NAME: Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
WHAT FAMOUS FOR: His profound and influential novels exploring human psychology in the context of social and political turmoil in 19th-century Russia. Works like Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, and Notes from Underground are considered masterpieces of world literature.
BIRTH He was born on November 11, 1821, at the Mariinsky Hospital for the Poor in Moscow, where his father worked as an army doctor.
FAMILY BACKGROUND Fyodor was the second of seven children in a family of modest means. His father, Mikhail Dostoevsky, was a military surgeon and a musician, but he was also known for his cruel and despotic behavior. His mother, Maria, was a kind and religious woman who played a significant role in his early upbringing.
His mother passed away from illness in 1837, followed two years later by his father. The circumstances surrounding Mikhail's death in 1839 remain unclear. While some accounts suggest he was murdered by his own serfs, who, during a violent, drunken outburst, restrained him and forcibly drowned him with vodka, other narratives claim he died of natural causes. The latter version posits that a neighboring landowner fabricated the serf rebellion story to acquire the Dostoevsky estate at a reduced price.
Fyodor Dostoevsky had three brothers named Andrei, Mikhail, and Nikolai. Dostoevsky also had four sisters, one of whom was named Varvara. He was closest to his older brother Mikhail and his sister Varvara. These three shared intellectual and literary interests
CHILDHOOD Dostoevsky's childhood was shaped by his father’s harsh temperament and his mother’s gentler influence. His early years were spent in Moscow, where he was introduced to literature at a young age. Tragedy struck when his mother died of an illness in 1837, and his father was murdered two years later by his own serfs.
EDUCATION Between 1834 and 1837, Dostoevsky attended a boarding school in Moscow with his older brother, Mikhail. Following their mother's death in 1837, though the arrangements had been made prior to her passing, the brothers were sent to St. Petersburg. That year, Fyodor attended a preparatory school before beginning his studies at the St. Petersburg Military Engineering Academy from 1838 to 1843. Despite graduating as a lieutenant, Dostoevsky found his technical studies unfulfilling and chose to pursue a career in writing
CAREER RECORD 1843 Resigned his commission as a military engineer to become a writer
1844 His first published wok, a translation of Balzak's Eugene Grandet.
1846 First novel Poor Folk
1849-53 Arrested for involvement in revolutionary activities and spent four years in a Siberian prison camp
1853-57 Served in the Siberian Army Corps of the Seventh Line Battalion
1860 Founded the journal Time with his brother Mikhail. It serialised several of his works.
1864 When Time was suppressed because of a supposedly subversive article, the brothers started The Epoch, another short-lived review.
1876 The sole editor of a new monthly periodical entitled The Diary of a Writer.
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| Portrait by Vasily Perov, c. 1872 |
FASHION He dressed simply, often in worn-out clothing, reflecting his lifelong struggles with financial instability. Despite this, Dostoevsky maintained a certain dignity in his appearance.
CHARACTER Dostoevsky was deeply introspective and prone to intense emotions. He was passionate, highly sensitive, and suffered from bouts of epilepsy. He was also deeply spiritual, wrestling with themes of morality and faith in both his personal life and literary works.
SENSE OF HUMOUR Despite the bleak themes of his novels, Dostoevsky had a sharp and sometimes dark sense of humor. He often used irony and satire to critique social issues, and his personal letters reveal a witty, self-deprecating side.
RELATIONSHIPS Fyodor Dostoevsky married Maria Dmitrievna Isaeva (also referred to as Marya Dimitrievna) on February 7, 1857, in Kuznetsk, Siberia. The marriage, which took place while he was still in exile following his arrest and sentencing for involvement in revolutionary activities.
The couple had met earlier in Semipalatinsk, where Dostoevsky was serving as a tutor. At the time, Maria was married to Alexander Ivanovich Isaev, but after her husband's death in the summer of 1855, Dostoevsky pursued a romantic relationship with her. Despite some initial hesitation on Maria's part, including her initial refusal of his proposal due to financial concerns, they eventually married
She had a son from her previous marriage, and they moved together to St. Petersburg. However, Dostoevsky’s epilepsy and general slovenliness repulsed Marie, and their marriage was troubled. By 1864, they had been separated for several years when Marie died of tuberculosis.
Dostoevsky later became involved with Polina Suslova, a passionate and independent university student. Their love affair was tumultuous, and when Dostoevsky proposed to her in 1863 during his travels in Western Europe, she refused.
In 1866, in a desperate bid to meet a publishing deadline, Dostoevsky hired a 19-year-old stenographer, Anna Grigoryevna Snitkina, to help him complete The Gambler. She worked tirelessly, and after the novel was delivered just before the deadline, the two grew close. Despite an age gap of 25 years and Anna’s initial lack of physical attraction to him, they married on February 15, 1867, in Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg.
Anna played a crucial role in stabilizing Dostoevsky’s life, handling household affairs and finances, making their marriage ultimately happy and fulfilling.
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| Anna Dostoevsky's portrait |
MONEY AND FAME After his wife's long illness and death in 1864, followed by that of his brother, Mikhail, whose financial obligations he assumed, Dostoyevsky was financially crippled by both business debts and the need to provide for his brother's widow and children. To escape financial ruin, he was forced to sell the rights to his future writings to his unscrupulous publisher Stellovsky, which led to a frantic race to finish The Gambler in time. It was only thanks to Anna’s diligence that he managed to deliver the manuscript just two hours before the deadline.
Despite earning 7,000 rubles from Crime and Punishment, he remained in debt. He was often hounded by creditors, leading him to flee to Western Europe in 1867 with Anna. Originally intended to last a few months, their honeymoon extended to four years as Dostoevsky repeatedly lost their savings to gambling. By the time he returned home to Mother Russia in 1873 he was world famous.
By the late 1870s, Dostoevsky had finally gained both financial security and literary recognition. The Brothers Karamazov was widely acclaimed, solidifying his place as one of Russia’s greatest novelists.
FOOD AND DRINK Dostoevsky was not particularly known for indulgence in fine cuisine, often living a rather ascetic life due to financial struggles. However, he did have a fondness for tea, a staple of Russian households, which he would drink while working late into the night.
WRITING CAREER If ever there was a man who lived life on the absolute edge of financial ruin, existential despair, and last-minute literary genius, it was Fyodor Dostoevsky. His literary career began with Poor Folk (1846), a short novel about a humble government clerk suffering through a life of unrelenting misery. Russian critics absolutely loved it. In fact, one critic, Vissarion Belinsky, hailed Dostoevsky as the next Gogol, which was both a compliment and an invitation to be relentlessly compared to a literary giant for the rest of his life.
Then, in a classic case of "right place, wrong time," Dostoevsky got himself arrested in 1849 for hanging around with a group of liberal intellectuals. He spent four years in shackles, mingling with murderers, thieves, and other literary inspiration.
On his release, he wrote Memoirs from the House of the Dead (1861–62), which, despite being based on his own miserable experiences, managed to be darkly humorous in places. This was a turning point. Siberia had made Dostoevsky more spiritual, more introspective, and, crucially, more aware that he could make serious money writing about suffering.
By this point, Dostoevsky had also developed a habit of spending whatever money he earned as quickly as humanly possible. One of his biggest weaknesses was gambling. He was spectacularly bad at it but convinced that, any day now, he would crack the system. He never did. What he did do, however, was channel his addiction into The Gambler (1866), a novel he dictated in a frenzied three-week sprint to his stenographer, Anna Snitkina, in order to meet a brutal deadline set by a predatory publisher. He then wisely decided to marry Anna, a woman who, among her many virtues, was excellent at keeping his finances in check.
Dostoevsky’s major novels Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Devils and The Brothers Karamazov cemented his reputation as one of the great literary minds of his time.
Crime and Punishment (1866), begun in a Wiesbaden hotel room while he was struggling financially, explores guilt and redemption.
The Idiot (1869) tells the story of Prince Myshkin, whose faith and character have been interpreted as Christ-like symbols.
The Devils (1872) was partially inspired by his stepson's involvement with the Nechaev anarchist group.
The Brothers Karamazov (1880), a philosophical novel delving into faith, morality, and familial guilt, drew inspiration, in part, from Dostoevsky's own father, a man he believed was murdered by his serfs.
While Crime and Punishment was famously described by Kingsley Amis as "like Dickens without the funny bits," a not entirely unjust comparison, The Brothers Karamazov stands as a powerful exploration of complex human relationships and spiritual questions.
Despite a lifetime of epilepsy, debt, and personal tragedy, Dostoevsky became a national icon. His works, brilliantly translated into English by Constance Garnett in the early 20th century, introduced him to readers worldwide. Today, he is considered one of the greatest novelists of all time a man who could turn existential anguish, moral dilemmas, and the occasional psychotic episode into some of the most compelling fiction ever written. And all of it, somehow, while staying just one step ahead of financial catastrophe.
MUSIC AND ARTS Dostoevsky appreciated the arts but was not as deeply immersed in music as some of his contemporaries. However, Russian folk music and religious chants influenced the emotional depth of his novels.
LITERATURE Dostoevsky was deeply influenced by European literature. He greatly admired Charles Dickens and read Pickwick Papers and David Copperfield in prison.
He also admired Russian writers like Nikolai Gogol and Pushkin, while also engaging critically with Western thinkers such as Rousseau and Hegel. His own works would later influence figures like Nietzsche, Freud, and Kafka.
NATURE Though largely an urban writer, Dostoevsky's experience in Siberia, and the stark landscapes he encountered, deeply affected his philosophical outlook and writing.
HOBBIES AND SPORTS Dostoevsky’s primary obsession outside writing was gambling. His addiction to roulette repeatedly plunged him into debt, inspiring The Gambler (1867). He believed he had developed a foolproof system for winning but inevitably lost everything time and again.
His hobbies also included reading and intellectual discussions..
SCIENCE AND MATHS While Dostoevsky was more concerned with philosophy and human psychology, his works often engaged with the scientific ideas of his time, particularly in The Brothers Karamazov, where characters debate faith versus rationalism.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Fyodor Dostoevsky's experiences in Siberian exile and the penal settlement profoundly reshaped his philosophical and theological outlook. Initially drawn to Western-influenced socialist ideas, he abandoned them after years of suffering among criminals and reflecting on human nature. With the New Testament as his only book in prison, he grew deeply spiritual and devoted to the Russian Orthodox Church.
His later novels, including Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, and The Idiot, explore themes of redemption, suffering, and moral transformation, reflecting his belief in the necessity of an internal spiritual change for true redemption.
POLITICS Dostoevsky’s political views evolved significantly throughout his life. In 1848, he joined the Petrashevsky Circle, a group of young intellectuals discussing French socialist theories and opposing serfdom and censorship. However, after his imprisonment and exile, he became disillusioned with socialism and Western liberalism, believing they lacked the moral and spiritual depth needed for true human fulfillment.
His 1863 essay Winter Notes on Summer Impressions criticized Western European society as soulless and overly materialistic. He later embraced a form of Russian nationalism that emphasized Orthodoxy, autocracy, and unity.
SCANDAL On April 1, 1849, Dostoevsky and 33 others were arrested for their involvement in a revolutionary socialist group, infiltrated by a police informant. Initially condemned to death, Dostoevsky faced a firing squad only to have his sentence dramatically commuted to four years of hard labor in Siberia. He endured brutal conditions in a penal colony, where prisoners were densely packed. From 1853 to 1857, he served in a Siberian military camp before being pardoned in 1859.
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| A sketch of the Petrashevsky Circle mock execution |
Dostoevsky's life was also marked by personal and financial turmoil. He was a notorious gambler, often losing large sums in European casinos, leading to severe debt. His second trip to Western Europe in 1863 was partly an attempt to escape creditors in Saint Petersburg. He also engaged in turbulent relationships, including a passionate affair with the much younger Anna Snitkina, who later became his second wife. His first wife, Maria Dmitrievna, died in 1864, leaving him devastated. His impulsive nature, combined with financial instability, led to frequent scandals and near ruin.
MILITARY RECORD Following his release from prison on February 14, 1854, Dostoevsky was conscripted into the Russian military. In 1853, he was exiled to a Siberian military camp, serving as a corporal in the Regiment's Seventh Line Battalion stationed at the fortress of Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan. Over five years, he was gradually promoted to lieutenant before receiving a pardon in 1859. His military service exposed him to the harsh realities of Russian life, deepening his empathy for the suffering and marginalized.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Dostoevsky suffered from epilepsy from childhood, but his condition worsened drastically during his imprisonment. His seizures were violent, leaving him foaming at the mouth and convulsing on the floor. He frequently ended up in the prison hospital, where he also battled agonizing rheumatism. His fragile health continued to trouble him throughout his life, contributing to his fears of premature burial. This paranoia led him to leave notes instructing people to ensure he was truly dead before burial.
HOMES Throughout his life, Dostoevsky moved frequently, often due to financial difficulties. During his later years, he settled in the resort town of Staraya Russa. This retreat provided a peaceful environment where he could focus on writing. His home in Staraya Russa remains a museum dedicated to his life and work.
TRAVEL Dostoevsky first traveled abroad in 1862, visiting England, France, Germany, and Italy. His observations of Western society left him disillusioned, leading to his critique of European materialism in Winter Notes on Summer Impressions (1863). In 1863, he embarked on a second trip to Western Europe, partly to escape creditors. His travels, particularly his time in casinos, influenced his novel The Gambler.
After their marriage in February 1867, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Anna Grigoryevna Snitkina embarked on a delayed honeymoon on April 14, 1867, funded by the sale of Anna's valuables due to Dostoevsky's debts. Their journey took them to Germany, where they visited cities such as Berlin, Dresden, Frankfurt, and Baden-Baden. In Dresden, they explored the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, which inspired Dostoevsky's writing.
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| Image by ChatGBT |
In Baden-Baden, however, Dostoevsky's gambling addiction caused significant financial strain. He lost their money at the roulette table, forcing Anna to pawn some of her belongings. Despite these difficulties, Anna began keeping a diary during this period and supported her husband emotionally and financially. The couple eventually moved on to Geneva, where Dostoevsky worked on his novel The Idiot and where their first child, Sofia, was born in March 1868. Tragically, Sofia died just three months later.
Their honeymoon years abroad were not only a time of travel but also a period of hardship. The couple faced financial instability, Dostoevsky's gambling problems, and personal losses. Nevertheless, Anna's unwavering devotion and practical management of their finances played a crucial role in stabilizing their lives and enabling Dostoevsky to focus on his literary work.(2)
DEATH Fyodor Dostoevsky died on February 9, 1881, in St. Petersburg, Russia, at the age of 59. His death was caused by a pulmonary hemorrhage, likely exacerbated by his long-standing emphysema and epilepsy.
During Dostoevsky's final moments he asked his wife to read the passage from Matthew 3:14-15 to him: "But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."
After hearing the biblical passage, Dostoevsky's last words were: "Hear now – permit it. Do not restrain me!" These final words were a clear reference to the biblical passage just read to him, particularly echoing the phrase "Suffer it to be so now" from the King James Version of the Bible. This demonstrates Dostoevsky's deep connection to his faith and his desire to relate his final moments to Christ's words. (1)
Dostoevsky's body was laid out on a table, following Russian custom.
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| Dostoevsky on his bier, drawing by Ivan Kramskoi, 1881 |
His funeral was a significant event, with conflicting reports on attendance ranging from 40,000 to over 100,000 mourners.
On February 1, 1881, Dostoevsky was interred in the Tikhvin Cemetery, part of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg. His grave is located in the northeastern side of the cemetery, near the church. The cemetery, now known as the Necropolis of the Masters of Art, became his final resting place alongside other notable Russian cultural figures.
Dostoevsky's tombstone features a bronze bust of the author and is inscribed with his favorite Gospel verse from John 12:24. In 2020, the tombstone underwent thorough restoration in preparation for the 200th anniversary of Dostoevsky's birth. The restoration included repairing the cast-iron fence, replacing lost pieces of the tombstone, strengthening the foundation, and updating the inscriptions with gold paint.
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Dostoevsky's works have been widely adapted into films, television series, and theatrical productions. They include:
1. Film
Crime and Punishment Adaptations – His most famous novel has been adapted into numerous films, TV series, and even stage plays. The 1935 Hollywood version starred Peter Lorre as Raskolnikov,
Akira Kurosawa’s The Idiot (1951) reimagined Dostoevsky’s novel in postwar Japan.
The Brothers Karamazov (1958) – A big-screen adaptation starring Yul Brynner, William Shatner (yes, that William Shatner), and Lee J. Cobb. Not exactly a subtle, philosophical take, but it exists!
2. TV & Pop Culture References
The Simpsons – In Bart the Genius, young Bart swaps his test with a smarter kid’s, leading to a moment where he’s asked about Dostoevsky and responds, “He’s just a guy who wrote a book about a crime, and then you do some time, and then you get punished.” Not a bad summary, really.
Seinfeld – In The Marine Biologist episode, Kramer accidentally injures a Russian man with a golf ball. When asked how he’s doing, the man says in a pained voice: Dostoevsky... suggesting that even minor injuries evoke deep existential suffering in Russian culture.
Drop the Dead Donkey – The British sitcom referenced The Idiot, with the character Sally refusing to read the book, saying, “I don’t think I want something called The Idiot on my coffee table.”
3. Music
The progressive metal band Pain of Salvation released an album, Be, that explores existential and philosophical themes in a very Dostoevskian way.
4. Video Games
Bioshock – The Bioshock video game series, especially Bioshock Infinite, is full of Dostoevskian themes—free will, morality, and the clash between idealism and reality.
Persona 5 – This popular RPG has deep philosophical themes, and one of the characters, Goro Akechi, references Crime and Punishment directly, comparing himself to Raskolnikov.
5. Others
His influence extends to modern literature, philosophy, and psychology, with figures such as Nietzsche, Freud, and Camus citing him as an inspiration.
ACHIEVEMENTS Dostoevsky is considered one of the greatest novelists of all time. His works have had a profound impact on literature, philosophy, and psychology. He is celebrated for his exploration of the human psyche, his insights into social and political issues, and his enduring literary masterpieces.
Source2 (1) Atlanta Serbs (2) Wikipedia
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