Mikhail Lomonosoff

Mikhail Lomonosoff, a Russian poet, born near Kholmogor, in the government of Archangel, in 1711, died in St. Petersburg in April, 1765. He was the son of a fisherman. With the aid of a priest he acquired some knowledge, and clandestinely repaired to Moscow, where he found ample protection and the means to complete his studies at St. Petersburg and elsewhere. After studying mathematics at Marburg and mineralogy at Freiberg, he returned to St. Petersburg, and was made an associate of the academy, professor of chemistry, and in 1760 rector of the university. He wrote works on history, rhetoric, astronomy, chemistry, and other branches of science; but his fame rests chiefly on his poetical writings, especially his odes, and on his grammar of the Russian language. The academy of sciences of St. Petersburg published his works (6 vols., 1794; new ed. by Smirdin, 3 vols., 1847); and his biography has been written by Polevoi (2 vols., 1836).

Mikhail Nikiforoyitch Katkoff

Mikhail Nikiforoyitch Katkoff, a Russian publicist, born in Moscow in 1820. He studied in Moscow, Konigsberg, and Berlin, and was for a short time professor of philosophy, and subsequently became the most influential journalist in Russia, especially since 1861 in connection with the Moskovskiya Viedomosti ("Moscow Gazette "). His wife is a member of a princely family.

Mikhail Petrovitch Pogodin

Mikhail Petrovitch Pogodin, a Russian historian, born in Moscow in 1800. He became professor at the university of Moscow in 1833, translated foreign historical works into Russian, edited learned periodicals, and wrote novels, a tragedy, and a dramatized history of the Pseudo-Demetrius. He resigned his professorship about 1844 to devote himself to archaeological explorations, and collected relics of Russian and Slavic antiquity, purchased by the government in 1852. His principal work relating to Russian history is Isledovaniya, zamietchaniya i lelctzie (7 vols., St. Petersburg, 1846-'54). He advocated Panslavism in his famous " Political Letters " (German translation, Berlin^ 1860). In 1867 he established a weekly political and literary journal, Russki.

Mikhail Speranski

Mikhail Speranski, a Russian statesman, born in the government of Vladimir, Jan. 1, 1772, died in St. Petersburg, Feb. 23, 1839. In 1797 he was appointed professor of mathematics at St. Petersburg, in 1801 secretary to the council of the empire, in 1802 was charged with the organization of the ministry of the interior, and in 1808 became assistant minister of justice. He improved the finances, remodelled the method of taxation, increased the educational funds, introduced a new penal code, and reorganized the commission for codifying the laws. In March, 1812, he was forced to resign, and was banished to Nizhni-Novgorod; but in 1816 he was restored to favor, and in 1817 appointed governor of Penza, and in 1819 of Siberia. On the accession of Nicholas in 1825, he was appointed president of the chancery, and resumed the work of codifying the laws. He published all the laws and edicts from 1694 in 45 vols. 4to, and an abridgment in 15 vols. 8vo.