Russian philology
language in order to diversify the audience and make more efficient use of the Russian
language. Like his colleagues and counterparts, Sumarokov extolled the legacy of Peter I,
writing in his manifesto Epistle on Poetry, "The great Peter hurls his thunder from the Baltic
shores, the Russian sword glitters in all corners of the universe". Peter the Great's policies of
westernization and displays of military prowess naturally attracted Sumarokov and his
contemporaries.
Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov, in particular, expressed his gratitude for and dedication to
Peter's legacy in his unfinished Peter the Great, Lomonosov's works often focused on themes
of the awe-inspiring, grandeur nature, and was therefore drawn to Peter because of the
magnitude of his military, architectural and cultural feats. In contrast to Sumarokov's devotion
to simplicity, Lomonosov favored a belief in a hierarchy of literary styles divided into high,
middle and low
annaabi.ee 
