Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Biography

Fyodor Dostoyevsky was born in Moscow on the 30th of October, 1821. His father was a retired military surgeon. Dostoyevsky went to engineering school at St. Petersburg academy in Moscow. He left the academy in 1843 with the rank of lieutenant (Carr 7). He went on after his father died to persue a literary career.

His literary influences are Gogol, Pushkin, Balzac, and Hoffman. In 1847, he became a member of the revolutionary reunions. Here Dostoyevsky and his colleagues would discuss litature and ecomonic issues. However, these gatherings were forbidden by law, and in 1849 he was incarcerated (Berdyaev 18). While in confinement he wrote A Little Hero. He was sentenced to four years in Siberia and enforced military service in the ranks for life. He wrote about his experiences in Recollections of a Dead House. He was finally released from exile.

Dostoyevsky was enlightened after spending time with Russia's worst criminals leading him to write Crime and Punishment. He settled down in 1865 in St. Petersburg and became sucessful as a journalist. His success fell short due to his severe problem with gambling. He took flight from Russia because he could not pay his debts and landed in Germany and Italy. During this time of his life he was plagued with epileptic seizures, only inspiring him to work harder. He finally returned home in the 1870s as director of The Russian World. His final time was spent in St. Petersburg where he died on Febuary 9, 1881.

Major Works

Historical Context

Resources

Works Cited

Berdyaev, Nicholas. Dostoyevsky. Colorado: Meridian Hill, 1957.

Carr, Edward. Dostoyevsky (1821-1881): A New Biography. Australia: Allen and Unwin, 1931.