Who was Fyodor Dostoevsky’s second wife and stenographer?

Fyodor Dostoevsky’s second wife and stenographer was Anna Snitkina. She first worked with him as a professional stenographer in 1866, helping him complete The Gambler under a severe publishing deadline. They married in 1867.

Anna was twenty years old when she began working with the forty-four-year-old writer. Her shorthand skills helped Dostoevsky dictate and revise rapidly, and her practical assistance became especially important during a financially difficult period. After their marriage, she also managed household and publishing matters and helped preserve many documents connected with his career.

She is sometimes identified by her married name, Anna Dostoyevskaya, or by the Russian form Anna Grigoryevna Dostoevskaya. “Anna Snitkina” refers to her family name before marriage and is the answer commonly used for questions about the young stenographer.

After Dostoevsky’s death in 1881, Anna worked to organize his papers, promote his legacy, and establish a museum in his memory. Her memoirs and archival efforts remain important sources for his biography.