Saint Petersburg is often referred to as Dostoevsky’s city, so its only appropriate that is serves as host to not only the Dostoevsky Museum but also the monument erected in his honor. In addition to spending much of his life in the city, Dostoevsky popularized many of the city’s sights in his famous works, such as “Crime and Punishment” and “The Brothers Karamazov”, widely regarded as the greatest of all novels. For many years, there was no monument of the author in the city, but thankfully this oversight has been corrected and now tourists in Russia who wish to pay tribute to the master have a place to do so.
Forged in magnificent bronze, the sculpture depicts Dostoevsky in a “thinking” posture, with one leg folded over the other, and his hands propped on one knee. He looks down in solemn contemplation of humanity, a pose very much in line with the psychological insights to be found in the body of his work. His brow is furrowed in concentration, a tribute to the seriousness with which the author approached his task; in fact, he is known to have once said that “art will save the world”. Perhaps the greatest of all Russian artists, no trip to Russia is complete for the artistic minded tourist without a visit to this striking monument.