F. M. Dostoevsky: from fourierism to slavophilism

In many biographical studies about F. M. Dostoevsky, the central role is played by the story of his transformation from a revolutionary and atheist into a believing Christian and monarchist, which occurred as a result of his conviction on political charges to the death penalty, replaced by exile to hard labor in Siberia. Outwardly, this concept is based on seemingly obvious facts: indeed, there is a huge gap between Dostoevsky-a member of the circle of left-wing radicals in the 1840s and Dostoevsky- the leader of conservative public opinion in the 1870s. However, a careful study of documentary sources that allow reconstructing the views of the young Dostoevsky (first of all, the materials of the investigation into the Petrashevites case, interrogations and testimony of the defendants), make one doubt the truth of this concept. These materials do not confirm Dostoevsky’s revolutionism, but give reason to believe that the structure and content of his views in the 1840s find the closest correspondence in the conservative ideology of the Slavophiles. Therefore, the subsequent ideological evolution of Dostoevsky was accomplished not by abrupt coups, but by a gradual rapprochement with Slavophilism, of which Dostoevsky publicly declared himself a supporter in the 1870s.