Mikhail Lomonosov

Lomonosov grew up in a Pomor fishing settlement on the White Sea, the son of a prosperous peasant fisherman and shipowner. His mother died when he was young, and his early education came from church books and the practical lessons of northern seafaring. At about nineteen he left home for Moscow, gained admission to the Slavic Greek Latin Academy, and endured years of poverty while mastering Latin, Greek, and the classical curriculum. His ability won him a place at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences in 1735.

The academy sent him abroad in 1736 to study at Marburg under the philosopher Christian Wolff and then at Freiberg under the mining specialist Johann Friedrich Henckel. He returned to Russia in 1741, became a professor of chemistry in 1745, and established the academy's chemical laboratory in 1748. His research challenged the dominant theory that heat was a fluid, arguing instead that it resulted from the motion of tiny particles. He also worked on the conservation of matter and motion, the properties of gases, electricity, and the practical chemistry of glass and metals.

Lomonosov's interests extended well beyond the laboratory. He helped Ivan Shuvalov found Moscow University in 1755, and it later took his name. He wrote poetry, historical works, and a Russian Grammar published in 1755 that codified the language and helped establish a native scholarly vocabulary. His reform of Russian versification, especially his advocacy of syllabotonic verse, influenced generations of writers. In astronomy, his observation of the 1761 transit of Venus led him to conclude that Venus had an atmosphere.

He was also an artist and entrepreneur in glass. He founded a colored-glass factory near St. Petersburg and used it to revive the art of mosaic, producing large historical panels such as the Battle of Poltava. His proposals for Arctic exploration and his work in geography and navigation reflected his Pomor background. Lomonosov died in St. Petersburg in 1765, leaving a body of work that helped bring European science and Enlightenment ideas into Russian intellectual life.

Mikhail Lomonosov was born on November 19, 1711. In Cardology (Destiny Cards), November 19, 1711 corresponds to the Ace of Clubs, making the Ace of Clubs his Birth Card.

In numerology, the name adds another layer to the birth-date profile. The letters of a person’s name are used to explore inner motivation, personality, expression, and the qualities they bring into relationships and everyday life. Explore how his original name Михаил Васильевич Ломоносов influences his life and personality.