How did Aleksandr Pushkin influence writers such as Ivan Turgenev Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky?

Aleksandr Pushkin is widely regarded as the cornerstone of Russian literature, often described as the "beginning of beginnings" for the classical writers of the 19th century. His influence on authors such as Ivan Turgenev, Leo Tolstoy, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky was profound and multifaceted:1

• Foundational Style: Pushkin’s mastery of the Russian language, characterized by its simplicity and profundity, provided the stylistic basis for the works of novelists like Ivan Turgenev and Leo Tolstoy.1
• Literary Innovation: His novel in verse, Eugene Onegin, was the first major Russian work to focus on contemporary society, effectively paving the way for the development of the Russian realistic novel.12
• Thematic and Technical Influence: Pushkin’s "little tragedies" and his short story The Queen of Spades directly influenced the subject matter and narrative techniques used by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. For instance, scholars have noted that Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment can be viewed as an expansion of themes found in The Queen of Spades.32