Rodion Raskolnikov

Rodion Raskolnikov, fictional character who is the protagonist of the novel Crime and Punishment (1866) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. An impoverished student who murders a pawnbroker and her stepsister, Raskolnikov embodies the author’s belief that salvation is possible only through atonement.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.
Citation Information
Article Title: Rodion Raskolnikov
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 17 February 2011
Access Date: February 22, 2025