Count, Russian writer, corresponding member (1873), honorary academician (1900) of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Starting with the autobiographical trilogy “Childhood” (1852), “Adolescence” (1852 54), “Youth” (1855 57), the study of the “fluidity” of the inner world, the moral foundations of the individual became the main theme of Tolstoy’s works. A painful search for the meaning of life, a moral ideal, hidden general laws of existence, spiritual and social criticism, revealing the “untruth” of class relations, runs through all of his work. In the story “Cossacks” (1863), the hero, a young nobleman, seeks a way out by connecting with nature, with the natural and integral life of a common man. The epic "War and Peace" (1863 69) recreates the life of various layers of Russian society during the Patriotic War of 1812, the patriotic impulse of the people that united all classes and determined victory in the war with Napoleon. historical events and personal interests, the paths of spiritual self-determination of a reflective personality and the elements of Russian folk life with its “swarm” consciousness are shown as equivalent components of natural-historical existence. In the novel “Anna Karenina” (1873 77) about the tragedy of a woman in the power of destructive “criminal” passion Tolstoy exposes the false foundations of secular society, shows the collapse of the patriarchal structure, the destruction of family foundations. He contrasts the perception of the world by an individualistic and rationalistic consciousness with the intrinsic value of life as such in its infinity, uncontrollable variability and material concreteness (“the seer of the flesh” D. S. Merezhkovsky). Since the late 1870s, experiencing a spiritual crisis, later captured by the idea of ​​moral improvement and “simplification” (which gave rise to the “Tolstoyism” movement), Tolstoy came to an increasingly irreconcilable criticism of the social structure modern bureaucratic institutions, the state, the church (in 1901 he was excommunicated from the Orthodox Church ), civilization and culture, the entire way of life of the “educated classes”: the novel “Resurrection” (1889 99), the story “The Kreutzer Sonata” (1887 89), the dramas “The Living Corpse” (1900, published in 1911) and “ The Power of Darkness" (1887). At the same time, attention to the themes of death, sin, repentance and moral rebirth is increasing (the stories “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”, 1884 86; “Father Sergius”, 1890 98, published in 1912; “Hadji Murat”, 1896 1904, published . in 1912). Journalistic works of a moralizing nature, including “Confession” (1879 82), “What is my faith?” (1884), where the Christian teaching about love and forgiveness is transformed into a preaching of non-resistance to evil through violence. the desire to harmonize the way of thinking and life leads to Tolstoy leaving his home in Yasnaya Polyana; died at Astapovo station.

Biography

Born on August 28 (September 9 n.s.) in the Yasnaya Polyana estate, Tula province. By origin he belonged to the oldest aristocratic families in Russia. He received home education and upbringing.

After the death of his parents (his mother died in 1830, his father in 1837), the future writer with three brothers and a sister moved to Kazan, to live with his guardian P. Yushkova. As a sixteen-year-old boy, he entered Kazan University, first to the Faculty of Philosophy in the category of Arabic-Turkish Literature, then studied at the Faculty of Law (1844 47). In 1847, without completing the course, he left the university and settled in Yasnaya Polyana, which he received as property as his father's inheritance.

The future writer spent the next four years in search: he tried to reorganize the life of the peasants of Yasnaya Polyana (1847), lived a social life in Moscow (1848), took exams for the degree of candidate of law at St. Petersburg University (spring 1849), decided to serve as a clerical employee in the Tula Noble Society parliamentary meeting (autumn 1849).

In 1851 he left Yasnaya Polyana for the Caucasus, the place of service of his older brother Nikolai, and volunteered to take part in military operations against the Chechens. Episodes of the Caucasian War were described by him in the stories “Raid” (1853), “Cutting Wood” (1855), and in the story “Cossacks” (1852 63). Passed the cadet exam, preparing to become an officer. In 1854, being an artillery officer, he transferred to the Danube Army, which operated against the Turks.

In the Caucasus, Tolstoy began to seriously engage in literary creativity, writing the story "Childhood", which was approved by Nekrasov and published in the magazine "Sovremennik". Later the story “Adolescence” (1852 54) was published there.

Soon after the outbreak of the Crimean War, Tolstoy, at his personal request, was transferred to Sevastopol, where he participated in the defense of the besieged city, showing rare fearlessness. Awarded the Order of St. Anna with the inscription "For bravery" and medals "For the defense of Sevastopol". In "Sevastopol Stories" he created a mercilessly reliable picture of the war, which made a huge impression on Russian society. During these same years, he wrote the last part of the trilogy, “Youth” (1855 56), in which he declared himself not just a “poet of childhood,” but a researcher of human nature. This interest in man and the desire to understand the laws of mental and spiritual life will continue in his future work.

In 1855, having arrived in St. Petersburg, Tolstoy became close to the staff of the Sovremennik magazine and met Turgenev, Goncharov, Ostrovsky, and Chernyshevsky.

In the fall of 1856 he retired (“Military career is not mine...” he writes in his diary) and in 1857 he went on a six-month trip abroad to France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany.

In 1859 he opened a school for peasant children in Yasnaya Polyana, where he himself taught classes. Helped open more than 20 schools in surrounding villages. In order to study the organization of school affairs abroad, in 1860 1861 Tolstoy made a second trip to Europe, inspecting schools in France, Italy, Germany, and England. In London he met Herzen and attended a lecture by Dickens.

In May 1861 (the year of the abolition of serfdom) he returned to Yasnaya Polyana, took office as a peace mediator and actively defended the interests of the peasants, resolving their disputes with the landowners about land, for which the Tula nobility, dissatisfied with his actions, demanded his removal from office. In 1862, the Senate issued a decree dismissing Tolstoy. Secret surveillance of him began from Section III. In the summer, the gendarmes carried out a search in his absence, confident that they would find a secret printing house, which the writer allegedly acquired after meetings and long communications with Herzen in London.

In 1862, Tolstoy’s life and his way of life were streamlined for many years: he married the daughter of a Moscow doctor, Sofya Andreevna Bers, and patriarchal life began on his estate as the head of an ever-increasing family. The Tolstoys raised nine children.

The years 1860 and 1870 were marked by the publication of two works by Tolstoy, which immortalized his name: “War and Peace” (1863 69), “Anna Karenina” (1873 77).

In the early 1880s, the Tolstoy family moved to Moscow to educate their growing children. From this time on, Tolstoy spent winters in Moscow. Here in 1882 he took part in the census of the Moscow population and became closely acquainted with the life of the inhabitants of the city slums, which he described in the treatise “So what should we do?” (1882 86), and concluded: “...You can’t live like that, you can’t live like that, you can’t!”

Tolstoy expressed his new worldview in his work “Confession” (1879㭎), where he spoke about a revolution in his views, the meaning of which he saw in a break with the ideology of the noble class and a transition to the side of the “simple working people.” This turning point led Tolstoy to the denial of the state, the state-owned church and property. The awareness of the meaninglessness of life in the face of inevitable death led him to faith in God. He bases his teaching on the moral commandments of the New Testament: the demand for love for people and the preaching of non-resistance to evil through violence constitute the meaning of the so-called “Tolstoyism,” which is becoming popular not only in Russia, but also abroad.

During this period, he came to a complete denial of his previous literary activity, took up physical labor, plowed, sewed boots, and switched to vegetarian food. In 1891 he publicly renounced copyright ownership of all his works written after 1880.

Under the influence of friends and true admirers of his talent, as well as personal need for literary activity, Tolstoy changed his negative attitude towards art in the 1890s. During these years he created the drama "The Power of Darkness" (1886), the play "The Fruits of Enlightenment" (1886 90), and the novel "Resurrection" (1889 99).

In 1891, 1893, 1898 he participated in helping peasants in starving provinces and organized free canteens.

In the last decade, as always, I have been engaged in intense creative work. The story "Hadji Murat" (1896 1904), the drama "The Living Corpse" (1900), and the story "After the Ball" (1903) were written.

At the beginning of 1900, he wrote a number of articles exposing the entire system of public administration. The government of Nicholas II issued a resolution according to which the Holy Synod (the highest church institution in Russia) excommunicated Tolstoy from the church, which caused a wave of indignation in society.

In 1901, Tolstoy lived in Crimea, was treated after a serious illness, and often met with Chekhov and M. Gorky.

In the last years of his life, when Tolstoy was drawing up his will, he found himself at the center of intrigue and contention between the “Tolstoyites,” on the one hand, and his wife, who defended the well-being of her family and children, on the other. Trying to bring his lifestyle into line with his beliefs and being burdened by the lordly way of life on the estate. Tolstoy secretly left Yasnaya Polyana on November 10, 1910. The health of the 82-year-old writer could not withstand the journey. He caught a cold and, falling ill, died on November 20 on the way at the Astapovo Ryazans station of the Ko-Ural railway.

He was buried in Yasnaya Polyana.

Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy is one of the greatest novelists in the world. He is not only the world's greatest writer, but also a philosopher, religious thinker and educator. You will learn more about all this from this.

But what he really achieved success in was keeping a personal diary. This habit inspired him to write his novels and stories, and also allowed him to form most of his life goals and priorities.

An interesting fact is that this nuance of Tolstoy’s biography (keeping a diary) was a consequence of imitation of the great.

Hobbies and military service

Naturally, Leo Tolstoy had it. He loved music extremely much. His favorite composers were Bach, Handel and.

From his biography it is clear that sometimes he could play works by Chopin, Mendelssohn and Schumann on the piano for several hours in a row.

It is reliably known that Leo Tolstoy’s elder brother, Nikolai, had a great influence on him. He was a friend and mentor of the future writer.

It was Nikolai who invited his younger brother to join military service in the Caucasus. As a result, Leo Tolstoy became a cadet, and in 1854 he was transferred to, where he participated in the Crimean War until August 1855.

Creativity of Tolstoy

During his service, Lev Nikolaevich had quite a lot of free time. During this period, he wrote an autobiographical story “Childhood”, in which he masterfully described the memories of the first years of his life.

This work became an important event for the compilation of his biography.

After this, Leo Tolstoy writes the next story, “Cossacks,” in which he describes his army life in the Caucasus.

Work on this work continued until 1862, and was completed only after serving in the army.

An interesting fact is that Tolstoy did not stop his writing even while participating in the Crimean War.

During this period, the story “Adolescence”, which is a continuation of “Childhood,” as well as “Sevastopol Stories” came out from his pen.

After the end of the Crimean War, Tolstoy left service. Upon arrival home, he already has great fame in the literary field.

His outstanding contemporaries talk about a major acquisition for Russian literature in the person of Tolstoy.

While still young, Tolstoy was distinguished by arrogance and stubbornness, which is clearly visible in his. He refused to belong to one or another school of thought, and once publicly called himself an anarchist, after which he decided to leave for Russia in 1857.

He soon developed an interest in gambling. But it didn't last long. When he lost all his savings, he had to return home from Europe.

Leo Tolstoy in his youth

By the way, a passion for gambling is observed in the biographies of many writers.

Despite all the difficulties, he writes the last, third part of his autobiographical trilogy “Youth”. This happened in the same 1857.

Since 1862, Tolstoy began publishing the pedagogical magazine Yasnaya Polyana, where he himself was the main employee. However, not having the vocation of a publisher, Tolstoy managed to release only 12 issues.

Leo Tolstoy's family

On September 23, 1862, a sharp turn took place in Tolstoy’s biography: he married Sofya Andreevna Bers, who was the daughter of a doctor. From this marriage 9 sons and 4 daughters were born. Five of the thirteen children died in childhood.

When the wedding took place, Sofya Andreevna was only 18 years old, and Count Tolstoy was 34 years old. An interesting fact is that before his marriage, Tolstoy confessed to his future wife about his premarital affairs.

Leo Tolstoy with his wife Sofia Andreevna

For some time, the brightest period began in Tolstoy’s biography.

He is truly happy, largely thanks to the practicality of his wife, material wealth, outstanding literary creativity and, in connection with it, all-Russian and even worldwide fame.

In his wife, Tolstoy found an assistant in all matters, practical and literary. In the absence of the secretary, it was she who rewrote his drafts several times.

However, very soon their happiness is overshadowed by inevitable minor disagreements, fleeting quarrels and mutual misunderstandings, which only worsen over the years.

The fact is that for his family, Leo Tolstoy proposed a kind of “life plan”, according to which he intended to give part of the family income to the poor and schools.

He wanted to significantly simplify his family’s lifestyle (food and clothing), while he intended to sell and distribute “everything unnecessary”: pianos, furniture, carriages.

Tolstoy with his family at a tea table in the park, 1892, Yasnaya Polyana

Naturally, his wife, Sofya Andreevna, was clearly not happy with such an ambiguous plan. Because of this, their first serious conflict broke out, which served as the beginning of an “undeclared war” to ensure the future of their children.

In 1892, Tolstoy signed a separate deed and, not wanting to be the owner, transferred all the property to his wife and children.

It must be said that Tolstoy’s biography is in many ways unusually contradictory precisely because of his relationship with his wife, with whom he lived for 48 years.

Works of Tolstoy

Tolstoy is one of the most prolific writers. His works are large-scale not only in volume, but also in the meanings that he touches on in them.

Tolstoy's most popular works are War and Peace, Anna Karenina and Resurrection.

"War and Peace"

In the 1860s, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy and his entire family lived in Yasnaya Polyana. It was here that his most famous novel, War and Peace, was born.

Initially, part of the novel was published in “Russian Bulletin” under the title “1805”.

After 3 years, 3 more chapters appear, thanks to which the novel was completely finished. He was destined to become the most outstanding creative result in Tolstoy's biography.

Both critics and the public debated the work “War and Peace” for a long time. The subject of their disputes was the wars described in the book.

Thoughtful but still fictional characters were also hotly debated.

Tolstoy in 1868

The novel also became interesting because it presented 3 informative satirical essays about the laws of history.

Among all other ideas, Leo Tolstoy tried to convey to the reader that a person’s position in society and the meaning of his life are derivatives of his daily activities.

"Anna Karenina"

After Tolstoy wrote War and Peace, he began work on his second, no less famous novel, Anna Karenina.

The writer contributed many autobiographical essays to it. This can be easily seen by looking at the relationship between Kitty and Levin, the main characters in Anna Karenina.

The work was published in parts between 1873-1877, and was very highly appreciated by both critics and society. Many have noticed that Anna Karenina is practically an autobiography of Tolstoy, written in the third person.

For his next work, Lev Nikolaevich received fabulous fees for those times.

"Resurrection"

In the late 1880s, Tolstoy wrote the novel “Resurrection.” Its plot was based on a true court case. It is in “Resurrection” that the author’s sharp views on church rituals are clearly outlined.

By the way, this work became one of the reasons that led to a complete break between the Orthodox Church and Count Tolstoy.

Tolstoy and religion

Despite the fact that the works described above were a colossal success, it did not bring any joy to the writer.

He was depressed and experienced deep inner emptiness.

In this regard, the next stage in Tolstoy’s biography was a continuous, almost convulsive search for the meaning of life.

Initially, Lev Nikolaevich looked for answers to his questions in the Orthodox Church, but this did not bring him any results.

Over time, he began to criticize in every possible way both the Orthodox Church itself and the Christian religion in general. He began to publish his thoughts on these pressing issues in the publication “Mediator”.

His main position was that Christian teaching is good, but Jesus Christ himself seems to be unnecessary. That is why he decided to make his own translation of the Gospel.

In general, Tolstoy's religious views were extremely complex and confusing. It was some incredible mixture of Christianity and Buddhism, seasoned with various Eastern beliefs.

In 1901, the Holy Governing Synod issued a ruling on Count Leo Tolstoy.

This was a decree that officially announced that Leo Tolstoy was no longer a member of the Orthodox Church, since his publicly expressed beliefs were incompatible with such membership.

The definition of the Holy Synod is sometimes mistakenly interpreted as excommunication (anathema) of Tolstoy from the church.

Copyrights and conflict with my wife

In connection with his new convictions, Leo Tolstoy wanted to give away all his savings and give up his own property in favor of the poor. However, his wife, Sofya Andreevna, expressed a categorical protest in this regard.

In this regard, a major family crisis emerged in Tolstoy’s biography. When Sofya Andreevna found out that her husband had publicly renounced the copyright to all his works (which, in fact, was their main source of income), they began to have fierce conflicts.

From Tolstoy's diary:

“She does not understand, and the children do not understand, spending money, that everyone they live and make money from books is suffering, my shame. It may be a shame, but why weaken the effect that the preaching of the truth could have.”

Of course, it is not difficult to understand Lev Nikolaevich’s wife. After all, they had 9 children, whom he, by and large, left without a livelihood.

Pragmatic, rational and active Sofya Andreevna could not allow this to happen.

Ultimately, Tolstoy drew up a formal will, transferring the rights to his youngest daughter, Alexandra Lvovna, who fully sympathized with his views.

At the same time, an explanatory note was attached to the will that in fact these texts should not become anyone’s property, and V.G. would assume the authority to monitor the processes. Chertkov is a faithful follower and student of Tolstoy, who was supposed to take all the writer’s works, right down to the drafts.

Tolstoy's later work

Tolstoy's later works were realistic fiction, as well as stories filled with moral content.

In 1886, one of Tolstoy’s most famous stories appeared, “The Death of Ivan Ilyich.”

Its main character realizes that he wasted most of his life, and the realization came too late.

In 1898, Lev Nikolaevich wrote an equally famous work, “Father Sergius.” In it, he criticized his own beliefs that appeared to him after his spiritual rebirth.

The rest of the works are devoted to the theme of art. These include the play “The Living Corpse” (1890) and the brilliant story “Hadji Murat” (1904).

In 1903, Tolstoy wrote a short story called “After the Ball.” It was published only in 1911, after the death of the writer.

last years of life

The last years of his biography, Leo Tolstoy was better known as a religious leader and moral authority. His thoughts were aimed at resisting evil using a non-violent method.

During his lifetime, Tolstoy became an idol for the majority. However, despite all his achievements, there were serious flaws in his family life, which became especially aggravated in old age.

Leo Tolstoy with his grandchildren

The writer's wife, Sofya Andreevna, did not agree with her husband's views and disliked some of his followers who often came to Yasnaya Polyana.

She said: “How can you love humanity and hate those who are next to you.”

All this could not last long.

In the fall of 1910, Tolstoy, accompanied only by his doctor D.P. Makovitsky leaves Yasnaya Polyana forever. However, he did not have any specific plan of action.

Death of Tolstoy

However, on the way, L.N. Tolstoy felt unwell. First he caught a cold, and then the illness turned into pneumonia, due to which he had to interrupt the trip and take the sick Lev Nikolaevich out of the train at the first large station near the settlement.

This station was Astapovo (now Leo Tolstoy, Lipetsk region).

Rumors about the writer’s illness instantly spread throughout the entire surrounding area and far beyond its borders. Six doctors tried in vain to save the great old man: the disease progressed inexorably.

On November 7, 1910, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy died at the age of 83. He was buried in Yasnaya Polyana.

“I sincerely regret the death of the great writer, who, during the heyday of his talent, embodied in his works the images of one of the glorious times of Russian life. May the Lord God be his merciful judge.”

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The great Russian writer Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy is known for the authorship of many works, namely: War and Peace, Anna Karenina and others. The study of his biography and creativity continues to this day.

The philosopher and writer Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy was born into a noble family. As an inheritance from his father, he inherited the title of count. His life began on a large family estate in Yasnaya Polyana, Tula province, which left a significant imprint on his future fate.

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Life of L. N. Tolstoy

He was born on September 9, 1828. While still a child, Leo experienced many difficult moments in life. After his parents died, he and his sisters were raised by their aunt. After her death, when he was 13 years old, he had to move to Kazan to be under the care of a distant relative. Lev's primary education took place at home. At the age of 16 he entered the philological faculty of Kazan University. However, it was impossible to say that he was successful in his studies. This forced Tolstoy to transfer to an easier, law faculty. After 2 years, he returned to Yasnaya Polyana, having never fully mastered the granite of science.

Due to Tolstoy's changeable character, he tried himself in different industries, interests and priorities often changed. The work was interspersed with protracted sprees and revelry. During this period, they incurred a lot of debts, which they had to pay off for a long time. The only passion of Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, which remained stable throughout his life, was keeping a personal diary. From there he later drew the most interesting ideas for his works.

Tolstoy was partial to music. His favorite composers are Bach, Schumann, Chopin and Mozart. At a time when Tolstoy had not yet formed a main position regarding his future, he succumbed to his brother’s persuasion. At his instigation, he went to serve in the army as a cadet. During his service he was forced to participate in 1855.

Early works of L. N. Tolstoy

Being a cadet, he had enough free time to begin his creative activity. During this period, Lev began to study autobiographical history called Childhood. For the most part, it contained facts that happened to him when he was still a child. The story was sent for consideration to Sovremennik magazine. It was approved and released into circulation in 1852.

After the first publication, Tolstoy was noticed and began to be equated with significant personalities of that time, namely: I. Turgenev, I. Goncharov, A. Ostrovsky and others.

During those same army years, he began work on the story Cossacks, which he completed in 1862. The second work after Childhood was Adolescence, then Sevastopol Stories. He was engaged in them while participating in the Crimean battles.

Euro-trip

In 1856 L.N. Tolstoy left military service with the rank of lieutenant. I decided to travel for a while. First he went to St. Petersburg, where he was given a warm welcome. There he established friendly contacts with popular writers of that period: N. A. Nekrasov, I. S. Goncharov, I. I. Panaev and others. They showed genuine interest in him and took part in his fate. The Blizzard and Two Hussars were written at this time.

Having lived a cheerful and carefree life for 1 year, having ruined relations with many members of the literary circle, Tolstoy decides to leave this city. In 1857, his journey through Europe began.

Leo did not like Paris at all and left a heavy mark on his soul. From there he went to Lake Geneva. Having visited many countries, he returned to Russia with a load of negative emotions. Who and what amazed him so much? Most likely, this is too sharp a polarity between wealth and poverty, which was covered by the feigned splendor of European culture. And this could be seen everywhere.

L.N. Tolstoy writes the story Albert, continues to work on the Cossacks, wrote the story Three Deaths and Family Happiness. In 1859 he stopped collaborating with Sovremennik. At the same time, Tolstoy began to notice changes in his personal life, when he planned to marry the peasant woman Aksinya Bazykina.

After the death of his older brother, Tolstoy went on a trip to the south of France.

Homecoming

From 1853 to 1863 his literary activity was suspended due to his departure to his homeland. There he decided to start farming. At the same time, Lev himself carried out active educational activities among the village population. He created a school for peasant children and began teaching according to his own methods.

In 1862, he himself created a pedagogical magazine called Yasnaya Polyana. Under his leadership, 12 publications were published, which were not appreciated at the time. Their nature was as follows: he alternated theoretical articles with fables and stories for children of primary education level.

Six years from his life from 1863 to 1869, went to write the main masterpiece - War and Peace. Next on the list was the novel Anna Karenina. It took another 4 years. During this period, his worldview was fully formed and resulted in a movement called Tolstoyism. The foundations of this religious and philosophical movement are set out in the following works of Tolstoy:

• Confession.
• Kreutzer Sonata.
• A Study of Dogmatic Theology.
• About life.
• Christian teaching and others.

Main accent they focus on the moral dogmas of human nature and their improvement. He called for forgiveness of those who bring us harm and renunciation of violence when achieving our goals.

The flow of admirers of L.N. Tolstoy’s work did not stop coming to Yasnaya Polyana, looking for support and a mentor in him. In 1899, the novel Resurrection was published.

Social activity

Returning from Europe, he received an invitation to become the bailiff of the Krapivinsky district of the Tula province. He actively joined the active process of protecting the rights of the peasantry, often going against the tsar's decrees. This work broadened Leo's horizons. Closer encounter with peasant life, he began to better understand all the subtleties. The information received later helped him in his literary work.

Creativity flourishes

Before starting to write the novel War and Peace, Tolstoy began writing another novel, The Decembrists. Tolstoy returned to it several times, but was never able to complete it. In 1865, a small excerpt from War and Peace appeared in the Russian Bulletin. After 3 years, three more parts were released, and then all the rest. This created a real sensation in Russian and foreign literature. The novel describes in the most detailed way different segments of the population.

The writer's latest works include:

• stories Father Sergius;
• After the ball.
• Posthumous notes of Elder Fyodor Kuzmich.
• drama Living Corpse.

The character of his latest journalism can be traced conservative attitude. He harshly condemns the idle life of the upper strata, who do not think about the meaning of life. L.N. Tolstoy harshly criticized state dogmas, rejecting everything: science, art, court, and so on. The Synod itself reacted to such an attack and in 1901 Tolstoy was excommunicated from the church.

In 1910, Lev Nikolaevich left his family and fell ill on the way. He had to get off the train at the Astapovo station of the Ural Railway. He spent the last week of his life in the house of the local station master, where he died.

November 20 (November 7, old style) marks exactly one hundred years since the death of the Russian writer Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy.

The great Russian writer, playwright, publicist, Count Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy was born on September 9 (August 28, old style) 1828 in the Yasnaya Polyana estate of the Krapivensky district of the Tula province (now Shchekinsky district of the Tula region) into one of the most notable Russian noble families. He was the fourth child in the family. The future writer spent his childhood in Yasnaya Polyana. He was orphaned early, losing first his mother, who died when the boy was two years old, and then his father.

In 1837, the family moved from Yasnaya Polyana to Moscow. The guardian of the orphaned children was their aunt, their father’s sister Alexandra Ilyinichna Osten-Saken. In 1841, after her death, young Tolstoy with his sister and three brothers moved to Kazan, where another aunt lived, Pelageya Ilyinichna Yushkova, who became their guardian.

Tolstoy spent his youth in Kazan. In 1844, he entered Kazan University at the Department of Oriental Languages ​​of the Faculty of Philosophy, then transferred to the Faculty of Law, where he studied for less than two years: his studies did not arouse his interest and he indulged in secular entertainment. In the spring of 1847, disappointed in his university education, he submitted a request for dismissal from the university “due to poor health and domestic circumstances” and left for Yasnaya Polyana, which he received as property under the division of his father’s inheritance.

In Yasnaya Polyana, Tolstoy engaged in self-education; tried to reorganize the life of the peasants, however, disappointed by the unsuccessful management experience, in the fall of 1847 he first went to Moscow, where he led a social life, and in the spring of 1849 he went to St. Petersburg to take exams at the university for the degree of candidate of law. His lifestyle during this period often changed: either he was preparing and passing exams, then he was passionately devoted to music, then he intended to begin an official career, having decided in the fall of 1849 to serve as a clerical employee in the Tula Noble Deputy Assembly, then he dreamed of joining a horse guards regiment as a cadet. Tolstoy's religious sentiments during this period, reaching the point of asceticism, alternated with revelry, cards, and trips to the gypsies. In the family he was considered “the most trifling fellow,” and he was able to repay the debts he incurred then only many years later. However, it was during these years that he developed a serious desire to write and his first unfinished artistic sketches appeared.

In the spring of 1851, on the advice of his older brother Nikolai, Lev Nikolaevich entered military service in the Caucasus. In the fall of 1851, he became a cadet of the 4th battery of the 20th artillery brigade, and then, having passed the junior officer rank exam, became an officer.

In 1851-1853, Tolstoy took part in military operations in the Caucasus (first as a volunteer, then as an artillery officer), and in 1854 he went to the Danube Army. Soon after the start of the Crimean War, at his personal request, he was transferred to Sevastopol.

From November 1854 to August 1855 he took part in the defense of Sevastopol (in the besieged city he fought on the famous 4th bastion). He was awarded the Order of Anna and medals “For the Defense of Sevastopol” and “In Memory of the War of 1853-1856.” More than once he was nominated for the military Cross of St. George, but he never received the “St. George”.

The writer's impressions of the Caucasian War were reflected in the stories "Raid" (1853), "Cutting Wood" (1855), "Demoted" (1856), in the story "Cossacks" (1852 -1863), artistic essays "Sevastopol in December" (1855 ), "Sevastopol in May" (1855) and "Sevastopol in August 1855" (1856). These essays, called “Sevastopol Stories,” made a huge impression on Russian society. In the Caucasus, the story “Childhood” was completed, which was published under the title “The History of My Childhood” in the magazine “Sovremennik” in 1852 and brought Tolstoy great success and fame as one of the most talented Russian writers. Two years later, a continuation appeared in Sovremennik - the story "Adolescence", and in 1857 the story "Youth" was published.

In November 1855, Tolstoy arrived in St. Petersburg and immediately joined the Sovremennik circle (Nikolai Nekrasov, Ivan Turgenev, Alexey Ostrovsky, Ivan Goncharov, etc.).

In the fall of 1856, Leo Tolstoy, having retired with the rank of lieutenant, left for Yasnaya Polyana, and at the beginning of 1857 he went abroad. He visited France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany (Swiss impressions are reflected in the story “Lucerne”), in the fall he returned to Moscow, then to Yasnaya Polyana, where he began improving schools.

In 1859, he opened a school for peasant children in Yasnaya Polyana, and then helped open more than 20 schools in the surrounding villages. To direct their activities along the right path, from his point of view, he published the pedagogical magazine Yasnaya Polyana (1862). Tolstoy wrote eleven articles about school and pedagogy (“On Public Education”, “Upbringing and Education”, “On Social Activities in the Field of Public Education”, etc.).

In order to study the organization of school affairs in foreign countries, the writer went abroad for the second time in 1860.

In May 1861 (the year of the abolition of serfdom) he returned to Yasnaya Polyana, where, having accepted the position of peace mediator, he actively defended the interests of the peasants, resolving their disputes with the landowners about land. Soon the Tula nobility, dissatisfied with his actions, demanded his removal from office, and in 1862 the Senate issued a decree dismissing Tolstoy. Secret surveillance of him began from Section III.

In the summer of 1862, after a police search, Tolstoy had to close the Yasnaya Polyana school and stop publishing a pedagogical magazine. The reason was the authorities' suspicions that students teaching at the school were engaged in anti-government activities.

In September 1862, Tolstoy married the daughter of a Moscow doctor, Sofya Andreevna Bers, and immediately after the wedding, he took his wife from Moscow to Yasnaya Polyana, where he devoted himself entirely to family life and household concerns. During their 17 years of marriage, they had 13 children.

From the autumn of 1863 to 1869, Leo Tolstoy worked on the novel War and Peace.

In the early 1870s, the writer was again fascinated by pedagogy and he created “ABC” and “New ABC” and compiled a “Book for Reading”, where he included many of his stories.

In the spring of 1873, Tolstoy began and four years later finished work on a great novel about modernity, calling it after the name of the main character - Anna Karenina.

The spiritual crisis experienced by Tolstoy in the late 1870s and early 1880s culminated in a turning point in his worldview. In "Confession" (1879-1882), the writer talks about a revolution in his views, the meaning of which he saw in a break with the ideology of the noble class and a transition to the side of the "simple working people."

In the early 1880s, the Tolstoy family moved to Moscow to educate their growing children. From this time on, Tolstoy spent winters in Moscow.

In the 1880s, Tolstoy's stories "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" and "Kholstomer" ("The Story of a Horse"), "The Kreutzer Sonata", the story "The Devil", the story "Father Sergius" appeared.

In 1882, he took part in the census of the Moscow population and became closely acquainted with the life of the inhabitants of the city slums, which he described in the treatise “So what should we do?” (1882-1886).

In simplification, in likening himself to people from the people, Tolstoy saw the purpose and duty of nobles, intellectuals - everyone who is part of the privileged classes. During this period, the writer comes to a complete denial of his previous literary activity, engages in physical labor, plows, sews boots, and switches to vegetarian food.

In the 1880s, a conflict arose between Tolstoy and Sofya Andreevna over property and income from publishing the writer’s works. On May 21, 1883, he granted his wife full power of attorney to manage all property affairs, and two years later he divided all his property between his wife, sons and daughters. He wanted to distribute all his property to the needy, but he was stopped by his wife’s threat to declare him crazy and establish guardianship over him. Sofya Andreevna defended the interests and well-being of the family and children. Tolstoy granted all publishers the right to freely publish all his works published after 1881 (Tolstoy considered this year to be the year of his own moral turning point). But Sofya Andreevna demanded the privilege for herself to publish her husband’s collected works. In the relationship between Tolstoy and his wife and sons, mutual alienation is growing.

The writer’s new worldview is also reflected in his articles “On the census in Moscow”, “On hunger”, “What is art?”, “Slavery of our time”, “On Shakespeare and drama”, “I cannot remain silent”. In these and subsequent years, Tolstoy also wrote religious and philosophical works: “Criticism of Dogmatic Theology”, “What is My Faith?”, “Connection, Translation and Study of the Four Gospels”, “The Kingdom of God is Within You”. In them, the writer not only showed a change in his religious and moral views, but also subjected to a critical revision of the main dogmas and principles of the teaching of the official church.

Social, religious and philosophical quests led Tolstoy to the creation of his own religious and philosophical system (Tolstoyism). Tolstoy preached in his life and works of art the need for moral improvement, universal love, non-resistance to evil through violence, for which he was attacked both by revolutionary democratic figures and by the church. At the beginning of 1900, he wrote a series of articles exposing the entire system of public administration. The government of Nicholas II issues a resolution according to which the Holy Synod (the highest church institution in Russia) in February 1901 excommunicates Tolstoy from the Orthodox Church as a “heretic.”

In 1901, the writer lived in Crimea, recovering from a serious illness.

In the last decade of his life, he wrote the story "Hadji Murat", the plays "The Living Corpse", "The Power of Darkness", "The Fruits of Enlightenment", the stories "After the Ball", "For What?", and the novel "Sunday".

In the last years of his life, Tolstoy found himself at the center of intrigue and contention between the “Tolstoyites,” on the one hand, and his wife, who defended the well-being of her family and children, on the other.

On July 22, 1910, Tolstoy drew up a will in which he granted all publishers the right to publish his works - both those written after 1881 and earlier. The new will strained relations with his wife.

On November 10 (October 28, old style), 1910, at five o’clock in the morning, Leo Tolstoy, accompanied only by his personal physician Dushan Makovitsky, left Yasnaya Polyana secretly from his family. On the way, Tolstoy fell ill, his temperature rose and he was forced to get off the train en route to Rostov-on-Don. At the small Astapovo railway station of the Ryazan-Ural Railway, in the house of the station master, the writer spent the last seven days of his life. Doctors diagnosed pneumonia.

On November 20 (November 7, old style), 1910, at Astapovo station (now Lev Tolstoy station), Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy died. His funeral in Yasnaya Polyana became a nationwide event.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources