The Moscow Branch of the Family Tree of F. M. Dostoevsky: New Archival and Printed Sources

Newly uncovered archival and printed sources reveal previously unknown details about the Moscow branch of F. M. Dostoevsky’s family tree, spanning five generations from his great-great-great-grandfather to his mother. The study introduces first-time publications of documents such as birth certificates for Maria Fedorovna Nechaeva (Dostoevsky’s mother) and her brother Mikhail, wedding records for ancestors like Fyodor Timofeevich Nechaev and Varvara Mikhailovna Kotelnitskaya, and death records, including that of Dostoevsky’s grandfather. Additionally, the research identifies long-lost names, such as John Grigoriev, the brother of a Kremlin archpriest, and Nastasia Kotelnitskaya, Dostoevsky’s great-grandmother. The findings correct inaccuracies in prior genealogical works and establish Moscow addresses for key relatives, laying groundwork for future mapping projects like 'Dostoevsky’s Moscow.'

Tikhomirov, B., & Drobyshevskaya, I. (2023). The Moscow Branch of the Family Tree of F. M. Dostoevsky: New Archival and Printed Sources. Неизвестный Достоевский, 10(1), 5–80. https://doi.org/10.15393/j10.art.2023.6562