The Hungarian Dostoevsky-cult in light of Mór János Révay’s educational activities

Abstract

It is a European peculiarity that in times of great crisis, Dostoevsky’s works always gain greater interest.  It was no different in the case of Hungary either, as the peak of the writer’s popularity can be attributed to the period after the First World War, the 1920–30s. What unique events could have led the Russian writer to become an integral part of Hungarian culture by then?  Among other aims, the present study seeks to answer this question and undertakes to map the institutional framework of the Hungarian Dostoevsky cult and to present the awareness raising activities of János Mór Révay, which may have greatly contributed to the Hungarian readers’ knowledge of Dostoevsky’s life and literature of historical significance.