December 25, 2021

Fyodor in Florence


Fyodor in Florence
The City of Lilies Wikimedia Commons user Martin Falbisoner

The city of Florence, Italy, is so proud of its short-term resident Fyodor Dostoyevsky that it recently erected a statue to the writer.

In Florence, Dostoyevsky finished writing one of his most famous novels, The Idiot. A plaque has long hung at the location where he finished the novel. He and his second wife, Anna, lived in Florence for about eight months in 1868-1869. Although the author notably disliked all of the abroad, he appreciated Florence more than anywhere else.

The 3.5-meter-high (11-foot-high) statue was installed in Cascine Park on the outskirts of Florence, where an allée is already named after Dostoyevsky. The Russian ambassador to Italy attended the unveiling of the statue on December 14, as well as the advisor to the Russian president on cultural matters, Vladimir Tolstoy. Ironically, Tolstoy is the great-grandson of writer Lev Tolstoy, who was Dostoyevsky's contemporary, though they never met. Dostoyevsky complained that he could never hope to write something as memorable as Count Lev Tolstoy, who did not have to scrounge for money the way that the former did.

The statue was a gift from the Russian government to Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance. It was sculpted by Russian artist Aydyn Zeynalov. The gift is part of the 200th anniversary year of Dostoyevsky's birth (2021).

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.
Dreadful Terror
  • November 01, 2021

Dreadful Terror

Dostoyevsky’s chance visit to a museum led to a chilling, life-changing encounter with an artist long dead, but whose work was very much alive. It would make an appearance in the writer’s next novel. 
At Home with Dostoyevsky
  • October 30, 2021

At Home with Dostoyevsky

If, for some reason, you ever find yourself in the small town of Staraya Russa, be sure to check out Dostoyevsky's summer house.
Dostoyevsky in Siberia and Beyond
  • November 07, 2021

Dostoyevsky in Siberia and Beyond

Dostoyevsky spent ten years of his life exiled to Russia's Eastern hinterlands. Beyond the Urals, there are several places that shaped Dostoyevsky and influenced many of his greatest works of literature.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

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.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

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.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

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.

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