CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE IN F. M. DOSTOYEVSKY'S NOVEL THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV

The article deals with the meaning of a penitential confession in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov. It is noted that the penitential confession in the novel exempts from the burden of guilt, allowing the confessor to get rid of spiritual sufferings through the compassion of the person who accepts the confession and shares the guilt with the sinner. It is emphasized that repentance is inseparably linked with overcoming the sense of shame before public exposure and self-obsession with one’s reputation. The attention is paid to mutual confessions in the novel after which the heroes step on the path towards transformation. It is concluded that penitential confessions of heroes result in their revival and spiritual renewal, as each of them is given a chance to endure spiritual revolution, to overcome the "hell" and to confirm the validity of Zosima’s idea about common guilt and responsibility.