Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
- Born:
- November 11, 1821 (October 30, 1821, Old Style), Moscow, Russia
- Died:
- February 9, 1881 (January 28, 1881, Old Style), Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Nationality:
- Russian
- Profession(s):
- Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Journalist, Philosopher
Early Life and Education
- Second of seven children born to Mikhail Andreevich Dostoevsky, a doctor, and Maria Fedorovna Nechayeva.
- Received a formal education at home and at boarding schools.
- Entered the Main Engineering School in Saint Petersburg in 1838.
Career and Major Achievements
- Began his literary career after resigning from the army in 1844.
- Gained initial recognition with his debut novel, Poor Folk (1846).
- Arrested and sentenced to death in 1849 for involvement in the Petrashevsky Circle, a radical intellectual group. The sentence was commuted to penal servitude in Siberia.
- The years spent in penal servitude had a profound impact on his worldview and literary themes. This experience is vividly described in The House of the Dead (also known as Burial in the House of the Dead).
- Returned to Saint Petersburg in 1859 and resumed his writing career.
- Co-founded and edited the journals Vremya and Epokha.
Notable Works
- Poor Folk (1846)
- The House of the Dead (Zapiski iz Myortvogo Doma, 1861-1862), a semi-autobiographical work drawn from his experiences in prison. As such, zapisky z mrtveho domu dostoevsky biography often focuses on this pivotal period in his life.
- Notes from Underground (1864)
- Crime and Punishment (1866)
- The Idiot (1869)
- Demons (also known as The Possessed) (1872)
- The Brothers Karamazov (1879-1880)
Legacy and Impact
Fyodor Dostoevsky is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential novelists of all time. His works explore complex psychological and philosophical themes, delving into the depths of human suffering, morality, and faith. His exploration of existential questions and the human condition has had a lasting impact on literature, philosophy, and psychology.