On the History of the Reception of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Works in the Netherlands: Nicolas van Wijk

The article reconstructs the first stage of reception in the Netherlands of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s literary heritage in the late 19th century. The translations, as well as the reception, were originally inspired by the recognition of the writer in Germany and France rather than by the impact of the Russian cultural tradition itself. Attention is also paid to the writings of the “father of Dutch Slavic studies” Nicolaas van Wijk, from 1913 the chair of Slavonic and Baltic languages at Leiden University. His specific “prism” has been of help in understanding the work of the writer as a projection of the Russian people specific spirituality.