Pushkin loved Gogol for his Little Russian talk and the insolence with which he climbed right through into Russian literature. Besides Gogol, Pushkin loved to write poetry, play cards and shoot at his wife's admirers. That is why he so truthfully portrayed reality in "The Queen of Spades" and "Eugene Onegin". Gogol was afraid of losing at cards, and was afraid to shoot at passers-by. Therefore, he asked Pushkin to help him write at least something brilliant without much risk. Pushkin helped by explaining that it was unnecessary to shoot passers-by to Gogol, because he is a native philosopher and can describe souls well. "Especially," - joked Pushkin, - "you manage good to describe dead". And Gogol did not fail.
Belinsky and Gogol once clashed over progress, which should bring us all the best, as Belinsky argued. Gogol only laughed in response to this stupidity, observing nevertheless that the government is "a huge gang of thieves, which every Russian knows about," but at the same time "every Russian thinks how to get himself a warm apartment". Geniuses, as you can see, do not let down especially, unlike other blockheads, for theses blockheads do not like them.
Once still young Russian writer Dostoevsky decided challenging the literary critic Belinsky to a duel out of resentment for his statement: "... aroused great hopes - alas! - still not coming true." When he was buying dueling pistols, the crying Gogol came up and began to choose the fireplace poker larger. "Here," - he told Dostoevsky, - "the second volume of "Dead Souls" manuscript which needs to be burned!" Dostoevsky forgot about pistols and Belinsky, and went to help Gogol to burn the description of positive characters, whom he too did not see personally never in Russia.