October 30, 2021

At Home with Dostoyevsky


At Home with Dostoyevsky
Curb appeal. At least we assume there's a curb somewhere under all that snow. Griffin Edwards

I have a confession to make. This is difficult to do, but it's necessary. I hope you won't think less of me for it.

Here goes.

I'm not a huge fan of Dostoyevsky.

Let me put it this way: I appreciate Dostoyevsky, but I wouldn't go out of my way to read his work. Yeah, I skimmed (a liberal use of the word) Crime and Punishment for a college class, and tried to start Brothers Karamazov and didn't finish it. They're fascinating works, but hidden under so. many. words. Sorry, but I'll take the cleverness of Pushkin and Chekhov instead any day. And Dostoyevsky will never be able to hold a candle, in my eyes, to Gogol, my hilarious, surrealist, proto-Kafka bestie.

But sometimes you find yourself in a small town without many options, and you make the best of what's in front of you.

I was studying abroad in Veliky Novgorod, a hundred miles south of St. Petersburg, and a bus had taken us to the other side of Lake Ilmen to see the sights of Staraya Russa, an ancient town now known for its mineral water resort. I remember the trip being pervasively frigid and blanketed with ice and snow. It was only after looking through my photos that I realized that the excursion took place on Dostoyevsky's birthday: November 11, squarely in the crisp fall for those of us in milder climes.

Like many Russian villages, Staraya Russa is a bit sparse, with large, squat buildings far apart on large lots, punctuated by church spires and birch trees. Dostoyevsky's place sticks out, its dark green walls facing the river.

View from Dostoyevsky's house
Staraya Russa from Dostoyevsky's front yard. Also a glimpse at northern Russia in mid-November. | Griffin Edwards

It's a pretty comfortable house, as nineteenth-century dwellings go. The ground floor is utilitarian: what would have been storage, the kitchen, servants' quarters, and the like. Today it houses a couple exhibits and a small lecture hall where readings, discussions, and performances are held. Upstairs is the restored and historic part of the building, where Mr. and Mrs. Dostoyevsky lived and little Dostoyevskys' feet once went pitter-patter.

dostoyevsky's table
Dostoyevsky's family's dinner table. "How was your day, honey?" "Fine. I ruminated on nihilism and killed someone with a hatchet because I could." | Griffin Edwards

Dostoyevsky first occupied this house in 1876, after he had already achieved some literary acclaim. The first house he ever bought, it served as his family's dacha in the summers (I assume it's warmer then) until he died in 1881. He wrote significant portions of The Brothers Karamazov and Demons, as well as portions of other works, here, with his wife acting as editor. By "here," I mean at this desk:

Dostoyevsky's massive wooden desk
If I had a desk like this, I'd spend a lot more time writing. | Griffin Edwards

The house-museum provides a remarkably well-preserved slice of Dostoyevsky's life. The table is set, the bed is made, a pencil on the desk waits to be picked up. It's not a spacious house, but it's lived in. In the living quarters, there are a couple bedrooms, as well as an office, dining room, and living room, all worn in and surprisingly warm.

I could see someone living here and liking it. Dostoyevsky reportedly did, enjoying a backyard garden and strolls through the neighborhood on rainy days (edgy). Some say that Staraya Russa was even the basis for the town portrayed in The Brothers Karamazov.

The museum provides a surprisingly intimate glimpse into the fairly plain daily life of one of Russia's most foreboding literary giants. Dostoyevsky's house is modest, even, given his literature rock star-dom. Especially compared to Pushkin's country manor. But even Dostoyevsky gets a little shrine on the first floor where schoolchildren can lay flowers:

HBD, Dostoyevsky
Flowers for the birthday boy. | Griffin Edwards​

I couldn't recommend the trek to Dostoyevsky's house to anyone but the most dogged Dostoyevsky fan. If you have a Raskolnikov cardboard cutout in your room, by all means, take the trip. The long drives through flat country will only add to the feeling of pilgrimage. But it's not an easy place to get to for dilettantes like myself. For us, it's a good place to stop if you're in the area.

If literature's really not your thing, you can always check out the recreated medieval saltworks down the street. It's Putin-approved.

Eat salt with the president
Salty guy. | Griffin Edwards

 

You Might Also Like

Is Dostoyevsky Still Alive?
  • November 01, 2021

Is Dostoyevsky Still Alive?

On the occasion of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky’s 200th anniversary, we visit his adopted city to consider the imprint he left behind.
Dostoyevsky's Birthday in 10 Dark Quotes
  • October 30, 2019

Dostoyevsky's Birthday in 10 Dark Quotes

In honor of the writer's 198th birthday, here are 10 quotes to celebrate the life and writings of Fyodor Dostoyevsky. They may not be cheerful, but they sure are profound.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Steppe / Степь

Steppe / Степь

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
At the Circus

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955