian history. Lomonosov managed to create only the first volume of Russian History, the oldest (before 1054), but what he wrote is of great interest to historians. A leading thinker of his time, Lomonosov expressed progressive ideas about the fate of the Slavic peoples, arguing with foreign scientists about the “Norman theory”, defending the Slavic origin of the Russian state.

Lomonosov owes his most valuable discoveries in various fields to his “versatile genius” (in the words of Professor A.D. Blagoy), and to his enormous diligence, and to his progressive scientific worldview... Lomonosov was a materialist and an atomist; he, before his other contemporaries, understood that for knowledge nature requires the study of the structure of matter, that in order to discover the laws of nature it is necessary to study it in motion.

Lomonosov's main source of inspiration was his patriotic aspiration. He did not work for science in general, he created for Russian science, in the great future of which he passionately believed. N.G. Chernyshevsky wrote: “Lomonosov passionately loved science, but he thought and cared exclusively about that. what is needed for his homeland. He wanted to serve not pure science, but only the fatherland.”

Lomonosov dreamed of Russian science, of Russian scientists, and in the Academy of Sciences in the first years of his scientific activity foreigners were in charge of everything. Many of them treated Russians with contempt, did not believe in the possibility of creating Russian science, and in every possible way prevented the implementation of Lomonosov's progressive initiatives. The scientist waged a fierce struggle with these people. “I dedicated myself to this,” he wrote, “to fight the enemies of Russian science until my grave.” In this enmity there was nothing like the blind hatred of some Russians towards foreigners. Lomonosov had a different relationship with those Germans who contributed to the development of Russian science. He had a warm friendship with Professor Richman, who died during an experiment with atmospheric electricity.

The difficulties that Lomonosov had to overcome in order to achieve his lofty goals lay in more than just the struggle with the academic bosses. Lomonosov was an “Arkhangelsk peasant”, a “plebeian” by origin, and in those days it was almost impossible for humble people to make a broad path in life, much less gain authority among people accustomed to command. Fortunately, for Lomonosov, an exceptionally bright man, in the court environment, where the majority looked at the young scientist with condescending contempt, there were people who appreciated his talent. One of them belonged to a nobleman close to Elizabeth, I. I. Shuvalov, who did a lot so that Lomonosov could carry out his great undertakings. Of course, Elisaveta Petrovna also patronized Lomonosov, but she valued him not as a wonderful scientist, but only as a writer of laudatory odes. Yet over the years, the circle of people who appreciated Lomonosov’s great work expanded. When, after her accession to the throne, Catherine II prepared (of course, under the influence of Lomonosov’s enemies) an offensive decree that not only suspended the scientist from studies at the Academy, but also established his pension in the amount of half his salary (this is for the greatest scientist in the world!), then at court there were people who persuaded her to take the decree back.

Lomonosov also had to fight reactionary clergy. After the appearance of the "Hymn to the Beard" he wrote - a satire on the clergy - their machinations threatened the scientist with transferring him into the hands of the synod, and this could lead to exile to the Solovetsky Monastery. “Fortunately, the empress did not heed the denunciations of the clergy.

Lomonosov dreamed of making science accessible to broad layers of the Russian people. He saw one of his main tasks as educating Russian scientists from among the people. In 1755, on the initiative of Lomonosov, the first Moscow University was opened. In order to open the way to the university not only for nobles, but also for people of other classes, Lomonosov sought to open two gymnasiums at the university - one for nobles, the other for commoners.

After Lomonosov's appointment (in 1757) as an adviser to the chancellery of the Academy of Sciences, he took charge of the gymnasium at the Academy and soon ensured that it became one of the best educational institutions in Russia. The gymnasium has trained many Russian scientists. From it came the future academician-chemist N.P. Sokolov, the son of a sexton; astronomer P. B. Inokhodtsev, son of a soldier; naturalist I.I. Lepekhin, also the son of a soldier and many others who glorified Russian science in the second half of the 18th century.

Lomonosov's achievements in literature

The Unified State Examination test contains a question about the writer’s general achievements in the literary field. He is the creator of strong support for the formation of new book styles. It is based on a secular, common civil language. In addition, Mikhail Vasilievich:

He took an active part in the creation of the classic genre;
He proposed a new version of the literary style - a solemn ode;
He developed progressive areas of creativity that were not typical of Russian writers;
Contributed to the improvement of Russian poetic speech;
He made a lot of efforts to complete the Trediakov reform of the Russian form of poetry;
He filled his works with patriotism and ideology.

For the poet, the concept of civic duty was of great importance. He devoted his life to the Fatherland, the development of culture, and the heroic struggle against obstacles on the path to enlightenment.

See also: Lomonosov’s theory of three calms: briefly about the main postulates

Lomonosov Mikhail Vasilievich as a poet, writer

Mikhailo Vasilyevich Lomonosov was one of those rare figures who proved themselves to be almost equally successful as scientists and as servants of the arts.

Lomonosov was a wonderful poet. Of course, in our time his poems are rarely read. The “high calm” with which many of his poems are written is so different from the literary language created by Krylov, Griboedov and the great Pushkin that it is difficult to read the odes and satirical poems written by Lomonosov without commentary. They no longer have a direct impact on our feelings, without which those beautiful images and pictures that the poet imagined and that he wanted to evoke in our imagination cannot arise. This is true of most of his poems, but not all. Lomonosov has lines whose poetic power is perceived by the modern reader. A careful, thoughtful acquaintance of the modern reader with the works of Lomonosov leads to the conviction that their ideological content is deep and valuable. And if we transport ourselves to Russia in the 18th century, we must admit that the significance of Lomonosov’s poetry for his time was enormous. Among Lomonosov's poems, odes occupy a central place, and among them the so-called laudable ones predominate. Most of the laudable odes are dedicated to Empress Elisabeth Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great, whom the poet was enthusiastic about.

All of Lomonosov’s laudable odes are imbued with ardent love for his homeland and faith in its wonderful future. Russia's natural resources are incalculable, Lomonosov thinks so (contrary to the opinions of foreigners). But in order for the treasures that the Russian land conceals to be discovered and used, the development of Russian science is necessary:

... Russia demands this by the Art of approved hands. This will cleanse the vein of gold; The stones will also feel the power of the sciences You have restored.

This is what Lomonosov writes in an ode (1747) on the day of Elizabeth Petrovna’s accession to the throne, perhaps the best and most popular of his odes. In the same ode, the poet addresses Russian youth with a patriotic appeal:

O you, whom the Fatherland expects from its depths and desires to see, whom it calls from foreign countries, O your days, blessed! Dare now, encouraged by your zeal to show. That the Russian land can give birth to its own Platos And quick-witted Newtons.

Even if the word “medicine” is outdated and some forms and expressions of this stanza are alien to our word, the deep meaning of this call will never become outdated; it is dear to all generations of fighters for Russian science. In another ode dedicated to Elizabeth (1750), Lomonosov directly addresses the sciences: mechanics, chemistry, astronomy, geography, meteorology. But here, too, we are not talking about sciences in general, but about the role that is intended for them in Russia.

The deep connection of Lomonosov’s poetic creativity with the future, the ability of the great patriotic poet to speak so prophetically about the fate of Russia and its people, to live in the future, gave the Soviet biographer of Lomonosov the basis to call his poetry “a brilliant breakthrough into the future...”.

Lomonosov has one more idea, especially close to us today: for the state to prosper, peace is needed, “silence” is needed.

The joy of kings and kingdoms of the earth, Beloved silence, The bliss of villages, the fence of cities, Since you are useful and beautiful! This is how Lomonosov begins his ode of 1747.

The language and style of the “spiritual” odes are closer to the modern literary language. Our contemporaries can also feel the poetic power of their lines. Two odes “about God's majesty” (greatness) are especially good. In “Evening Reflection on God’s Majesty on the Occasion of the Northern Lights” there are lines that are very strong, expressive and at the same time characterized by the laconicism that is characteristic of great mastery of words:

The day hides its face; The fields were covered with gloomy night; A black shadow has ascended the mountains; The rays bent away from us; An abyss has opened and is full of stars; The stars have no number, the bottom of the abyss.

This ode is least of all an expression of the poet’s delight before God’s greatness; it is a hymn to the greatness of nature, the universe, and the cosmos. According to Lomonosov's plan, the poem was supposed to have a scientific meaning: the third stanza talks about the view of scientists (“the wise”) on the universe; the sixth and seventh contain various statements about the origin of the northern lights.

Lomonosov's satirical poems are even more simply written, in which he speaks out against his literary enemies, against the clergy.

The poem, which is a free translation from Anacreon, is surprising in its simplicity. Here's the beginning:

The heavens were covered with night darkness, All people closed their eyes for peace. Cupid suddenly knocked at the door, The pleasant one was interrupted At the very beginning of the dream...

Reading Lomonosov’s poems, let’s not forget that they are all the first experience of writing Russian poetry in a new way. Lomonosov rejected the old syllabic system of versification, which was used by Russian poets before him. With his first poems, Lomonosov convinced readers of the advantages of the new system: in syllabic versification, only the number of syllables in a line is taken into account (rhyming lines have the same number of syllables); in the syllabic the main role is played by the location of stress in each verse (line). Syllabic-tonic versification still dominates in our poetry.

Lomonosov's theory of versification: achievements and examples

As in the scientific sphere, Lomonosov’s theory and practice have always been closely connected in poetry.

The poet Lomonosov never ceased to be a scientist. His literary works (both in poetry and prose) have always been an illustration of his theoretical work in the field of language and style. His poems not only served as proof of the greater suitability for the Russian language of the new theory of versification introduced by Lomonosov. His poetry is an example of the poet’s attentive attitude to the euphony of verse, to every word, phrase, wise use in practice of the requirements and rules for language and style set out in his theoretical works: in the “Letter on the Rules of Russian Poetry”, “Russian Grammar” (the first scientific grammar of the Russian language) and “A Brief Guide to Eloquence.” No one in Russia before Lomonosov realized the importance of issues related to language learning. He said: “The word is given to a person so that he can communicate his concepts to another.”

Lomonosov's merits: briefly about geography

Atlas, department, globe.

It was Lomonosov who first came to the conclusion that the atmosphere has three layers. He also laid the foundation for Russian geology by creating the doctrine “On the Layers of the Earth.” Also in the 50s, he headed the department of geography, created an atlas and restored the globe after a fire. He admitted and proved that ice is constantly moving. Prepared a map of Antarctica and oceanic space.

Demographics from Lomonosov.

The scientist believed that maps need to be updated every 20 years, since the state of the planet changes during this period. He also stated that the map should include demographic indicators and socio-economic phenomena. He wrote an essay on the topic of demography: “On the preservation and reproduction of the Russian people.” He introduced the characteristics “economic geography” and “economic land map” into modern geography.

The achievements of this man cannot be counted even on 3 pairs of hands. He is an outstanding scientist, a strong and willful person. Thanks to him, we live the way we live. The list of his discoveries can be listed within 20 minutes of reading. Where such talent came from in a simple boy from the village is unknown. Ordinary parents, an ordinary family, the son is a genius. Everything he did for the world, in fact, surprises and amazes to the core. Just think, in the period from 1750-1760, Lomonosov achieved enormous success in every scientific field. Maybe he had teleportation skills or could travel to the future? - No. This man simply had talent, an unsurpassed desire to learn, explore and explore. And we can safely declare that he did absolutely everything in his life.

And we, as the current generation, should know about the great people of science, even just to broaden our horizons.

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Lomonosov about the Russian language, Lomonosov the philologist

The remarkable statements of the scientist Lomonosov about the Russian language have not become outdated. Deeply confident that the Russian language is one of the most powerful, musical and beautiful languages in the world, Lomonosov wrote:

“I can’t be happy enough that our Russian language is not inferior to Greek, Latin and German in its vivacity and heroic ringing...” (“Letter on the Rules of Russian Poetry,” 1739) Later, in 1755, in the dedication to “ Russian grammar,” Lomonosov finds even stronger and more precise words to adequately appreciate the greatness of our language: “Charles the Fifth, the Roman Emperor, used to say that it is decent to speak Spanish with God, French with friends, German with the enemy, Italian with the female sex. But if he had a knack for the Russian language, then of course he would have added that it is decent for them to speak with all of them. For I would find in it the splendor of Spanish, the liveliness of French, the strength of German, the tenderness of Italian, and, moreover, the richness and strong brevity of Greek and Latin in images.”

With all his literary work, Lomonosov convinced the reader that the “Russian language” really has high qualities that distinguish it from other languages. The amazing simplicity, accuracy, and clarity of the scientific definitions and explanations of the great scientist are striking.

Lomonosov's doctrine of three calms

No matter how beautiful the Russian language was, Lomonosov clearly saw that its vocabulary required ordering, and its grammatical rules required greater unity. In the Russian language, along with Russian words and forms, many Church Slavonic words were used - especially in books (along with the word “voice” - “glas”, along with the verb “said” - “rek”, etc.). On the other hand, during the Petrine era, many foreign words entered the Russian language, the appearance of which was due to the need to define new concepts. New objects in everyday life, scientific terms that previously did not exist in the Russian language at all - all this required new words and led to the contamination of the Russian language with foreign words and phrases.

In order to streamline the use of Church Slavonic words in book speech (which have not yet become meaningless for Russian people) and to open access to colloquial words and phrases, Lomonosov created the so-called doctrine of three styles (“calms”). He divided all literary genres into three groups; each genre, in his opinion, should be written in one of three styles (“calms”): high, allowing for Church Slavonic elements; middle, with a predominance of sayings, “more common in the Russian language”; and low, where only “Russian” words with the use of vernacular are acceptable. The doctrine of “three styles” has not been used in literature for almost a long time, but its idea - the need for different styles for different types and genres of poetry - remains alive and valuable. The historical significance of Lomonosov's three styles in streamlining the Russian vocabulary for his time was very great.