Raskolnikov, Stavrogin, Verkhovensky, Ivan Karamazov – elder Zosima: atheistic idea in the light of the Christian consciousness

The system of features of Dostojevsky’s characters having atheistic ideas is studied in the article as testifying their subjection to the evil. The situation is shown from the point of view of elder Zosima’s Christian consciousness through which Dostojevsky gives his own answer to the atheistic idea.