In prison, he focused intensely on the figure of Christ and on the New Testament, the only book allowed in prison. Raised in an educated and religious family, Dostoyevsky's beliefs changed through his life. The new generation of Russian intellectuals was gripped by European theories and philosophies were melded together into a peculiarly Russian combination that came to be called ' nihilism' '. He was particularly scornful of the ideas he found in St Petersburg when he returned from his decade of Siberian exile. 'Dostoyevsky's experience had altered him profoundly. The experience had cost him ten years of his life. A year later he was back in St Petersburg. In 1859 a new tsar allowed Dostoyevsky to end his Siberian exile.

The punishment was changed to a sentence of exile and hard labour, but not before they were forced to go through a mock execution. They were found guilty of planning to distribute subversive propaganda and condemned to death by firing squad. After months of questioning and investigation they were tried. On 22 April 1849, Dostoyevsky was arrested and imprisoned with the other members. A police agent reported the group to the authorities. In his 20s he joined a group of radicals in St Petersburg They were into French socialist ideas.

He is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time.

The most popular novels are Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky (11 November 1821 – 9 February 1881) was a Russian novelist.

Fyodor dostoyevsky demons