Published on: 2026-09-10
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Beijing, September 10 /Xinhua/ — Since June 23, nearly 200,000 people have visited the exhibition “The World of Dostoevsky: To Stop Reading Books Means to Stop Thinking” at the Museum of Contemporary Chinese Press and Publishing in Shanghai.
The exhibition, which lasted about three months, was organized by the Museum of Modern Chinese Press and Publishing, the Chinese Center for Cultural Relics Exchange, and the F. M. Dostoevsky Literary Memorial Museum. A total of 157 items from the collections of the Dostoevsky Literary Memorial Museum and the Literary Museum of the Institute of Russian Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Pushkin House) were brought to Shanghai, along with a large number of digitized materials.
For the first time, these exhibits from Saint Petersburg left Russia. Among them are the writer’s manuscripts, rare editions, and original illustrations. Visitors could even see draft outlines and corrections for such novels as “Crime and Punishment.”
A quote from “The Brothers Karamazov” was especially popular: “Let us, first and foremost, be kind, then honest, and then never forget about each other.” Its Chinese translation was printed on round light green stickers, which became a free souvenir and literally disappeared from the stands like hot cakes.
Visitors of all ages left written reviews, shared impressions on social media, and collected souvenir merchandise dedicated to the works of F. Dostoevsky.
This summer, a wave of interest in Russian literature swept across Shanghai. This is already the museum’s second major project following last year’s exhibition dedicated to A. Pushkin. According to the Shanghai Association of Literature and Art Workers, several clubs of Russian literature and translation enthusiasts operate in the city, bringing together more than a thousand active members.
The exhibition is organized into five sections: “Childhood and Youth,” “Turning Point of Fate,” “Return to Literature,” “Great Works,” and “Immortality of the Soul.” It recreates the life and creative journey of F. Dostoevsky, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the world of the 19th-century classic of Russian literature.
At the exhibition, the personal belongings of the writer hold special value: a cigarette case, a hat, a medicine bottle, an ink set, and the pen used to create the manuscripts of “The Brothers Karamazov.”
“I never thought F. Dostoevsky would be so popular among Chinese youth!” admitted Mrs. Lin, who is over sixty. To make it to the exhibition in its final week, she traveled a long way across the city. She described the atmosphere at the exhibition with one phrase – “not a space to drop a pin.”
School graduates, who were soon to start their student life, gathered near the exit, exchanging stickers with quotes from F. Dostoevsky. One girl smilingly noted that Dostoevsky’s full name is very long, but she can pronounce it in Chinese without hesitation. Another young man proudly said he had read “Crime and Punishment” twice. “I read it with breaks; some parts were difficult, but I like the very feeling of deep reflection,” he shared.
Museum staff note that during the period from the A. Pushkin exhibition to the F. Dostoevsky exhibition, the museum has witnessed a deepening interest of Shanghai in Russian literature. Increasing attention is being paid to the contribution of Chinese translators and publishers over the past hundred years. Some Russian studies students expressed a desire to participate in volunteer work, indicating that intercultural exchange broadens the horizons of young people.
It is noteworthy that within the framework of the Lu Xun Shanghai Literature Week, fans of Lu Xun’s work also found common ground with lovers of Russian literature. Professor Wang Xiaomin from Shanghai University, a researcher of Lu Xun’s work, reminded that the Chinese writer highly valued the talent of F. Dostoevsky. According to him, although they never met, their spiritual worlds are largely in harmony.
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