A Sickly Boy with a Big Imagination
Fyodor Dostoevsky was born in 1821 in Moscow, Russia.
His father was a doctor, and his mother was kind and caring.
From a young age, Fyodor loved books and stories.
He read Shakespeare, Homer, and fairy tales.
But his life at home wasn’t easy―his father was strict and harsh.
When Fyodor was 16, his mother passed away of illness.
Two years later, his father also passed away under mysterious circumstances.
These tragedies made Fyodor think deeply about suffering, justice, and the human soul―ideas he would later explore in his novels.
From Engineer to Writer
At first, Dostoevsky trained to be a military engineer.
But he wasn’t interested in machines―he cared more about people and ideas.
After finishing school, he began to write.
His first novel, *Poor Folk* (1846), was a big success.
People thought he would become the next great Russian writer.
Return from Despair
In his 20s, Dostoevsky joined a group that discussed books and politics―some of which criticized the Russian government.
In 1849, he was arrested for being part of this group.
He was thrown in prison and sentenced to extreme penalty.
On the day of his extreme penalty, soldiers tied him up in front of a firing squad.
But just before they pulled the trigger, a messenger arrived: the Tsar had changed the sentence to hard labor in Siberia.
This terrifying moment changed Dostoevsky forever.
He realized how precious life is and how quickly it can be taken away.
He also became deeply religious during his time in Siberia.
The Struggles Continue
After nearly 10 years in prison and exile, Dostoevsky returned to society, but he was poor, sick, and often depressed.
He married twice, but his first wife and brother both died early.
He had to take care of his brother’s family and had huge debts.
To survive, he wrote as much as he could.
Dostoevsky also struggled with epilepsy and gambling.
At times, he lost all his money and had to borrow more just to keep writing.
But even in his darkest times, he never gave up on writing stories about the deep emotions and spiritual battles of human beings.
Masterpieces of the Human Soul
In the last 20 years of his life, Dostoevsky wrote the books that made him famous:
Crime and Punishment (1866):
It is a story about a poor young man who, while questioning himself―”Is it permissible to commit evil if it is for the sake of justice?”―commits murder,
and the narrative explores his guilt, anguish, and eventual redemption.
The Idiot (1869):
It is a story that depicts how a pure and innocent person tries to live within a corrupt society.
The Brothers Karamazov (1880):
Centered around the murder of a father, this philosophical epic novel explores the inner conflicts of three brothers and the essence of human nature.
It is considered Dostoevsky’s masterpiece, posing profound questions such as “What is a human being?” and “Does God exist?”
A Lasting Legacy
Dostoevsky passed away in 1881 at the age of 59.
Thousands of people came to his funeral.
Today, his books are read all over the world.
Writers like Tolstoy, Kafka, and even modern thinkers like Jordan Peterson have admired his work.
Dostoevsky’s stories are full of pain, hope, and the search for truth.
He believed that even in the darkest times, people could find light.
Finally, let us introduce the most famous quote from his works:
“Beauty will save the world.”
― From “The Idiot” (1869)
Here, “beauty” does not refer merely to physical appearance.
These symbolic words express Dostoevsky’s belief that the inner beauty of goodness, love, and truth within the human soul can become a source of hope that changes the world.
