Calendar Items in Brief

January 3, 1850

Today is the birthday of Sofia Kovalevskaya, an extraordinary woman who was not only a great mathematician, but also a writer and 19th century advocate of women’s rights. She struggled to obtain the best education available for herself (much of which had to be abroad), and, in doing this, began to open doors at universities for other women. As well, her work in mathematics made her male counterparts reconsider their notions of female inferiority. She was the first woman admitted to the Imperial Academy of Sciences (which was ironic, because the State had refused to give her a position at the university).

January 15, 1930

The first automatic traffic light in Leningrad was mounted at the corner of Nevsky and Liteiny prospects.

January 17, 1700

Peter the Great issued a decree requiring European dress. Russian boyars, civil servants and men of property (both in Moscow and across Russia) were ordered to wear Hungarian- or German-style caftans and German boots, while Russian clothes were forbidden. Further decrees introduced even more western-style dress, including for women. Within five years, the English ambassador reported from Moscow, not a single person of importance was dressed in anything but German dress.

January 25, 1755

Moscow State University was founded on the initiative of Empress Elisabeth, Mikhail Lomonosov and Ivan Shuvalov. January 25 is also Tatiana’s Day, because this is the day annually devoted to Saint Tatiana in the Orthodox Church. Tatiana is thus the patron saint of students in Russia. This day is widely celebrated in the country’ s universities.