N.I. LOBACHEVSKY (1792-1856) N.I. Lobachevsky is a great Russian mathematician and the creator of non-Euclidean geometry.1 He was born on December 1, 1792 inNizhni Novgorod in a poor family. When N. Lobachevsky was a child, his father died and the family moved to Kazan. There the boy learned at the "gymnasium" from 1802 to 1807 and in 1807 he entered KazanUniversity. At the University N.I. Lobachevsky spent the next forty years of his life as a student, professor and rector. Lobachevsky became interested in2mathematics when he was still a schoolboy and he remained true to this science all his life long. Lobachevsky did a lot to make KazanUniversity a first-rate4 educational institution of that time. At the same time he made extensive researches into mathematics. On February 23, 1826 a great event took place at KazanUniversity. N.I. Lobachevsky presented a paper "A Brief Outline of the Principles of Geometry Strictly Demonstrating the Theorem of Parallel Lines." 5That day a new geometrical system, the so-called non-Euclidean geometry was born. In the paper he attacked the theory which was the basis of geometry for 2, 000 years and made a real revolution in mathematics. In the years that followed Lobachevsky wrote a number of6 works in the field of algebra and mathematical analysis. However, nearly nobody understood and recognized his works at that time. They were recognized only twelve years after his death. Lobachevsky's ideas greatly influenced the development not only of geometry and other mathematical sciences, but also mechanics, physics and astronomy. One British mathematician called Lobachevsky "Copernicus of Geometry". Notes 1. non-Euclidean geometry—неэвклидовагеометрия. Эвклид — (4—5 ВВ. Н.Э.) древнегреческий философ 2. to become interested in — (за)интересоваться 3. to remain true to — оставатьсяверным(чему-л.) 4. first-rate — первоклассный 5. "A Brief Outline of the Principles of Geometry Strictly Demonstrating the Theorem of Parallel Lines" — «» 6. a number of— несколько