The original Russian title of Dostoevsky’s novel commonly known as Demons is Besy.
Besy, written Бѣсы in its historical orthography and Бесы in modern Russian, was published in 1872. English translators have rendered the title as Demons, The Possessed, or The Devils. The title comes from the biblical and spiritual image of demons, while also suggesting ideological forces possessing individuals and society.
The novel was partly inspired by the 1869 murder of Ivan Ivanov by a revolutionary cell led by Sergey Nechaev. Dostoevsky transformed that political episode into a wide-ranging story about radicalism, nihilism, manipulation, and the breakdown of moral responsibility. Key figures include Nikolai Stavrogin, Pyotr Verkhovensky, and Stepan Trofimovich.
Translations differ because the Russian word besy has several resonances and can sound more religious or uncanny than the English word demons. The title The Possessed is therefore not a separate novel; it is an alternative English translation of the same work.