DOSTOYEVSKY, Feodor Mikhailovitch, Russian novelist: b. Moscow, 11 Nov. 1821; d. Saint Petersburg, 9 Feb. 1881. He was educated at Moscow and at the Military Engineering Academy of Saint Petersburg. He was graduated there in 1843, with the grade of sub-lieutenant. On his father's death in 1814, he resigned to devote himself to literature, and began a long struggle with ill-health and pov erty. He made his literary debut with (Poor People' in 1846, in which may be discovered the germ of all his imaginative work. Dostoyevsky now became a regular contributor of short stories to the Annals of the Country, but he was wretchedly paid and his work, while re vealing extraordinary power and intensity, is wanting in finish and proportion. In 1847 he became a member of the revolutionary re unions of the agitators, Petrachevski, and for his connection was condemned to death in 1849. On the scaffold the novelist's sentence was com muted to four years' exile in Siberia, and en forced military service in the ranks for life. He was transported to Omsk, Siberia, and spent four terrible years there. He has left a graphic narrative of his experiences in House of the Dead' (1858). He was subjected to fresh indignities as a common soldier after his re lease from Siberia, but in 1858, through the intercession of General Todleben, an old school fellow, he was made an under-officer, and in 1859 was pardoned by Alexander IL His asso ciation with the worst criminals gave him an insight into the dark and seamy side of Russian life. He formed new conceptions of human life and character and gave expression to his new views in (Crime and Punishment' (1866). It showed the author to be possessed of a rare mastery over the emotions of terror and pity.
This work was his greatest, for while his later works showed great tragic and analytic power, they are deficient in measure and proportion. The chief of them are (The Insulted and In jured' (1867) ;
Idiot' (1869) ; (A Raw Youth' (1875); (The Brothers Karamarc& (1881). After 1865 he became an ardent Slavophile and mystic, with a tendency to absolutism. He was engaged in a succes sion of journalistic enterprises and suffered severe pecuniary losses. For a time he was editor of the Russian World, and after 1876 published a review, the Carnet d'un icrivain. Toward the end of his life he be came very popular and his latest years were spent in comparative prosperity at Saint Peters burg. The last edition of his works, in six volumes, was issued at Saint Petersburg in 1904. English translations of the following works have been issued: 'The Brothers Karamazov' (New York 1910) ; (Crime and Punishment' (ib. 1911); 'The (ib. 1912);
Pos sessed) (ib. 1913) ;
of the Dead' (ib. 1914) ; 'The Insulted and Injured' (ib. 1915) ; (A Raw Youth' (ib. 1915) ; 'The Eternal Husband' (ib. 1917) ;
Folk' (London 1884) ; (Letters from the Under world and Other Tales' (New York and Lon don 1914). (See Calms AND PUNISHMENT?. Consult Brande, G.,