Mr. Prokharchin" is a 1846 short story written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and first published in the Annals of the Fatherland . Based on actual events, it follows the life of the miserly protagonist Mr. Prokharchin, who leads a poor life and draws pity from all around him. However, upon his death, his landlady and other tenants are shocked to discover a vast wealth hidden within his mattress. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (1821 1881) was a Russian novelist, essayist, short story writer, journalist, and philosopher. His literature often examines human psychology during the turbulent social, spiritual and political atmosphere of 19th-century Russia, and he is considered one of the greatest psychologists in world literature. A prolific writer, he produced 11 novels, three novellas, 17 short stories, and numerous other works. Other notable works by this author include: Crime and Punishment (1866), Notes from the Underground (1864), and The Idiot (1869).