Letters to a Wife: The Invisible Side of Genius

In the personal archive of Dostoevsky, received by the Central Archive in November 1921, in addition to notebooks with materials for his novels, 11 packages of letters to his wife Anna Grigorievna, written between 1866 and 1880, were discovered. Thanks to these letters, we can better understand the personality of Fyodor Mikhailovich — a genius writer and an ordinary man, obsessed with creativity and passions, one of which, the most dangerous and destructive, was gambling addiction. We will see how gradually the love story for the family is overshadowed by an equally strong love for the game, which consumed Dostoevsky entirely and forced him to use his great writing gift to beg for money from his adoring wife.

Before us lies a true emotional diary of the writer. In his letters, like in a mirror, not only the details of the life and everyday life of the Dostoevsky family are reflected but also the entire range of emotions they experienced: from childhood delight to deep despair, from absolute confusion to inspiring hope. They show what people are capable of in moments of weakness. But they also provide an understanding that mutual respect and trust in relationships with a loved one help to overcome the most terrible situations and the most serious difficulties.