What a flourishing state the Russians would bring literature to if they knew the value of their language. E. R. Dashkova The Department of Literature and Language of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Dashkova Moscow Institute for the Humanities have started reprinting a unique monument of Russian lexicography of the late 18th century - the famous Dictionary of the Russian Academy of Sciences 1789-1794 (CAP). Lexicographers from the Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and specialists in computer text processing at Bauman Moscow State Technical University are also involved in this work. As you know, on October 21, 1783, Catherine II signed a decree on the establishment of the Russian Academy headed by E. R. Dashkova, and the first step towards her practical activity as president of the Academy was the creation of the first explanatory Dictionary of the Russian language. The personal patronage of the Empress elevated the work on the Dictionary to the rank of a national affair. Outstanding people of their time were involved in the creation of CAP: prominent writers, economists, historians, geographers, natural scientists, physicists, mathematicians, and representatives of the clergy. Among the authors of dictionary entries are G. R. Derzhavin and D. I. Fonvizin, M. M. Kheraskov and Ya. B. Knyazhnin, astronomer P. B. Inokhodtsev, physicist S. Ya. Rumovsky, physician A. P. Protasov, President of the Academy of Arts A. S. Stroganov, and many others. E. R. Dashkova was very responsible in the mission assigned to the Academy. To quell the murmur of doubt about the need for this venture, she wrote:: "Most of our compatriots do not know their own language, and it seems to an unknown person that it is not necessary to correct it. But we must resist ridicule and ignorance and persevere in what we are doing." Four departments were created to organize the work of the team of compilers: 1) department for developing rules and procedures for ... Read more