The image of Peter the Great in the journalism of F. M. Dostoevsky

The article analyzes the evolution of FM Dostoevsky’s views on the historical role of the first Russian emperor, the writer ‘s perception of the political and spiritual significance of the reforming activities of Peter the Great for Russia as a state and Russians as a nation. The issue is investigated on the basis of Dostoevsky’s publicistic speeches published in the magazines “Time” and “Diary of a Writer”, as well as his entries in workbooks and fragments of the writer’s epistolary heritage. It is shown that Dostoevsky saw the significance of the Peter the Great period of Russian history in the fact that the transformations split the nation into two unequal parts, each of which subsequently fulfilled its part of the mission to form Russian culture: the elite acquired an unprecedented “broadening of view” and learned the best in the cultures of all nations, commoners kept the shrine of Orthodoxy. The Peter’s period enslaved one part of the nation in the name of “civilizing” another part, but with all its negative features, this period was, according to Dostoevsky, necessary and logical. At the same time, Dostoevsky repeatedly emphasizes that this period has passed, having completely exhausted itself, and the current task of the Russian people is to unite those who have “tasted the culture” and those who have kept the people’s truth and folk tradition. This union will form a cultural synthesis that would indicate the uniqueness of Russian culture as a culture that is deeply national and all-human at the same time.