Gravestone of Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was a Russian novelist born on November 11, 1821, who left an indelible mark on world literature. As a masterful storyteller, essayist, journalist, and philosopher, Dostoyevsky delved into the complexities of human psychology within Russia's tumultuous 19th-century landscape. His works tackled philosophical and spiritual themes that resonated with readers worldwide. Dostoevsky started writing in his twenties, and his first novel, Poor Folk, debuted in 1846 when he was just 25 years old. His notable works include Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), Demons (1872), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880). As a prolific author, Dostoevsky's oeuvre consists of 11 novels, three novellas, 17 short stories, and numerous other writings. Many literary critics acclaim him as one of the greatest psychologists in world literature. His groundbreaking 1864 novella, Notes from Underground, is regarded as an early work of existentialist literature. Dostoevsky's early life was shaped by his introduction to literature through fairy tales and legends, as well as books by Russian and foreign authors. However, tragedy struck when his mother passed away in 1837 at the age of 15, prompting him to leave school and join the Nikolayev Military Engineering Institute. After graduating, Dostoevsky worked as an engineer, enjoying a lavish lifestyle that was soon interrupted by his passion for writing. In the mid-1840s, he penned Poor Folk, which catapulted him into St. Petersburg's literary circles. However, in 1849, Dostoevsky's life took a drastic turn when he was arrested for being part of a literary group that discussed books critical of Tsarist Russia. Although sentenced to death, his sentence was commuted at the last moment. Dostoevsky spent four years in a Siberian prison camp and six years in compulsory military service in exile. Upon his release, he began working as a journalist, publishing and editing several magazines, including A Writer's Diary, a collection of his writings. His travels around western Europe fueled a gambling addiction that led to financial struggles, forcing him to beg for money. Despite these challenges, Dostoevsky emerged as one of Russia's most widely read and highly regarded writers. His books have been translated into over 170 languages, leaving an enduring impact on readers worldwide. Influenced by an impressive array of philosophers and authors, including Pushkin, Gogol, Shakespeare, Dickens, Balzac, Lermontov, Hugo, Poe, Plato, Cervantes, Herzen, Kant, Belinsky, Hegel, Schiller, Solovyov, Bakunin, Sand, Hoffmann, and Mickiewicz, Dostoevsky's writings have inspired numerous writers and philosophers. The State Museum of City Sculptures was established in 1932 to study, restore, and protect city sculptures and gravestones. The museum is responsible for maintaining many of St Petersburg's iconic sculptures. With branches scattered throughout the city, the main ones are concentrated within the former territory of the Aleksandro-Nevsky Lavra. The Aleksandro-Nevsky Lavra's Tikhvinskoe Cemetery was founded in 1823 and named after the Our Lady of Tikhvin Church built between 1869 and 1873. In 1931, the church was closed, and in 1932, the cemetery became a branch of the State Museum of City Sculptures known as the Necropolis of Masters of Culture. This branch is named after the numerous leading figures of Russian culture who were laid to rest here, including writers Fyodor Dostoevsky, Nikolai Karamzin, and Ivan Krylov; composers Aleksandr Borodin, Mikhail Glinka, Modest Musorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky; and artists Boris Kustodiev, Ivan Kramskoy, and Ivan Shishkin.