3 plots of Russian literature borrowed from real life

1. Leo Tolstoy ‘Anna Karenina’

Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina in the 2012 movie by Joe Wright

Characters in Russian literature often like to settle accounts with their own life before Anna Karenina did. However, they also preferred other ways to part with reality. 

“Tolstoy himself would not have thought of such a scene. It was too radical for those times,” believes writer and literary critic Pavel Basinsky. Where does such a plot twist come from? From real life.

Tolstoy was struck by an incident that occurred not far from his estate Yasnaya Polyana. Anna Pirogova, a 32-year-old unmarried woman, decided to throw herself under a train to take revenge on Tolstoy's neighbor, landowner A. N. Bibikov. Anna served as housekeeper at his estate. They had an affair, but the landowner proposed to another woman. 

2. Fyodor Dostoevsky ‘The Brothers Karamazov’

Mikhail Ulyanov as Dmitry Karamazov in the 1968 Soviet screening

Murders often occur in Dostoevsky’s novels. And the plot of ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ is a real detective story. 

Dostoevsky was doing hard labor in Siberia, when he learned about a sensational criminal case. A real person named Dmitry Ilyinsky had been unjustly accused of killing his father and imprisoned for the crime he didn’t commit. 

The writer was amazed that the man was being punished for a crime he had not committed. Dostoevsky met the “criminal” and his story formed the basis of the novel. The hero, Dmitry Karamazov, was given Ilynsky’s first name, as well as similar external features, passionate character and inner chivalry.

3. Alexander Kuprin ‘The Garnet Bracelet’

Ariadna Shengelaia as Vera Nikolayevna in 'The Garnet Bracelet' movie (1964)

A duchess receives a bracelet with garnets as a gift from an anonymous admirer. For many years, the mysterious stranger has been sending her letters with words of love. But, the married lady is annoyed by such messages. She asks her husband and brother to deal with the pesky admirer and to return the bracelet to him. 

It turns out that it was a petty official in love with her, a man of mediocre and small wealth. Apparently, he spent all his savings on the expensive bracelet. He promised not to bother the duchess again, only writing a farewell letter, in which he says that he lived only for this love, that it was his only joy. 

An annoying admirer, a pomegranate bracelet and a serious conversation with a promise not to pursue the lady anymore - all of these took place in real life. And it happened to the sister of Kuprin's close friend. 

The writer, however, did make his telling of the story more dramatic – his unhappy hero ends up committing suicide. And the princess herself cries over his farewell letter. In reality, neither of these things happened.