M.V. Lomonosov and His Epoch

Commemorative medal in honour of the 250th Anniversary of the Lomonosov Moscow State University
Moscow mint.
Russia, Moscow, 2005.
Craftsman – medallist G. Fyodorova.
Base metal, punching
Medal with a portrait of Rurik
Medallist: J.G. Wæchter.
Russia, the XVIIIth century.
Copper, embossing
Medal with a portrait of Olga
Russia, the XVIIIth century.
Copper, embossing
Medal with a portrait of Ivan IV the Terrible
Russia, the XVIIIth century.
Copper, embossing
Medal with a portrait of Grand Prince Iziaslav I Yaroslavich
Russia, the XVIIIth century.
Copper, embossing
Medal with a portrait of Elizabeth Petrovna
Russia, the XVIIIth century.
Copper, embossing
Medal in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Anniversary of the Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1855
Russia, second half of the XIXth century.
Medallist V. Alexeev, designer A. Lyalin.
Copper, embossing
Jubilee medal
Designer-medallist: Kluge.
Leningradsky mint, USSR, 1961.
Bronze, embossing

November, 17, 2011 - December, 18, 2011

the Russian State Archives of Ancient Documents (RSAAD)

Organised by:: the Russian State Archives of Ancient Documents (RSAAD)

01# Commemorative medal in honour of the 250th Anniversary of the Lomonosov Moscow State University The exhibition is timed to the 300th Anniversary of the first Russian scientist Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov, a polymath and writer, who has made important contributions to literature, natural science, chemistry, physics, mineralogy, history, art and philology. The exposition comprises articles of great historical and artistic value, which are intended to reveal the lifetime, outstanding achievements in science and artistic creativity of the distinguished polymath. Historical archival documents and records, domestic utensils, scientific instruments, written works and works of decorative and applied arts by Lomonosov are on display.

The exhibition project is supported by the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF), Central Historical Archives of Moscow, State Historical Museum, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Polytechnical Museum, the Vernadsky State Geological Museum.

Having been carried away with history, Lomonosov felt an impelling urge to give everlasting fame to the main events within the history of Russia and its people by imprinting them in medals. He designed medals with images covering the epoch of Peter I and times of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. He had an intention to create a series of historical medals, dedicated to Russian sovereigns.

The realization of the Lomonosov’s project for compiling a kind of "history in medals", intended to reveal the life and deeds of the Russian Emperors and Empresses, was started under Empress Catherine the Great in 1772. The Empress has also initiated the production of a historical series of medals with portraits of the Russian rulers, which was based on the study by M. Lomonosov and the first Russian bibliographer A. Bogdanov "Brief Russian Chronicle with a Genealogy". This portrait series of medals was used in all the educational institutions of the pre-revolutionary Russia as an illustrative material accompanying the information on history of the monarchy in the Russian state.

At the exhibition the Moscow Kremlin Museums present over 60 medals related to the name of Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov.