Where was Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich born? Lev Tolstoy. Literary and social activities
Be one of best writers world history is an honorable right, and Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy deserved it, leaving behind a huge creative heritage. The stories, tales, novels, which are presented in a whole series of volumes, were appreciated not only by the writer’s contemporaries, but also by his descendants. What is the secret of this brilliant author, who was able to fit “” into his life?
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The writer's childhood
Where was the future fiction writer born? Master of the pen was born in 1828 September 9 on his mother's estate Yasnaya Polyana, located in Tula province. Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy's family was large. Father had count's title , and the mother was born Princess Volkonskaya. When he was two years old, his mother died, and 7 years later, his father died.
Leo was the fourth child in noble family, so he was not deprived of the attention of his relatives. Literary genius I never thought about my losses with heartache. On the contrary, only warm memories of his childhood were preserved, because his mother and father were very affectionate with him. IN work of the same name the author idealizes his childhood years and writes that it was the most wonderful time of his life.
The little count received his education at home, where he was invited French and German teachers. After leaving school, Lev was fluent in three languages and also had extensive knowledge of different areas. In addition, the young man was fond of musical creativity, could play works by his favorite composers for a long time: Schumann, Bach, Chopin and Mozart.
Early years
In 1843, the young man became student at the Imperial Kazan University, chooses the Faculty of Oriental Languages, however, later changes his specialty due to low academic performance and begins to study law. Unable to complete the course. The young count returns to his estate in order to become a real farmer.
But here, too, failure awaits him: frequent travel completely distracts the owner from the important affairs of the estate. Keeping your diary- the only activity that was done with amazing scrupulousness: a habit that lasted a lifetime and became the foundation of most future works.
Important! The unfortunate student did not remain inactive for long. Having allowed himself to be persuaded by his brother, he went to serve as a cadet in the south, after which, after spending some time in the Caucasus mountains, he received a transfer to Sevastopol. There, from November 1854 to August 1855, the young count participated in.
Early creativity
The rich experience gained on the battlefields, as well as in the era of the Junkers, pushed the future writer to create the first literary works
. Even during his years of service as a cadet, having a lot of free time, the count begins to work on his first autobiographical story "Childhood".
Natural observation and a special flair were clearly reflected in the style: the author wrote about what was close and understandable not only to him. Life and creativity merge into one.
In the story “Childhood” every boy or young man would recognize himself. The story was originally a short story and was published in a magazine "Contemporary" in 1852. It is noteworthy that already the first story was excellently received by critics, and the young writer was compared to Turgenev, Ostrovsky and Goncharov, which was already a real recognition. All these masters of words were already quite famous and loved by the people.
What works did Leo Tolstoy write at that time?
The young count, feeling that he has finally found his calling, continues his work. From his pen one after another comes brilliant stories, tales that instantly become popular thanks to their originality and stunning realistic approach to reality: “Cossacks” (1852), “Adolescence” (1854), “Sevastopol Stories” (1854 – 1855), "Youth" (1857).
IN literary world rushes in quickly new writer Lev Tolstoy, which amazes the reader with detailed details, does not hide the truth and uses a new writing technique: the second collection « Sevastopol stories» written from the point of view of the soldiers to bring the narrative even closer to the reader. The young author is not afraid to write openly and frankly about the horrors and contradictions of war. The characters are not heroes from paintings and canvases by artists, but simple people who are capable of performing real feats to save the lives of others.
Belong to anything literary movement or to be a supporter of a specific philosophical school, Lev Nikolaevich refused, declaring himself anarchist. Later, the master of words, in the course of a religious search, would take the right path, but for now the whole world lay before the young, successful genius, and he did not want to be one of many.
Family status
Tolstoy returns to Russia, where he lived and was born, after a riotous trip to Paris without a single penny in his pocket. took place here marriage to Sofya Andreevna Bers, daughter of a doctor. This woman was main companion in life Tolstoy, became his support until the very end.
Sophia expressed her readiness to be a secretary, wife, mother of his children, girlfriend and even a cleaner, although the estate for which the servants were business as usual, was always kept in exemplary order.
The title of count constantly obliged household members to maintain a certain status. Over time, the husband and wife diverged in religious views: Sophia did not understand and did not accept the attempts of her loved one to create her own philosophical creed and follow it.
Attention! Only eldest daughter writer Alexandra supported her father’s endeavors: in 1910 they made a pilgrimage trip together. The other children adored Dad as a great storyteller, albeit a rather strict parent.
According to the recollections of descendants, the father could scold the little dirty trickster, but after a moment he would sit him on his lap and feel sorry for him, making up an amusing story as he went. In the literary arsenal of the famous realist there are many children's works recommended for study in preschool and junior school age- This “Book to read” and “ABC”. The first work contains stories by L.N. Tolstoy for the 4th grade of the school, which was organized on the Yasnaya Polyana estate.
How many children did Lev and Sophia have? A total of 13 children were born, three of whom died in infancy.
Maturity and creative flowering of a writer
From the age of thirty-two, Tolstoy began work on his main work - the epic novel. The first part was published in 1865 in the magazine "Russian Messenger", and in 1869 the final edition of the epic was published. Most of The 1860s was dedicated to this monumental work, which the count repeatedly rewrote, corrected, supplemented, and at the end of his life he was so tired of it that he called it “War and Peace” - “ verbose rubbish" The novel was written in Yasnaya Polyana.
The work, four volumes long, turned out to be truly unique. What advantages does it have? This is first of all:
- historical veracity;
- the action in the novel is both realistic and fictional characters, the number of which exceeded a thousand according to the calculations of philologists;
- interspersing into the outline of the plot three historical essays on the laws of history; accuracy in describing life and everyday life.
This is the basis of the novel - a person’s path, his position and the meaning of life are formed precisely from these everyday actions.
After the success of the military-historical epic, the author begins to work on a novel "Anna Karenina", taking much from his autobiography as a basis. In particular, the relationship between Kitty and Levina- these are partial memories of the life of the author himself with his wife Sophia, a certain short biography writer, as well as a reflection of the outline of real events of the Russian-Turkish war.
The novel was published in 1875 - 1877, and almost immediately became the most discussed literary event of that time. Anna's story, written with amazing warmth and attention to female psychology, created a sensation. Before him, only Ostrovsky in his poems addressed female soul And revealed the rich inner world the beautiful half of humanity. Naturally, high fees for the work were not long in coming, because everyone educated person I read Tolstoy's Karenina. After the release this is enough secular novel, the author was not happy at all, but was in constant mental torment.
Change of worldview and later literary successes
Many years of life were devoted searching for the meaning of life, which led the writer to Orthodox faith, however, this step only confuses the graph. Lev Nikolaevich sees corruption in the church diaspora, complete subordination to personal convictions, which does not correspond to the doctrine that his soul longed for.
Attention! Leo Tolstoy becomes an apostate and even publishes an accusatory magazine “Mediator” (1883), because of which he is excommunicated from the church and accused of “heresy.”
However, Leo does not stop there and tries to follow the path of purification, taking quite bold steps. For example, gives away all his property to the poor, which Sofya Andreevna categorically opposed. The husband reluctantly transferred all the property to her and gave away the copyrights to the works, but still did not give up the search for his destiny.
This period of creativity is characterized huge religious upsurge- treatises are created and moral stories. What works with religious overtones did the author write? Among the most successful work between 1880 and 1990 there were:
- the story “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” (1886), which describes a man near death who is trying to understand and comprehend his “empty” life;
- the story “Father Sergius” (1898), aimed at criticizing his own religious quests;
- the novel “Resurrection”, which tells about the moral pain of Katyusha Maslova and the ways of her moral purification.
Completion of life's journey
Having written many works during his life, the count appeared to his contemporaries and descendants as a strong religious leader and spiritual mentor, such as Mahatma Gandhi, with whom he corresponded. The writer’s life and work are permeated by the idea of what is necessary resist evil every hour with all the strength of your soul, while demonstrating humility and saving thousands of lives. The master of words became a real teacher among lost souls. Entire pilgrimage trips were organized to the Yasnaya Polyana estate; students of the great Tolstoy came to “get to know themselves,” spending hours on end listening to their ideological guru, whom the writer became in his declining years.
The author-mentor accepted everyone who came with problems, questions and aspirations of the soul, and was ready to give away his savings and shelter wanderers for any period of time. Unfortunately, this increased the degree of tension in relations with his wife Sophia and, in the end, resulted in the great realist's reluctance to live in his own house. Together with his daughter, Lev Nikolaevich went on a pilgrimage around Russia, wanting to travel incognito, but often this was to no avail - they were recognized everywhere.
Where did Lev Nikolaevich die? November 1910 was fatal for the writer: already sick, he stayed in the house of the head of the railway station, where he died on November 20. Lev Nikolaevich was a real idol. During the funeral of this, truly, people's writer, according to the recollections of contemporaries, people cried bitterly and followed the coffin in a crowd of thousands. There were so many people, as if they were burying a king.
Brief biography of L. N. Tolstoy
Lev Tolstoy. Short biography.
Conclusion
The story about the life and work of Leo Tolstoy can be continued endlessly; many monographs have been written about this. The writer's novels still remain the standard literary art, and the military epic “War and Peace” was included in the gold collection greatest works peace. Lev Nikolaevich became the first writer who drew attention to the depths of the human subconscious, unconscious and subtle motives of character, as well as the great role of everyday life, which determines the entire essence of the individual.
Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy - a great Russian writer, by birth - a count from the famous noble family. He was born on August 28, 1828 in the Yasnaya Polyana estate located in the Tula province, and died on October 7, 1910 at the Astapovo station.
The writer's childhood
Lev Nikolaevich was a representative of a large noble family, the fourth child in it. His mother, Princess Volkonskaya, died early. At this time, Tolstoy was not yet two years old, but he formed an idea of his parent from the stories of various family members. In the novel "War and Peace" the image of the mother is represented by Princess Marya Nikolaevna Bolkonskaya.
Biography of Leo Tolstoy early years marked by another death. Because of her, the boy became an orphan. Leo Tolstoy's father, a participant in the War of 1812, like his mother, died early. This happened in 1837. At that time the boy was only nine years old. Leo Tolstoy's brothers, he and his sister, were entrusted to the upbringing of T. A. Ergolskaya, a distant relative who had enormous influence on the future writer. Childhood memories have always been the happiest for Lev Nikolaevich: family legends and impressions of life in the estate became rich material for his works, reflected, in particular, in the autobiographical story “Childhood”.
Study at Kazan University
Biography of Leo Tolstoy early years marked as such important event like studying at a university. When the future writer turned thirteen years old, his family moved to Kazan, to the house of the children’s guardian, a relative of Lev Nikolaevich P.I. Yushkova. In 1844 future writer was enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy of Kazan University, after which he transferred to the Faculty of Law, where he studied for about two years: study did not arouse keen interest in the young man, so he devoted himself with passion to various social entertainment. Having submitted his resignation in the spring of 1847, due to poor health and “domestic circumstances,” Lev Nikolaevich went to Yasnaya Polyana with the intention of studying full course legal sciences and pass an external exam, as well as learn languages, " practical medicine", history, Agriculture, geographical statistics, study painting, music and write a dissertation.
Years of youth
In the fall of 1847, Tolstoy left for Moscow and then to St. Petersburg in order to pass candidate exams at the university. During this period, his lifestyle often changed: he spent his days teaching various items, then devoted himself to music, but wanted to start a career as an official, then dreamed of joining a regiment as a cadet. Religious sentiments that reached the point of asceticism alternated with cards, carousing, and trips to the gypsies. The biography of Leo Tolstoy in his youth is colored by the struggle with himself and introspection, reflected in the diary that the writer kept throughout his life. During the same period, interest in literature arose, and the first artistic sketches appeared.
Participation in the war
In 1851, Nikolai, Lev Nikolayevich’s older brother, an officer, persuaded Tolstoy to go to the Caucasus with him. Lev Nikolaevich lived for almost three years on the banks of the Terek, in a Cossack village, traveling to Vladikavkaz, Tiflis, Kizlyar, participating in hostilities (as a volunteer, and then was recruited). The patriarchal simplicity of the life of the Cossacks and the Caucasian nature struck the writer with their contrast with the painful reflection of representatives of educated society and the life of the noble circle, and provided extensive material for the story “Cossacks,” written in the period from 1852 to 1863 on autobiographical material. The stories “Raid” (1853) and “Cutting Wood” (1855) also reflected his Caucasian impressions. They also left a mark in his story “Hadji Murat,” written between 1896 and 1904, published in 1912.
Returning to his homeland, Lev Nikolayevich wrote in his diary that he really fell in love with this wild land, in which “war and freedom,” things so opposite in their essence, are combined. Tolstoy began to create his story “Childhood” in the Caucasus and anonymously sent it to the magazine “Sovremennik”. This work appeared on its pages in 1852 under the initials L.N. and, along with the later “Adolescence” (1852-1854) and “Youth” (1855-1857), constituted the famous autobiographical trilogy. His creative debut immediately brought real recognition to Tolstoy.
Crimean campaign
In 1854, the writer went to Bucharest, to the Danube Army, where the work and biography of Leo Tolstoy received further development. However, soon a boring staff life forced him to transfer to besieged Sevastopol, to the Crimean Army, where he was a battery commander, showing courage (awarded with medals and the Order of St. Anne). During this period, Lev Nikolaevich was captured by new literary plans and impressions. He began to write "Sevastopol stories" that had big success. Some ideas that arose even at that time allow one to guess in the artillery officer Tolstoy the preacher later years: he dreamed of a new “religion of Christ,” purified of mystery and faith, a “practical religion.”
In St. Petersburg and abroad
Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy arrived in St. Petersburg in November 1855 and immediately became a member of the Sovremennik circle (which included N. A. Nekrasov, A. N. Ostrovsky, I. S. Turgenev, I. A. Goncharov and others). He took part in the creation of the Literary Fund at that time, and at the same time became involved in conflicts and disputes among writers, but he felt like a stranger in this environment, which he conveyed in “Confession” (1879-1882). Having retired, in the fall of 1856 the writer left for Yasnaya Polyana, and then, at the beginning of the next year, 1857, he went abroad, visiting Italy, France, Switzerland (impressions from visiting this country are described in the story “Lucerne”), and also visited Germany. In the same year in the fall, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy returned first to Moscow and then to Yasnaya Polyana.
Opening of a public school
In 1859, Tolstoy opened a school for peasant children in the village, and also helped organize more than twenty similar educational institutions in the Krasnaya Polyana area. In order to get acquainted with the European experience in this area and apply it in practice, the writer Leo Tolstoy again went abroad, visited London (where he met with A.I. Herzen), Germany, Switzerland, France, and Belgium. However, European schools somewhat disappoint him, and he decides to create his own pedagogical system, based on personal freedom, publishes teaching aids and works on pedagogy, applies them in practice.
"War and Peace"
Lev Nikolaevich in September 1862 married Sofya Andreevna Bers, the 18-year-old daughter of a doctor, and immediately after the wedding he left Moscow for Yasnaya Polyana, where he devoted himself entirely to household concerns and family life. However, already in 1863, he was again captured by a literary idea, this time creating a novel about the war, which was supposed to reflect Russian history. Leo Tolstoy was interested in the period of our country's struggle with Napoleon at the beginning of the 19th century.
In 1865, the first part of the work “War and Peace” was published in the Russian Bulletin. The novel immediately evoked many responses. Subsequent parts provoked heated debate, in particular, the fatalistic philosophy of history developed by Tolstoy.
"Anna Karenina"
This work was created in the period from 1873 to 1877. Living in Yasnaya Polyana, continuing to teach peasant children and publish his pedagogical views, Lev Nikolaevich in the 70s worked on a work about the life of his contemporary high society, building his novel on the contrast of two storylines: family drama Anna Karenina and the home idyll of Konstantin Levin, close and psychological drawing, both in convictions and in the way of life of the writer himself.
Tolstoy strove for an externally non-judgmental tone of his work, thereby paving the way for the new style of the 80s, in particular folk stories. The truth of peasant life and the meaning of existence of representatives of the “educated class” - these are the range of questions that interested the writer. “Family thought” (according to Tolstoy, the main one in the novel) is translated into a social channel in his work, and Levin’s self-exposures, numerous and merciless, his thoughts about suicide are an illustration of what he experienced in the 1880s spiritual crisis author, which matured while working on this novel.
1880s
In the 1880s, Leo Tolstoy's work underwent a transformation. The revolution in the writer’s consciousness was reflected in his works, primarily in the experiences of the characters, in the spiritual insight that changes their lives. Such heroes occupy a central place in such works as “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” (years of creation - 1884-1886), “The Kreutzer Sonata” (a story written in 1887-1889), “Father Sergius” (1890-1898), drama "The Living Corpse" (left unfinished, begun in 1900), as well as the story "After the Ball" (1903).
Tolstoy's journalism
Tolstoy’s journalism reflects his spiritual drama: depicting pictures of the idleness of the intelligentsia and social inequality, Lev Nikolayevich posed questions of faith and life to society and himself, criticized the institutions of the state, going so far as to deny art, science, marriage, court, and the achievements of civilization.
The new worldview is presented in “Confession” (1884), in the articles “So what should we do?”, “On hunger”, “What is art?”, “I cannot remain silent” and others. The ethical ideas of Christianity are understood in these works as the foundation of the brotherhood of man.
As part of a new worldview and a humanistic understanding of the teachings of Christ, Lev Nikolaevich spoke out, in particular, against the dogma of the church and criticized its rapprochement with the state, which led to him being officially excommunicated from the church in 1901. This caused a huge resonance.
Novel "Sunday"
Mine last novel Tolstoy wrote between 1889 and 1899. It embodies the entire range of problems that worried the writer during the years of his spiritual turning point. Dmitry Nekhlyudov, main character, is a person internally close to Tolstoy, who goes through the path of moral purification in the work, ultimately leading him to comprehend the need for active good. The novel is built on a system of evaluative oppositions that reveal the unreasonable structure of society (the deceit of the social world and the beauty of nature, the falsehood of the educated population and the truth of the peasant world).
last years of life
The life of Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy in recent years was not easy. The spiritual turning point turned into a break with one’s environment and family discord. The refusal to own private property, for example, caused discontent among the writer’s family members, especially his wife. The personal drama experienced by Lev Nikolaevich was reflected in his diary entries.
In the fall of 1910, at night, secretly from everyone, 82-year-old Leo Tolstoy, whose life dates were presented in this article, accompanied only by his attending physician D.P. Makovitsky, left the estate. The journey turned out to be too much for him: on the way, the writer fell ill and was forced to disembark at the Astapovo railway station. Lev Nikolaevich spent the last week of his life in a house that belonged to her boss. The whole country was following reports about his health at that time. Tolstoy was buried in Yasnaya Polyana; his death caused a huge public outcry.
Many contemporaries came to say goodbye to this great Russian writer.
Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich (28.08. (09.09.) 1828 - 07 (20).11.1910)
Russian writer, philosopher. Born in Yasnaya Polyana, Tula province, into a wealthy aristocratic family. He entered Kazan University, but then left it. At the age of 23 he went to war with Chechnya and Dagestan. Here he began to write the trilogy “Childhood”, “Adolescence”, “Youth”.
In the Caucasus he took part in hostilities as an artillery officer. During the Crimean War he went to Sevastopol, where he continued to fight. After the end of the war, he went to St. Petersburg and published “Sevastopol Stories” in the Sovremennik magazine, which clearly reflected his outstanding writing talent. In 1857, Tolstoy went on a trip to Europe, which disappointed him.
From 1853 to 1863 wrote the story “Cossacks”, after which he decided to interrupt literary activity and become a landowner, doing educational work in the village. For this purpose, he went to Yasnaya Polyana, where he opened a school for peasant children and created his own pedagogy system.
In 1863-1869. wrote his fundamental work “War and Peace”. In 1873-1877. created the novel Anna Karenina. During these same years, the writer’s worldview, known as Tolstoyism, was fully formed, the essence of which is visible in the works: “Confession”, “What is my faith?”, “The Kreutzer Sonata”.
The doctrine is set forth in the philosophical and religious works “Research dogmatic theology", "Connection and translation of the four Gospels", where the main emphasis is on the moral improvement of man, the exposure of evil, and non-resistance to evil through violence.
Later, a duology was published: the drama “The Power of Darkness” and the comedy “The Fruits of Enlightenment,” then a series of stories and parables about the laws of existence.
Admirers of the writer’s work came to Yasnaya Polyana from all over Russia and the world, whom they treated as a spiritual mentor. In 1899, the novel “Resurrection” was published.
The writer's latest works are the stories "Father Sergius", "After the Ball", "Posthumous Notes of Elder Fyodor Kuzmich" and the drama "The Living Corpse".
Tolstoy's confessional journalism gives a detailed idea of his spiritual drama: painting pictures social inequality and the idleness of the educated classes, Tolstoy harshly posed questions of the meaning of life and faith to society, criticized everything state institutions, going so far as to deny science, art, court, marriage, and the achievements of civilization. Tolstoy's social declaration is based on the idea of Christianity as a moral teaching, and he interpreted the ethical ideas of Christianity in a humanistic manner, as the basis of the universal brotherhood of man. In 1901, the reaction of the Synod followed: the world famous writer was officially excommunicated from the church, which caused a huge public outcry.
On October 28, 1910, Tolstoy secretly left Yasnaya Polyana from his family, fell ill on the way and was forced to get off the train at the small Astapovo Ryazan-Uralskaya railway station railway. Here, in the station master's house, he spent the last seven days of his life.
In 1828, on August 26, in the Yasnaya Polyana estate, the future great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy was born. The family was well-born - his ancestor was a noble nobleman who received the title of count for his services to Tsar Peter. The mother was from the ancient noble family of the Volkonskys. Belonging to a privileged layer of society influenced the behavior and thoughts of the writer throughout his life. A brief biography of Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich does not fully reveal the entire history of the ancient family.
Serene life in Yasnaya Polyana
The writer's childhood was quite prosperous, despite the fact that he lost his mother early. Thanks to family stories, he preserved her bright image in his memory. A short biography of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy indicates that his father was the embodiment of beauty and strength for the writer. He instilled in the boy a love of hound hunting, which was later described in detail in the novel War and Peace.
He also had a close relationship with his older brother Nikolenka - he taught little Levushka different games and told him interesting stories. Tolstoy's first story - "Childhood" - contains a lot of autobiographical memories about the childhood years of the writer himself.
Youth
A serene, joyful stay in Yasnaya Polyana was interrupted due to the death of his father. In 1837, the family was taken under the care of an aunt. In this city, according to a short biography of Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, the writer spent his youth. Here he entered the university in 1844 - first at the Faculty of Philosophy and then at the Faculty of Law. True, studies attracted him little; the student preferred various amusements and revelries.
In this biography of Tolstoy, Lev Nikolaevich characterizes him as a person who disdainfully treated people of the lower, non-aristocratic class. He denied history as a science - in his eyes it had no practical use. The writer retained the sharpness of his judgments throughout his life.
As a landowner
In 1847, without graduating from university, Tolstoy decides to return to Yasnaya Polyana and try to improve the life of his serfs. Reality sharply diverged from the writer’s ideas. The peasants did not understand the master’s intentions, and a short biography of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy describes his management experience as unsuccessful (the writer shared it in his story “The Morning of the Landowner”), as a result of which he leaves his estate.
The path to becoming a writer
The next few years spent in St. Petersburg and Moscow were not in vain for the future great prose writer. From 1847 to 1852, diaries were kept in which Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy carefully verified all his thoughts and reflections. A short biography tells that during his service in the Caucasus, work was being carried out in parallel on the story “Childhood”, which will be published a little later in the magazine “Sovremennik”. This marked the beginning of further creative path great Russian writer.
Ahead of the writer lies the creation of his great works "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina", but for now he is honing his style, publishing in Sovremennik and basking in favorable reviews from critics.
Later years of creativity
In 1855, Tolstoy came to St. Petersburg for a short time, but literally a couple of months later he left it and settled in Yasnaya Polyana, opening a school there for peasant children. In 1862 he married Sophia Bers and was very happy in the first years.
In 1863-1869, the novel “War and Peace” was written and revised, which bore little resemblance classic version. It lacks traditional key elements of the time. Or rather, they are present, but are not key.
1877 - Tolstoy completed the novel Anna Karenina, in which the technique of internal monologue is repeatedly used.
Since the second half of the 60s, Tolstoy has been going through an experience that was only overcome at the turn of the 1870s and 80s by completely rethinking his previous life. Then Tolstoy appears - his wife categorically did not accept his new views. The ideas of the late Tolstoy are similar to socialist teachings, the only difference being that he was an opponent of the revolution.
In 1896-1904, Tolstoy completed the story, which was published after his death, which occurred in November 1910 at the Astapovo station on the Ryazan-Ural road.
Lev Tolstoy is one of the most famous writers and philosophers in the world. His views and beliefs formed the basis of an entire religious and philosophical movement called Tolstoyism. Literary heritage the writer amounted to 90 volumes of fiction and journalistic works, diary notes and letters, and he himself was more than once nominated for Nobel Prize in Literature and the Nobel Peace Prize.
“Do everything that you have determined to be done.”
Family tree of Leo Tolstoy. Image: regnum.ru
Silhouette of Maria Tolstoy (nee Volkonskaya), mother of Leo Tolstoy. 1810s. Image: wikipedia.org
Leo Tolstoy was born on September 9, 1828 in the Yasnaya Polyana estate in the Tula province. He was the fourth child in a large noble family. Tolstoy was orphaned early. His mother died when he was not yet two years old, and at the age of nine he lost his father. Aunt Alexandra Osten-Saken became the guardian of Tolstoy's five children. The two older children moved to their aunt in Moscow, while the younger ones remained in Yasnaya Polyana. The most important and dear memories are associated with the family estate early childhood Lev Tolstoy.
In 1841, Alexandra Osten-Sacken died, and the Tolstoys moved to their aunt Pelageya Yushkova in Kazan. Three years after moving, Leo Tolstoy decided to enter the prestigious Imperial Kazan University. However, he did not like studying, he considered exams a formality, and university professors as incompetent. Tolstoy did not even try to get a scientific degree; in Kazan he was more attracted to secular entertainment.
In April 1847, Leo Tolstoy's student life ended. He inherited his part of the estate, including his beloved Yasnaya Polyana, and immediately went home without receiving higher education. On the family estate, Tolstoy tried to improve his life and start writing. He drew up his education plan: study languages, history, medicine, mathematics, geography, law, agriculture, natural sciences. However, he soon came to the conclusion that it is easier to make plans than to implement them.
Tolstoy's asceticism was often replaced by carousing and card games. Wanting to start what he thought was the right life, he created a daily routine. But he didn’t follow it either, and in his diary he again noted his dissatisfaction with himself. All these failures prompted Leo Tolstoy to change his lifestyle. An opportunity presented itself in April 1851: the elder brother Nikolai arrived in Yasnaya Polyana. At that time he served in the Caucasus, where there was a war. Leo Tolstoy decided to join his brother and went with him to a village on the banks of the Terek River.
Leo Tolstoy served on the outskirts of the empire for almost two and a half years. He whiled away his time by hunting, playing cards, and occasionally participating in raids into enemy territory. Tolstoy liked such a solitary and monotonous life. It was in the Caucasus that the story “Childhood” was born. While working on it, the writer found a source of inspiration that remained important to him until the end of his life: he used his own memories and experiences.
In July 1852, Tolstoy sent the manuscript of the story to Sovremennik magazine and attached a letter: “...I look forward to your verdict. He will either encourage me to continue my favorite activities, or force me to burn everything I started.”. Editor Nikolai Nekrasov liked the work of the new author, and soon “Childhood” was published in the magazine. Inspired by the first success, the writer soon began the continuation of “Childhood”. In 1854, he published a second story, “Adolescence”, in the Sovremennik magazine.
“The main thing is literary works”
Leo Tolstoy in his youth. 1851. Image: school-science.ru
Lev Tolstoy. 1848. Image: regnum.ru
Lev Tolstoy. Image: old.orlovka.org.ru
At the end of 1854, Leo Tolstoy arrived in Sevastopol - the epicenter of military operations. Being in the thick of things, he created the story “Sevastopol in December.” Although Tolstoy was unusually frank in describing battle scenes, the first Sevastopol story was deeply patriotic and glorified the bravery of Russian soldiers. Soon Tolstoy began working on his second story, “Sevastopol in May.” By that time, there was nothing left of his pride in the Russian army. The horror and shock that Tolstoy experienced on the front line and during the siege of the city greatly influenced his work. Now he wrote about the meaninglessness of death and the inhumanity of war.
In 1855, from the ruins of Sevastopol, Tolstoy traveled to sophisticated St. Petersburg. The success of the first Sevastopol story gave him a sense of purpose: “My career is literature - writing and writing! Starting tomorrow, I work all my life or give up everything, rules, religion, decency - everything.”. In the capital, Leo Tolstoy finished “Sevastopol in May” and wrote “Sevastopol in August 1855” - these essays completed the trilogy. And in November 1856, the writer finally left military service.
Thanks to true stories about Crimean War Tolstoy joined the St. Petersburg literary circle of the Sovremennik magazine. During this period, he wrote the story “Blizzard”, the story “Two Hussars”, and finished the trilogy with the story “Youth”. However, after some time, relations with the writers from the circle deteriorated: “These people disgusted me, and I disgusted myself.”. To unwind, at the beginning of 1857 Leo Tolstoy went abroad. He visited Paris, Rome, Berlin, Dresden: he met famous works art, met artists, observed how people live in European cities. The journey did not inspire Tolstoy: he created the story “Lucerne”, in which he described his disappointment.
Leo Tolstoy at work. Image: kartinkinaden.ru
Leo Tolstoy in Yasnaya Polyana. Image: kartinkinaden.ru
Leo Tolstoy tells a fairy tale to his grandchildren Ilyusha and Sonya. 1909. Krekshino. Photo: Vladimir Chertkov / wikipedia.org
In the summer of 1857, Tolstoy returned to Yasnaya Polyana. At his native estate, he continued to work on the story “Cossacks”, and also wrote the story “Three Deaths” and the novel “Family Happiness”. In his diary, Tolstoy defined his purpose for himself at that time: “The main thing is literary works, then family responsibilities, then farming... And so to live for oneself - according to good deed a day and that's enough".
In 1899, Tolstoy wrote the novel Resurrection. In this work the writer criticized judicial system, army, government. The contempt with which Tolstoy described the institution of the church in his novel “Resurrection” provoked a response. In February 1901, in the journal “Church Gazette,” the Holy Synod published a resolution excommunicating Count Leo Tolstoy from the church. This decision only increased Tolstoy's popularity and attracted the public's attention to the writer's ideals and beliefs.
Literary and social activity Tolstoy became known abroad. The writer was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901, 1902 and 1909 and for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1902–1906. Tolstoy himself did not want to receive the award and even told the Finnish writer Arvid Järnefelt to try to prevent the award from being awarded because, “if this happened... it would be very unpleasant to refuse” “He [Chertkov] took the unfortunate old man into his hands in every possible way, he separated us, he killed the artistic spark in Lev Nikolaevich and kindled condemnation, hatred, denial, which can be felt in Lev Nikolaevich’s articles recent years, which his stupid evil genius egged him on".
Tolstoy himself was burdened by the life of a landowner and family man. He sought to bring his life into line with his beliefs and in early November 1910 secretly left the Yasnaya Polyana estate. The road turned out to be too much for the elderly man: on the way he became seriously ill and was forced to stay in the house of the caretaker of the Astapovo railway station. Here the writer spent last days own life. Leo Tolstoy died on November 20, 1910. The writer was buried in Yasnaya Polyana.
