Mikhail Rakitin

Mikhail Osipovich Rakitin is a young seminarian in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. Although he is the son of a priest and receives a spiritual education, he has no intention of entering the priesthood. Throughout the novel, he feigns a friendship with Alyosha Karamazov for his own personal gain. After failing in an attempt to bring about the disgrace of the righteous, he severs his ties with Alyosha.

Feeling the contempt of other characters, Rakitin plans to leave the monastery to pursue a career as a writer in St. Petersburg. Dostoevsky developed the character based on his own views regarding the church’s public service, his reaction to anonymous abusive letters, and his polemics with several prominent journalists and publicists who served as prototypes for the role.