The Historical Moment and the characteristics of the Realist period were very similar across almost all of Europe. Disillusionment with the failure of liberal ideals, the misery of urban life, the crisis of agricultural production, and the poor living conditions of the majority of the population—contrasted with the privileges of the bourgeoisie—explain the replacement of Romantic idealism, beginning in the latter half of the 19th century, with a more objective and disillusioned view of reality.

The significant surprise of this period came from Russian Realism. This shift occurred because, until that moment, Russia had not held a prominent place in the literary landscape; however, with the advent of Realism, this situation was completely reversed. At that time, Russia was experiencing one of the worst economic crises in its history. The country's economic and cultural backwardness, along with the dire living conditions of peasants and workers, served as a catalyst for Russian Realist authors—greatly influenced by the Realism of the rest of Europe—to use literature as a means of critique and a tool for social denunciation. The most notable authors from this movement were Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy.