In 1863 Dostoyevsky got himself into a huge amount of debt from gambling. To pay it off, he signed a contract with his publishing house in the early writing of his new novel, The Gambler stating that if he did not complete a novel in twenty-five days, the editor had the right to freely publish all his future works for 9 years. The deadline was met. [1]
Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky was 45 when he married for the second time on 15 February 1867. His new wife, Anna Snitkina, was 25 years his junior.
Anna Grigoryevna Snitkina was born in 1846 and grew up in a middle-class family. She was well-educated and worked as a stenographer in St. Petersburg when novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky hired her to work for him. Dostoyevsky had promised to complete his novel, The Gambler in under a month when they began collaboration — he, dictating, she, writing in shorthand, then transcribing at home at night. With Anna’s help, he accomplished the miraculous — finishing an entire novel in 26 days.
The process of completing the novel engrossed them both so much that they could not imagine life without each other, and they married soon after. The wedding was a simple ceremony that took place at Trinity Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
This was a turning point in Dostoyevsky’s life, as Anna provided stability and support that allowed him to focus on his writing. Dostoyevsky was already well-known as a writer and had a reputation for being a heavy gambler and had financial difficulties. Despite these challenges, Anna remained devoted and supported him throughout their 14-year marriage. The couple had several children together and remained married until Dostoyevsky’s death in 1881 when she was just 35. She did not remarry and wrote two biographical books about her life with the famous author, which provide insight into the couple’s relationship and the challenges they faced. She died on 9 June 1918, aged 71.