"...And the Lofty Aspiration of Thoughts"

It’s no coincidence that N. I. Basovskaya’s new book is titled with a quote from A. S. Pushkin’s poem. What other lines might come to mind first when you think about educators, philosophers, scientists, and artists? Among the book’s heroes are Voltaire, the ideologue of the French Revolution, and the Catholic saint Francis of Assisi; the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci; and Cosimo Medici, a Florentine who was dubbed by his contemporaries the “father of the homeland.” What could possibly unite such different people in one book? Of course—great goals.

Natalia Ivanovna Basovskaya is a Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, and a medievalist historian.

In recent years, Natalia Ivanovna has devoted much attention to educating in the field of historical knowledge: the program “All Is Well” on the Echo of Moscow radio station, and lectures in the “Academy” project on the Culture TV channel.

Contents:

Voltaire

Francis of Assisi

Leonardo da Vinci

Cosimo Medici