F. M. Dostoevsky and the Aksakov Brothers in the Context of Social and Literary Struggle and Cooperation

Abstract

In the 1840s F. M. Dostoevsky became famous in literary circles thanks to his story Poor Folk, but was widely criticized by the Slavophiles, namely by the Aksakov brothers for his creative approach and political ideology. In the 1860s heated disputes between Vremenya and Den’ confirmed Dostoevsky’s ideological disagreements with the Slavophiles. In the 1880s, as the author of the article shows, begins a convergence of Dostoevsky’s position, his artistic ideas and the views of the Aksakov brothers, which is especially noticeable in Dostoevsky’s speech at the Pushkin holiday. The article comprehends the main ideological differences and points of contact between pochvennichestvo and Slavophilism, traces the difficult relationship between Dostoevsky and the Aksakov brothers, which lasted more than 40 years. Numerous disagreements in the beliefs of these contemporaries concerned the issue of creative style, the purpose of literature and ideological currents. Dostoevsky believed in Slavophile thought, but was more progressive; he developed and deepened the ideals of fundamentalism in the second half of the 19th century.

Keywords

• f. m. dostoevsky
• k. s. aksakov
• i. s. aksakov
• ideology
• slavophiles
• pochvennichestvo
• creative method