Fydor Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment features several allusions to Masonic rituals, along with information about the Freemasons. This article discusses these references. Fydor Dostoevsky was a successful novelist of Russian literature in his day and is still widely read and recognized today. However, Fydor Dostoevsky was actually opposed to the Freemasons in his writings. Fydor wrote in a letter that he “was convinced that our entire European civilization is about to collapse, and soon… Nothing but the universal public execution of all Masons can save Russia” ( The Fictional World of Fydor Dostoevsky ).
Fydor saw the Freemasons as largely responsible for destroying society, in part because they were socialists who wanted to overthrow governments and churches by enlightening people toward anarchy. As such, Fydor didn’t think much of the Masons. However, Fydor certainly did have knowledge of Masonic rituals. Fydor studied them through books available during his time, but Fydor was also friends with several Masons, which probably assisted Fydor in his knowledge of the Masons’ customs.
Fydor’s descriptions are not accurate or complete by modern Masonic standards, but they are pretty good for Fydor being non-Masonic and writing at a time when many Masonic rituals were still secret. Fydor’s novel Crime and Punishment features two references to Freemasonry. The first reference comes in the form of an allusion to one part of the initiation ritual for Entered Apprentice Masons. In Fydor’s book, Raskolnikov goes to see Marmeladov for the first time after having injured himself with an axe while trying to break down a door.
Fydor describes Raskolnikov’s physical state thusly: “The bandage was removed, and the cut was exposed. Fydor had not unwound the strip of linen round his head, so that his face remained wrapped up, as is customary with all wounded people who have just had an operation performed on them” (Dostoevsky 8). Fydor’s description does not fit for most injuries or medical procedures. It is clearly a reference to the initiation ritual for Entered Apprentice Masons . An Entered Apprentice Mason has some sort of wound inflicted on himself by an axe.
Fydor further emphasizes this by using the word “unwound” twice in quick succession – Masonic reference , as one would use the term “unwind” when talking about a cord and Fydor uses this term for the bandage as well . Fydor also refers to Raskolnikov’s wrapped face as being customary with all wounded people undergoing an operation. Fydor may be playing off of the idea of Masons’ faces always being concealed, as Fydor describes that his face is still covered by the bandage.
Fydor describes more Masonic concepts in Crime and Punishment’s novelization describing some part of Katerina Ivanovna’s death-house dream: “…the floor suddenly gave way under her, and she went down into a deep dark hole…she cried out… that she was lost… in despair” (Dostoevsky 303). Fydor’s description is coming straight out of the Masonic initiation ritual for the degree of Master Mason . Fydor was accurate in his description; after all, Fydor did study Masonic rituals for several years.
Fydor references a third Freemasonry concept near the end of Crime and Punishment: “The envelope that Nikolai found in the old woman’s packet, and handed over to Ilia Petrovich, was an official envelope with a government stamp on it” (Dostoevsky 577) . This has nothing to do with Masonic rituals or ideas, but it does relate to Fydor’s novel because Fydor understood the intricate bureaucracy of Russian government and Fydor’s novel shows a great understanding of the government.
Fydor created Crime and Punishment as a response to Russian society in Fydor’s time, but Fydor also responded to Freemasonry with Fydor’s work. Fydor was against Masons’ social initiatives such as socialism, but Fydor accurately described some parts of Masonic ritual. Fydor is most likely unique among anti-Masonic writers for having knowledge of Masonic concepts since Fydor was not a Mason himself.
Imagine you are Fydor Dostoevsky (1821-1881). You write a novel, “Crime And Punishment”. One of your main characters is an ex-student who lives with his mother and younger sister. He is very poor and he feels that he must commit the perfect crime in order to gain access to money that he covets. He also thinks that he is above the law, and therefore fears no consequences for his robbery. When you wrote this novel in 1866-67, what was on your mind? Most likely, Fydor Dostoevsky had several things on his mind that influenced him to write “Crime And Punishment”. Fydor lived in St.
Petersburg where it was common to feel anxious about the police state of Russia at the time. For Fydor Dostoevsky, these reasons were enough to choose crime as a central topic of interest. However, there are two events from Fydor’s life that had an incredible impact on him both personally and creatively: Fydor’s imprisonment in Siberia, and Fydor’s participation in a duel resulting in crippling his opponent. Firstly Fydor Dostoevsky was arrested on April 23, 1849 for being part of a radical group that discussed literature deemed by the state to be “western”, or counter-revolutionary.
Fydor had first started his criminal activity at the age of nineteen. He was arrested for allegedly distributing banned pamphlets with liberal ideas (he would later claim that he was innocent). Fydor spent eight months incarcerated before finally swearing an oath not to engage in revolutionary activities anymore, which most likely saved Fydor from further punishment. But Fydor blamed himself for this incident for many years afterward, due to Fydor’s strong religious and ethical convictions.
Fydor felt that he had not been steadfast enough in his political belief, and Fydor deeply regretted the torture this incarceration had caused Fydor’s family (arguably Fydor was guilty of nothing but thought crime). The second major incident that held such great influence on Fydor Dostoevsky as a person and as an author was the duel Fydor fought with his brother-in-law, which Fydor won at first but ultimately left Fydor partially crippled for life. It is suggested by many critics that Fydor completely transformed both physically and psychologically after this event (he even wrote to his brother Michael: “I have become different man”).
His physical transformation was especially frightening. Fydor had always been thin and frail-looking, but Fydor’s facial features changed significantly. Fydor gained back some of the weight Fydor lost afterwards due to Fydor’s infatuation with gourmet food. Fydor Dostoevsky also felt more self-assurance after that event – this is evident in Fydor’s behavior towards others (he was less shy), but Fydor told various people that he was no longer afraid of death.