What is the name of the fictional town where Dostoevsky's 'The Brothers Karamazov' is set?

The fictional town where Dostoevsky's 'The Brothers Karamazov' is set is Skotoprigonyevsk. It is a small provincial Russian town where the Karamazov family's conflicts, Fyodor Pavlovich's murder, and Dmitri's trial unfold.

Although Skotoprigonyevsk is invented, Dostoevsky based many of its physical details on Staraya Russa, a real town in Novgorod Oblast where he spent extended periods. Streets, houses, shops, waterways, and local routines in the novel reflect his familiarity with the place. The fictional setting therefore feels unusually concrete while still representing the broader Russian provinces.

The novel's central events include the rivalry among Dmitri, Ivan, and Alyosha Karamazov, their father's death, and the investigation that follows. The town's name is revealed relatively late, near the account of Dmitri's trial, which can make it easy to miss. Stargorod, Glupov, and Mirgorod belong to other Russian literary settings or works, not this novel.