A panel of U.S. and Russian scholars will re-evaluate the impact of one of the most revered figures in literature this weekend at the Fyodor Dostoyevsky Festival at Cal State Long Beach.
Dostoyevsky was a Russian novelist and philosopher in the 19th century. He is considered by some to have laid the foundation for many philosophical schools of thought, including 20th century existentialism, with his novella “Notes from Underground.”
Other major works of Dostoyevsky include “Crime and Punishment” and “The Brothers Karamazov.”
“We want people to re-evaluate Dostoyevsky’s contribution to the world of literature after the fall of the Soviet Union and see if people view him differently now,” said Harold Schefski, festival co-chair and member of the CSULB Romance, German, Russian languages and literatures (RGRLL) department.
The festival will also hold several roundtable discussions on Dostoyevsky’s life, his influences on other writers and his literary legacy.
Alexey Dostoyevsky, the author’s great-great-grandson, will also make an appearance at the festival to discuss his involvement with the film “Boys,” which is based on a chapter in “The Brothers Karamazov.”
The festival, which is hosted by the CSULB College of Liberal Arts and the CSULB RGRLL department, will be on Friday and Saturday in the Karl Anatol Center. Admission is free.
The festival has been in the works since the festival’s co-chairs visited some Dostoyevsky scholars in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the summer of 2008.
A professional reader will read a speech by Dostoyevsky, titled “Tribute to the Monument of Pushkin.” The speech will be in Russian, but attendees will receive a written English translation.
Several movies that pertain to some of Dostoyevsky’s most-known works, including “Demons,” “Boys” and the “The Brothers Karamazov,” will be screened.
The Dostoyevsky Festival may have an auction for a painting of Dostoyevsky by Sergei Morozov.
“Morozov will bring a specially commissioned painting of the writer, which we hope to auction to support the program,” Schefski said.
The auction is still up in the air since the festival co-chairs have not yet seen the actual painting.
“However, if it does not sell for a worthy price, it may be purchased by the library and remain property of the university,” Schefski said.
This is the first Fyodor Dostoyevsky Festival at CSULB, but the RGRLL department has made a point to hold festivals for Russian writers every three years.
In 2006, the department hosted the Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin Festival for the acclaimed father of Russian literature. In 2012, Schefski hopes to hold a festival for Leo Tolstoy.
The Dostoyevsky Festival will also raise money for the department with a paid banquet for 100 invited guests on Saturday.
It would be useful if this article informed readers as to what specific times the festival is to begin and end on Friday and Saturday. Otherwise, thank you for this piece. For those who love literature, programs such as the Dostoyevsky Festival on campus are wonderful. The article also encourages those who’d like to know more about great literature and its ability to enthrall!