An Interview with Anna G. Dostoevskaia (c. 1889)
From the beloved wife and faithful editor of Dostoevsky. Forthcoming is a story for parents and children that is her personal pick, and told by her favorite hero, so stay tuned.
With many thanks to Matushka Natalia Sheniloff for the translation of a French version1, the only one we have been able to find so far:
Excerpt from the replies of Anna Dostoyevskaya, then 43-years-old, to questions from journalists:
What is your most striking character trait?
- Indecision.
What is your goal in life?
- The dissemination of my husband’s writings.
What was the most painful moment of your life?
- When I lost my husband, my relatives, and my children.
Whom or what would you have wished to be?
- Anna Dostoyevskaya.
To which people would you have wished to belong?
- To the Russian people, without any doubt.
What is your favorite occupation?
- Editing books.
What is your favorite amusement?
- Watching French vaudeville shows.
Who arouses the greatest sympathy in you?
- People with pain in their hearts.
What qualities do you value the most?
- Sincerity and independence.
What do you appreciate most in a man?
- Intelligence and strength of character.
And in a woman?
- Goodness and a good character.
Who is your favorite writer?
- Dostoyevsky.
Who is your favorite poet?
- Lermontov.
Who is your favorite hero in a novel?
- Prince Myshkin in “The Idiot.”
Who is your favorite fictional heroine?
- Natasha in “War and Peace.”
What is your favorite poem?
- Pushkin’s “The Prophet.”
Who is your favorite painter?
- Titian.
What is your favorite picture?
- “The Tribute Money.”
Who is your favorite composer?
- Glinka.
Which musical opus do you like the most?
- “Ruslan and Ludmila.”
Have you replied to these questions with absolute candor?
- I intended to do so, but I do not know if I succeeded.
From the back cover of Carnets. A.G. Dostoïevskaïa. Correspondance de F.M. Dostoïevski et A.G. Dostoïevskaïa, t.II, Ed. Radouga, Moscou, 1986. [Notebooks. A.G. Dostoyevskaya. Correspondence of F.M. Dostoyevsky and A.G. Dostoyevskaya, Vol. II, Ed. Raduga, Moscow, 1986.] Should our readers be able to locate the unabridged original of this interview and share it with us, please do so, and thank you in advance!