Post #2086

✨️ In honor of Moscow State University's (MSU) 270th anniversary, we invite you to learn about its most famous graduates. Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin, a Russian playwright, publicist, translator and pioneer of Russian satirical comedy, was one of MSU's first students. He personally knew the university's founder, Mikhail Lomonosov, whom he met right before enrolling in the MSU philosophy faculty. ✒️ Fonvizin stood out among his peers for his excellent translation skills. After graduating in 1762, he was appointed sergeant of the Semenovsky Regiment. However, thanks to his proficiency in foreign languages, Fonvizin was soon accepted into the Collegium of Foreign Affairs (the former name of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), where he enjoyed a brilliant career. As early as 1769, he was appointed secretary to Count Nikita Panin, the head of the Collegium. In 1782, Fonvizin's comedy The Minor appeared on stage and became a huge success. It revealed the root of all of Russia's problems—serfdom—and mocked the system of noble upbringing and education. 📜 During the last years of his life, Fonvizin was seriously ill, yet he did not abandon his literary pursuits. In fact, he spent the last evening of his life, December 11, 1792, with the prominent Russian poet Gavriil Derzhavin, discussing his new play, The Chamberlain. #MSU270