Thread: Proper nouns in Dostoevsky's works

Here's the opening of Dostoevsky's "Преступление и Наказание":
В начале июля, в чрезвычайно жаркое время, под вечер, один молодой человек вышел из своей каморки, которую нанимал от жильцов в С — м переулке, на улицу и медленно, как бы в нерешимости, отправился к К — ну мосту.
Why is it that he doesn't spell the names of places completely? [в С-м переулке; к К-ну мосту]
My first guess was that it's because these details are rather marginal, but then I remembered that in "Идиот" there is a personage who takes part in many conversations, and is always referred to as "Князь Щ".
Any ideas?
Is it only Dostoevsky's style, or something of a Russian literary tradition?

Originally Posted by Misha Tal

Is it only Dostoevsky's style, or something of a Russian literary tradition?

It's a kind of old-fashioned tradition from 19th century. And I think it is not only Russian. Something like in a memoirs or clinical description in a medical journal - makes a feeling like if it was really happened.