Museums of Russia: New literary exposition "Dostoevsky. Life and Work: Pro et Contra" launched at the writer's museum in St Petersburg

The Fyodor Dostoevsky Literary and Memorial Museum (St Petersburg) launched a new literary exposition "Dostoevsky. Life and Work: Pro et Contra". It marks the 200th anniversary of the writer and the 50th anniversary of the museum.

The exhibition space portrays the writer's world and fate as a constant struggle with trials on the lifeway and internal contradictions: "Pro et contra". The first hall is devoted to Dostoevsky's life and work before his five great novels (from birth to 1864). The second hall covers the years 1864-1881, which were exceptional in the abundance of the writer’s activity. Here dominates information about Dostoevsky's oeuvre with a small piece of biographical information. First of all, it focuses on five novels: Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, Demons, The Adolescent, The Brothers Karamazov and his magazine's work The Writer's Diary.

The exposition also features electronic content and video materials - the programs Dostoevsky's Petersburg, Dostoevsky's Travels Abroad, Dostoevsky's Image in Photographs, Painting, Graphics Works and Sculpture. An audio guide is available in Russian and several foreign languages.

The exposition is based on scientific and documentary research. It also engages lively design, which contributes to a better understanding of the presented material. It features exhibits from the collections of the Dostoevsky Museum and copies of photographs and documents provided by other museums, archives, and scientific centres.