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a handwritten letter written in black ink on a piece of papera close up of a piece of paper with writing on ita piece of paper with a handwriting on it
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883 - FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY (1821–1881), AUTOGRAPH
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Estimate €80,000 - €100,000
Sale commission
Description
FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY (1821–1881), AUTOGRAPH Signed autograph letter to his elder brother Mikhail Dostoevsky (1820–1864). [St Petersburg, late 1830s – early 1840s] Undated, no envelope. 3 pages on a double sheet. 21.4 x 13.5 cm. At the top of the double sheet, a text in the hand of one of the sisters (signed ‘Your sister’); further down on the same page begins Fyodor Dostoevsky’s letter: ‘I am sending you, dear Micha, 35 roubles. If the flat suits you, keep it for yourself, of course…’. End of the letter: ‘Well then, farewell, may God help you pass your exams and [illegible] meant opium. Ah, these home-grown Latin scholars. Your F. Dostoevsky’. Good condition; crease marks. Mikhail Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (1820–1864), a Russian writer, translator, playwright and magazine editor, was Fyodor Dostoevsky’s elder brother. In May 1837, their father took the two brothers to Saint Petersburg and enrolled them at K.F. Kostomarov’s preparatory school with a view to their admission to the Main School of Engineering. However, Mikhail was not admitted, as a medical examination had wrongly diagnosed him with consumption. From 1838 to 1840, he served as a cadet (junker) in the engineering corps in Reval; in 1840, he passed the examinations for the first officer’s rank, that of second lieutenant. Mikhail was the great Russian writer’s closest friend and greatest supporter. Together with his brother, he founded and edited the legendary journals ‘Vremia’ and ‘Epokha’, in the pages of which many of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s major works first appeared. Mikhail dealt with the censors, sorted out financial matters and managed the day-to-day running of the magazine; his support was particularly important to Fyodor after his time in the penal colony. His brother’s death was a terrible blow to Fyodor Mikhailovich, who wrote: ‘He was my first and only friend… We dreamt together and together we began our literary careers’. Their correspondence is an invaluable record that reveals the inner world of the two brothers. Provenance: The Aristophil Collections At the buyer’s request, we shall be happy to provide a general report on the condition of the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise potential buyers to carry out their own inspection or to consult a specialist of their choice to obtain a full assessment of the lot’s condition. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for information purposes only and should not be regarded as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.
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About the sale RARE BOOKS & MANUSCRIPTS: Antique books § Autographs, rare editions, photographs § Works on paper
Auction location
Auction time 10/29/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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