Dostoevsky and World Culture Dostoevsky and World Culture 2619-0311 2712-8512 IWL RAS https://doi.org/10.22455/2619-0311-2026-2-60-82 Research Article Articles Prince Myshkin’s Calligraphic Experience in Dostoevsky’s Novel The Idiot Flegentova Tatiana N. fedor@dostmirkult.ru 25 06 2026 1 2 60 82 Dostoevsky calligraphy beauty freedom health black-and-white colour combination Copyright © 2026, IWL RAS 2026 This article examines why and how calligraphy becomes a form of self-expression, a means of experiencing beauty and freedom for Prince Myshkin, and why this novelistic situation is crucial for understanding the novel. Through an analysis of the hero's image as a calligrapher, the significance of the art of beautiful writing in his spiritual biography is explored. The cultural and historical context of the hero's education and upbringing, including the situation surrounding his illness, is reconstructed. It is shown that calligraphy in the novel fulfills not only a professional and aesthetic function (copying scripts becomes a form of spiritual work) but also reveals Myshkin's aspiration for beauty and inner freedom. Five calligraphic examples are analyzed, with their artistic and semantic layers reconstructed. Particular attention is paid to the connection between calligraphic motifs and the fate of Nastasya Filippovna, including the symbolism of writing instruments and the paper on which the prince works. It is concluded that calligraphy can become the key to understanding the hero's spiritual experience.