▁care free , ▁un lad en , ▁and ▁idle ▁l ifest yle . ▁ ▁History ▁of ▁the ▁expression ▁The ▁" D ead ▁Sou ls " ▁were ▁written ▁by ▁the ▁author ▁while ▁res iding ▁mostly ▁abroad , ▁mainly ▁in ▁Italy ▁and ▁Germany , ▁but ▁also ▁in ▁France , ▁Switzerland , ▁and ▁Austria . ▁In ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁lyr ical ▁dig ress ions ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁chapter ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁volume ▁of ▁The ▁" D ead ▁Sou ls ", ▁the ▁author ▁exc laim s : ▁" R us ' ! ▁Rus ’ ! ▁It ' s ▁you ▁that ▁I ▁see , ▁from ▁my ▁wonderful , ▁beautiful ▁af ar , ▁I ▁see ▁Y OU ." ▁These ▁lines ▁were ▁written ▁by ▁a ▁writer ▁while ▁living ▁in ▁Italy . ▁By ▁self - ad mission , ▁G og ol ▁loved ▁Italy ▁and ▁called ▁it ▁' my ▁dear ▁soul ', ▁in ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁Zh uk ov sky ▁he ▁writes : ▁" If ▁you ▁knew ▁with ▁what ▁joy ▁I ▁abandoned ▁Switzerland ▁and ▁fle w ▁to ▁my ▁dear ▁soul ▁- ▁Italy . ▁She ▁is ▁mine ! ▁No ▁one ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁will ▁take ▁her ▁from ▁me ." ▁ ▁As ▁an ▁id iom atic ▁expression , ▁" The ▁Beautiful ▁Af ar " ▁was ▁first ▁co ined ▁by ▁V iss ar ion ▁Bel in sky , ▁in ▁the ▁argument ▁against ▁Nikol ai ▁G og ol ▁himself . ▁Bel in sky ▁attacked ▁G og ol ▁with ▁an ▁angry ▁letter ▁dated ▁July ▁ 3 ▁( 1 5 ), ▁ 1 8 4