slothis · English

Russian State Library in Moscow: Mimicking Dostoevsky

2016-06-20 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →
Dark metal decoration with a hammer and sickle emblem attached to the exterior wall of a building.
No matter where you go in Europe, few places let you know exactly where you are as clearly as Russia does.

There really aren't any places to eat lunch near Red Square or inside the Kremlin. So, to grab a bite, I briefly left Red Square and walked toward Arbat Street. Walking along, I thought about how the surrounding buildings definitely make you feel like you're in Europe, yet the finely carved Soviet-era stars and guns give off a strange charm unique to Russia. As I looked around, marveling at a scenery I hadn't even seen much in movies or on TV, a familiar statue caught my eye.

Large bronze seated statue of a bearded man in front of the Russian State Library building.
Dostoevsky
Two pigeons sitting at the base of a monument engraved with the Russian name Dostoevsky.

It was none other than Dostoevsky.

He is one of the great Russian literary masters that even I, someone who rarely picks up a book, know about. He mostly lived and wrote in St. Petersburg (which is also the main setting of his books), but perhaps because this is in front of the Russian State Library, his statue is here in Moscow. The surprising part is that it isn't Tolstoy. I had planned to read a Dostoevsky book while riding the Trans-Siberian Railway, but the Russian history book I brought was surprisingly long and full of important moments, so I couldn't put it down and ended up not reading the novel. As I write this now on the 21st, I'm reading Notes from Underground, and it's an intense piece of writing unlike anything I've ever seen.


Seated statue of Dostoevsky against the background of the Russian State Library building under renovation.

It was a bit of a shame that part of the library—what looked to me like the most ornate and oldest section—was under renovation. But since I wasn't planning to go inside and just wanted to take pictures, it wasn't a big deal. Still, it might be disappointing for anyone who actually wanted to see the inside of the library. Judging by where people were walking, it seems all the books from here have been moved to the new building next door.

After mimicking the exact pose of the great writer, who has now become a friend to the pigeons, I decided to go get some food. Great writer or not, food comes first, oink oink.


Exterior wall of a library building decorated with bronze reliefs of famous figures' faces between the windows.
Besides Dostoevsky, the busts of many other writers and scientists are carved into the building. However, since I don't speak Russian, I didn't know who they were. When I did manage to figure a few out, I was surprised to learn they weren't Russian.
Bronze relief decoration engraved with Charles Darwin's face and his years of birth and death on the exterior wall of a building.
Surprisingly, it's Charles Darwin.
Several figure statues standing along the edge of a building roof against a blue sky.
Looking up at a male statue standing on the roof of a building.
Human-shaped statue standing on the roof of a building.
There are statues on top of the building too, but they just seem to be for decoration.

Expenses based on 1 person / might be for 2

Total Expenses 2,521RUB

Total Trip Expenses 525,936 KRW + 21,012RUB + $53.16