Crime and Punishment Data Sheet Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky Date Published: 1866 Historical Background: In 1861, Tsar Alexander was no longer in power of Russia. As a result, about 23 million people were left free. Although this was a good thing, Russia was left to reconstruct its society due to the high amounts of chaos. During those years, St. Petersburg was the main city in Russia which was an economic center for all of Russia. In the novel Crime and Punishment, the streets are filled with drunk people, homeless, and molesters. And the cities are described with corruption. Brief Summary: Rodion Raskolnikov used to be a student, he lived in a small apartment in St. Petersburg. He needs money, he is poorly dressed and he often talks to himself.