Fyodor Dostoevsky’s (or Dostoevskij, in case you want to be precise about transliteration) birthday is 11 November. Everybody has certainly heard of him, but why should we care of his birthday? Who was he? Read below the short biography of Fyodor Dostoevsky!
The Man
Fyodor Michajlovič Dostoevsky was born in Moscow on November 11, 1821 (however, at the time, Dostoevsky birthday was on October 30th). He lived many years in Saint Petersburg, at the time the political and cultural capital of Russia, and also the place where he set many of his novels. His life has been an adventure: a murdered father; a death sentence turned, seconds before the shooting, to hard-labor in Siberia; a problem with gambling, solved only in the last few years of his life; epileptic attacks, from which he drew inspiration, at the cost of psychological tranquility… His biography could be taken from his novels, years before the Wildian recommendation to live one’s own life as if it was a piece of art; but, actually, it is the other way around: the tragedies he lived gave him inspiration for writing his novels. He always faced the adversities in his life with books, and came out stronger. He died on February 9th, 1881 – January 28th, according to the old calendar.
The Writer
Dostoevsky has been considered by George Steiner as one of the two best novelist of the 19th century and, arguably, ever. The other one was was Lev Tolstoj, and it is indeed almost impossible to mention one without also mentioning the other. The two were as different as possible: Tolstoj technically impeccable, Dostoevsky raw talent; the first one positively inclined, the second exploring the darker regions of the human mind, as well of the darkest regions of the Russian society, often neglected by Lev Tolstoj, who focused on high society. What they have in common is the greatness of their works and the contribute they gave to Russian and World’s literature. They depicted vividly the society in which they lived, gifting us with an artistic testament to life in the 19th century. Even more important, they portrayed the human mind, both its bright and its dark side, doing something that was unprecedented in the history of literature.
His Petersburg
If you come to Saint Petersburg having read Dostoevsky’s work, one thing you might want to do – at least, I did – is retracing his steps, his characters’ footpaths. The number of houses in which he lived is impressive, but only one has become the Dostoevsky’s Literary-Memorial Museum, in Kuzhnechny Lane 5/2. You might also want to visit the alleys Raskol’nikov nervously swept and in which the narration of Crime and Punishment took place. The names of the places, coded in the text, have been deciphered by his wife after his death, but if you would like to receive some deeper insights, Liden & Denz offers you a fascinating tour. If you plan on visiting on your own, just be careful: walking those alleys alone has not brought Raskol’nikov much luck!’
Now, that you know when it’s Dostoevsky birthday, so join me in wishing him, wherever he might be now, a happy birthday!
Have you read books by Dostoevsky? What do you think? Let us know in the comment section?