Dos ‧ toy ‧ ev ‧ sky, Fy ‧ o ‧ dor BrE AmE ( also Dostoevsky ) /ˌdɒstɔɪˈefski $ ˌdɑːstəˈyef-, ˈfiːədɔːʳ/
(1821–81) a Russian writer who is considered by many people to be one of the greatest writers ever. He is known for his skill in describing the way his characters’ minds work and the way this affects their behaviour. His novels include Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov . He spent several years in a prison camp in Siberia because of his ↑ socialist beliefs.