← Back

Title of the article: “YOUR MAJESTY! I ASK NOTHING FOR MYSELF”: THE WIDOW OF THE WRITER DOSTOYEVSKY AND THE IMPERIAL HOUSE
Author(s): Andrianova I. S.
Section: Theory and history of culture
Year: 2016
Issue: № 4 (42)
Pages: 52-70
Index UDK: УДК 008+929.5
Index BBK: ББК 71+63.214
Abstract: The article reveals the history of relationships between the widow of the great Russian writer, Anna Dostoevskaya, and the Imperial House of Russia between 1881 and 1913. The study is based on her files (notebooks, letters) that were not introduced into scientific circulation before. These materials as well as her memoirs, first published in full in 2015, are kept in the manuscript divisions of the Russian State Library and the Institute of Russian literature, in the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art. Anna Dostoevskaya's contacts with Romanovs occurred primarily in the context of her commemorative and charitable activity aimed at perpetuating her husband`s name. These activities took various forms: the publication of Dostoyevsky’s writings, sending them to the libraries of Russia, creating the Museum room of Dostoevsky with his archival documents for admirers of the writer, the organization of a parochial school named after Dostoyevsky and many others. Applying to the Imperial House for assistance, the widow of the writer did not look for any benefits for herself except memorializing Dostoevsky, caring for the future of her family and the benefit of Russia. The article based on documentary sources provides new facts not only about Dostoevsky family but about the interests and charitable activity of Emperor Alexander III, Grand Dukes Konstantin and Dmitry Konstantinovich, Vladimir Alexandrovich; considers the role of the Imperial House in formation of the writer’s reputation after his death and in commemoration work.
Keywords: Feodor Dostoyevsky, Anna Dostoyevskaya, Alexander III, Nicolas II, Konstantin Romanov, Dmitry Romanov, Vladimir Romanov, charity, Russian archives.
Bibliography: 1 Bulgakov S. N. Ocherk о F. M. Dostoevskom. Chrez chetvert' veka (1881–1906) [Sketch about Fyodor Dostoevsky. Through a quarter of the century]. Dostoevskii F. M. Polnoe sobranіe sochinenіi: v 14 tomakh [Complete Works: in 14 vols]. St. Petersburg, 1906, vol. 1, pp. III–XL. (In Russ.) 2 Volgin I. L. “V vidu bezmolvnogo potomstva…”: Dostoevskii i gibel' russkogo imperatorskogo doma (glavy iz knigi “Politicheskii protsess. Dostoevskii i sovremenniki: zhizn' i v dokumentakh”) [“In view of silent offsprings...”: Dostoevsky and the death of Russian Imperial House (chapters from the book “The Political process. Dostoevsky and his contemporaries: a life in documents)”]. Oktiabr' [October], 1993, no 11, pp. 85–127; no 12, pp. 112–160; 1994, no 6, pp. 3–64. (In Russ.) 3 Volgin I. L. Dostoevskii i pravitel'stvennaia politika v oblasti prosveshcheniia (1881–1917) [Dostoevsky and government policy on education (1881–1917)]. Dostoevskii. Materialy i issledovaniia [Dostoevsky. Materials and Research]. Leningrad, “Pushkinskii dom” IRLI RAN Publ., 1980, vol. 4, pp. 192–206. (In Russ.) 4 Volgin I. L. Koleblias' nad bezdnoi. Dostoevskii i imperatorskii dom [Balancing over the abyss. Dostoevsky and the Imperial House]. Moscow, Tsentr gumanitarnogo obrazovaniia Publ., 1998. 655 p. (In Russ.) 5 Volgin I. L. Metamorfozy vlasti: Pokusheniia na rossiiskii tron XVIII–XIX vekov [Metamorphoses of power: Attacks on Russian throne in 18–19 centuries]. Moscow, Firma “Interpraks” Publ., 1994. 301 p. (In Russ.) 6 Volgin I. L. Propavshii zagovor: Dostoevskii i politicheskii protsess 1849 goda [Missing plot: Dostoevsky and state trial of 1849]. Moscow, Libereia Publ., 2000. 703 p. (In Russ.) 7 Grossman L. P. Dostoevskii i pravitel'stvennye krugi 1870-kh godov [Dostoevsky and governmental circles in 1870-s]. Literaturnoe nasledstvo [Literary heritage], 1934, no 15, pp. 83–162. (In Russ.) 8 Dostoevskaia A. G. Vospominaniia. 1846–1917 [Memoirs. 1846–1917], introductory article, preparation of the text, notes by I. S. Andrianova, B. N. Tikhomirov. Moscow, Boslen Publ., 2015. 768 p. (In Russ.) 9 Dostoevskaia A. G. Pis'mo k E. F. Iunge (19.11.1882) [Letter to E. F. Iunge (19 November 1882)]. Literaturnoe nasledstvo: F. M. Dostoevskii. Novye materialy i issledovaniia [Literary legacy: F. M. Dostoevsky. New materials and research]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1973, vol. 86, p. 559. (In Russ.) 10 Dostoevskaia L. F. Dostoevskii v izobrazhenii svoei docheri [Dostoevsky as viewed by his daughter]. St. Petersburg, “Andreev i synov'ia” Publ., 1992. 245 p. (In Russ.) 11 Dostoevskii F.M. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii: v 30 tomakh [Complete works in 30 vols]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1972–1990. (In Russ.) 12 Egorov B. F. Petrashevtsy [Petrashevsky Circle]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1988. 240 p. (In Russ.) 13 Zabelin I. E. Dnevniki. Zapisnye knizhki [Diaries. Notebooks]. Moscow, The Sabashnikov publishing house Publ., 2001. 383 p. (In Russ.) 14 Zakharov V. N. Kodeks Dostoevskogo. Zhurnalizm kak tvorcheskaia ideia pisatelia [Moral code of Dostoevsky. Journalism as a creative idea of the writer]. Dostoevskii i zhurnalizm [Dostoyevsky and journalism]. St. Petersburg, Dmitrii Bulanin Publ., 2013, pp. 17–26. (In Russ.) 15 Zakharov V. N. Po povodu odnogo mifa o Dostoevskom [On One Myth about Dostoyevsky]. Sever [North], 1985, no 11, pp. 113–120. (In Russ.) 16 Zil'bershtein I. S. Novonaidennye i zabytye pis'ma Dostoevskogo: V. Dva pis'ma k K. K. Romanovu i rasskaz o kazni Mlodetskogo [Newly discovered and forgotten letters of Dostoyevsky: 5. Two letters to K. K. Romanov and the story of the execution of Mlodetsky]. F. M. Dostoevskii. Novye materialy i issledovaniia [Dostoyevsky: new materials and research]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1973, vol. 86, pp. 134–139. (In Russ.) 17 Kalmanovich S. E. Tsarskaia rasprava [Imperial reprisals]. Мoscow: Izdatel'stvo vsesoiuznogo obshchestva politkatorzhan i ssyl'noposelentsev Publ., 1928. 16 p. (In Russ.) 18 Kudrina Iu. V. F. M. Dostoevskii, imperator Aleksandr III i russkaia ideia [F. M. Dostoyevsky, the Emperor Alexander III and the Russian idea]. Svobodnaia mysl' [Free thought], 2012, no 7–8, pp. 113–124. Available at: http://svom.info/entry/264-f-m-dostoevskij-imperator-aleksandr-iii-i-russkaya/; http://www.intelros.ru/pdf/svobodnay_misl/2012_7_8/10.pdf (Accessed 01 February 2016). (In Russ.) 19 Lebedev V. K. Otryvok iz romana “Brat'ia Karamazovy” pered sudom tsenzury / publ. V. K. Lebedeva [An excerpt from the novel “The Brothers Karamazov” before the court of censorship, publication by V. K. Lebedev]. Russkaia literatura [Russian litterature], 1970, no 2, pp. 123–124. (In Russ.) 20 Mel'nik V. I. Velikii Kniaz' Sergei Aleksandrovich i F. M. Dostoevskii: dukhovnoe rodstvo [Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and Dostoevsky: spiritual affinity]. Available at: http://www.ippo.ru/about/article/velikiy-knyaz-sergey-aleksandrovich-i-fm-dostoevsk- 200734 (Accessed 05 February 2016). (In Russ.) 21 Merezhkovskii D. S. Prorok russkoi revoliutsii. K iubileiu Dostoevskogo [The Prophet of the Russian Revolution. On the anniversary of Dostoevsky]. St. Petersburg, Izdanie M. V. Pirozhkova Publ., 1906. 152 p. (In Russ.) 22 Mostovskaia N. N. Dostoevskii v dnevnikakh S. I. Smirnovoi (Sazonovoi) [Dostoevsky in S. I. Smirnova-Sazonova diaries]. Dostoevskii. Materialy i issledovaniia [Dostoevsky. Materials and Research]. Leningrad, 1980, vol. 4, pp. 271–278. (In Russ.) 23 Ranne A., protoierei [Archpriest]. Problema pravoslavnogo obrazovaniia v Rossii v kontekste nekotorykh idei F. M. Dostoevskogo [The issue of Orthodox education in Russia in the context of some ideas of F. M. Dostoyevsky]. Vestnik Novgorodskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta [Bulletin of Novgorod State University], 2015, no 84, pp. 148–152. (In Russ.) 24 Remizova M. Nashe istoricheskoe nichtozhestvo? (Retsenziia na knigu: Volgin I. L. Koleblias' nad bezdnoi. Dostoevskii i imperatorskii dom) [Is this really about our historical insignificance? (Book review: Volgin I. L. Balancing over the abyss. Dostoyevsky and Imperial House)]. Novyi mir [New World], 1999, no 7. Available at: http://www.nm1925.ru/Archive/Journal6_1999_7/Content/Publication6_4381/De-fault.aspx (Аccessed 01 February 2016). (In Russ.) 25 Rozenblium L. M. Zhizn' Dostoevskogo v kontekste rossiiskoi istorii. (Retsenziia na knigu: Volgin I. L. Koleblias' nad bezdnoi. Dostoevskii i imperatorskii dom). [The life of Dostoevsky in the context of Russian history (Book review: Volgin I. L. Balancing over the abyss. Dostoyevsky and Imperial House)]. Voprosy literatury [Issues of literature], 2000, no 2, pp. 334–341. (In Russ.) 26 Savel'ev A. I. Vospominaniia o F. M. Dostoevskom [Memories of Dostoyevsky]. F. M. Dostoevskii v vospominaniiakh sovremennikov: v 2 tomakh [F. M. Dostoevsky in memoirs of contemporaries in 2 vols]. Moscow, Khudozh. lit. Publ., 1990, vol. 1, pp. 163–170. (In Russ.) 27 Solov'ev Vs. Pis'mo k materi P. V. Solov'evoi. Ot 2 fevralia 1881 goda [A letter to mother of P. V. Solovyev. Literaturnoe nasledstvo [Literary heritage]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1973, vol. 86: F. M. Dostoevskii. Novye materialy i issledovaniia [F. M. Dostoyevsky. New materials and research], pp. 541. (In Russ.) 28 Stoiunina M. N. Moi vospominaniia o Dostoevskikh [My memories of Dostoevsky family]. F. M. Dostoevskii v zabytykh i neizvestnykh vospominaniiakh sovremennikov [Dostoyevsky in forgotten and unknown memories of contemporaries]. St. Petersburg, 1993, pp. 196–202. (In Russ.) 29 Tvardovskaia V. Romanovy chitali Dostoevskogo… (Retsenziia na knigu: Volgin I. L. Koleblias' nadbezdnoi. Dostoevskii i imperatorskii dom. [The Romanovs read the works of Dostoevsky (Book review: Volgin I. L. Balancing over the abyss. Dostoyevsky and Imperial House)]. Znamia [Flag], 2000, no 10, pp. 228–231. Available at: http://magazines.russ.ru/znamia/2000/10/vol.html (Accessed 02 February 2016). (In Russ.)
PDF file:   Download