The Russian Messenger was a Russian literary and political journal published in Moscow in the nineteenth century. Founded in 1856 by Mikhail Katkov, it became one of the most influential periodicals of its era and played a central role in Russian intellectual and literary life.
The journal is especially significant in literary history for serializing some of the greatest works of Russian fiction before they appeared as books. It published Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment in twelve monthly installments during 1866, among other major works.
Beyond Dostoevsky, The Russian Messenger serialized fiction by other towering figures of Russian literature, making it a crucial venue through which the classic Russian novel reached its first readers. Its pages reflected the literary and political debates of the period.
Though long defunct, The Russian Messenger occupies an important place in the history of literature as the original publisher of works now regarded as cornerstones of world fiction.