How did Vissarion Belinsky influence the rise of realism in Russian literature?

Vissarion Belinsky was the pivotal figure who steered Russian literature away from the personal, Romantic traditions of the early 19th century toward a civic-minded realism. As an influential literary critic, he championed the idea that literature should honestly reflect Russian reality and address pressing social problems, while still maintaining aesthetic quality.12

Belinsky’s influence was instrumental in establishing the "natural school," a movement derived from his analysis of works by Nikolay Gogol. By promoting the belief that art should serve society, he helped shape the views of a generation of intellectuals and established the reputations of major realist writers, including Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Ivan Goncharov. His critical framework, which prioritized the social function of literature, became a foundational element of Russian intellectual life and served as a distant precursor to the later doctrine of Socialist Realism.321