Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy is the greatest world writer of all time. From the writer's pen came works that became masterpieces of world literature.
What guided Lev Nikolaevich in the process of writing his works? Perhaps a description of life will clarify a lot in this matter. What life circumstances directed the creative impulses of the writer? Let's delve into the story of the life and death of Leo Tolstoy.
Tolstoy: early years
On September 9, 1828, in Yasnaya Polyana, Tula province, the fourth child was born in the Tolstoy family. It was the future great writer Leo Tolstoy. Dates of birth and death - 1828-1910. The writer's family was small by the standards of the 19th century:
- Father - Count Tolstoy Nikolai belonged to the ancient family of Tolstoy.
- Mother - Princess Volkonskaya, from the Rurik family. The early death of Lev Nikolaevich's mother plunged him into despair.
- Brother Nikolai, years of life 1823-1860.
- Brother Sergei, years of life 1826-1904.
- Brother Dmitry, years of life 1827-1856.
- Sister Maria, years of life 1830-1912.
Due to the early death of his parents and guardians, the little Leo had to go through hard times, and after that he had a chance to experience a whole series of deaths in his family. All brothers and sisters were given under the care of their own father. Seven years later, his father also died when Leo was nine years old. The next guardian of the Tolstoy children was T. A. Ergolskaya, who was the native aunt for the Tolstoy children. After the death of the guardian, Leo and his brothers and sister had to move to Kazan, where they fell under the care of the next aunt - Yushkova P.N. In the future, in his autobiographical work “Childhood”, he recalls the time spent with his aunt, the most cheerful and carefree . He describes his aunt as an affectionate and sweet relative. It was the influence of the aunt on the future writer that was huge, which later helped Leo to start his work, which did not let Leo Tolstoy die.
Education
Leo Tolstoy received an excellent home education from French and German teachers. Further, being already in Kazan, at the age of 16 he entered Kazan University at the Faculty of Philosophy, but studies did not arouse much interest in Leo. Being already a student, the future writer transferred to the Faculty of Law. But after two years of study, Leo, in addition to low grades and the ability to have a good time, did not receive anything from studying law. After unsuccessful attempts to come to his senses, Lev Nikolayevich graduated from his studies in 1847.
Youth
After being expelled from the university, Tolstoy decided to return to Yasnaya Polyana and take care of his estate. Weekdays in the village were monotonous - communication with peasants and agriculture. All this greatly bored Leo, and he increasingly began to strive for Moscow and Tula. In the autumn of 1847, Tolstoy finally moved to Moscow and settled in a house on the Arbat. At first, he prepared for candidate exams to continue his studies, then he was fascinated by music with revelry and card games.
Because of his weakness for gambling, Tolstoy made a lot of debts, which his relatives had to pay off for a long time. Then, having changed his mind, he left for St. Petersburg. In his twenties, young Leo was looking for something to do everywhere. There was a desire to enter the military service as a cadet or in the civil service and become an official.
In his youth, Tolstoy was thrown from side to side, desires were replaced by actions and aspirations. But one thing remained unchanged: Leo loved to keep a diary of his life, where he skillfully recounted the moments of being and thoughts about everything that interests him. Historians believe that it was the habit of keeping a diary that soon prompted the writer to start a creative career. And since 1850, Leo Tolstoy began to write an autobiography, we all know it as the work "Childhood". A year later, having finished the story, he sent it to the Sovremennik magazine, where it was published in 1852.
Caucasus
Due to his huge debt obligations, Lev decided to return to Yasnaya Polyana, where he later decided in 1851 to go to serve in the Caucasus with his brother Nikolai. The privilege of serving Tolstoy gave a respite in the payment of not small debts by that time. For two years of his service as a cadet in the Caucasus, Leo was on the verge of life and death, there were skirmishes with the highlanders almost daily.
Crimea
In 1853, during the Crimean War, Lev went to serve in the Danube regiment. He participated in many battles in the status of a battery commander, in his peaceful moments he began to write his collection of Sevastopol stories. The first story "Cutting a Forest" after being published in the journal "Sovremennik" was no less successful than the work "Childhood", even Alexander II expressed his positive comments about Tolstoy's works.
In 1855 Tolstoy retired with the rank of lieutenant. There were more than enough prerequisites for building a brilliant military career. But careless humor in the stories in the direction of eminent generals forced him to leave the service. In the same year, the book "Sevastopol Tales" was published, the writing of which took place at the height of hostilities almost non-stop.
And also during the service the following works were written: "Cossacks", "Hadji Murad", "Degraded", "Cutting down the forest", "Raid". All creativity during the service was closely connected with military operations.
Saint Petersburg
After the service, Tolstoy returned to St. Petersburg, where he wanted to continue his literary work, which brought considerable fruit and the recognition of the writer. Leo Tolstoy was considered the representative of a new literary movement capable of making a splash in the literary circles of that time. Many secular salons and literary circles welcomed Lieutenant Tolstoy with open arms. It was on the basis of creativity that Tolstoy became friends with Turgenev, with whom they subsequently rented one apartment. It was Turgenev who introduced Tolstoy to the Sovremennik circle.
After the war, Tolstoy's taste for life returned doubly and demanded more and more impressions. He did not identify himself with any current in philosophy, he considered himself an anarchist. So Leo was carried away by secular life, with its idleness and revelry. Having had enough of fun and quarreling with his friend Turgenev, Tolstoy went abroad in search of inspiration and a better life.
During the years spent in St. Petersburg, such works as "The Snowstorm", "Two Hussars" and "Youth" were written.
Europe
In 1857, the young Leo Tolstoy went abroad. On his journey he spent half a year of his time. The goal was simple - to learn from the experience of the West, compare knowledge and ask about what worries you the most. Leo visited the following countries:
- Italy, where he tried to understand the meaning of art.
- France, I wanted to understand its culture.
- Switzerland.
- Germany, which made it possible to adopt the system of teaching children.
Having traveled a lot, Leo realized that Europe is not distinguished by democracy, it is in it that a clear distinction between aristocrats and poor people is emphasized.
After returning from Europe, Tolstoy, already recognized in literary circles, supported the abolition of serfdom and wrote the following stories: Polikushka, Morning of the Landowner, and others.
Yasnaya Polyana
In 1857, having returned from Europe, first to Moscow, and then to Yasnaya Polyana, Leo retired from creativity and took up his own household. Tolstoy created his own school, which, according to his own methodology, taught the children of peasants. He published the following textbooks according to his methodology: "Arithmetic", "ABC", "Book for reading". He also closely dealt with the issue of publishing the Yasnaya Polyana magazine.
Leo was so carried away by his agriculture that he subsequently began to increase it. There was a great love for horses, the estate had a large stable with horses of various colors.
Wife and kids
In 1863, Leo Tolstoy married Sofya Andreevna Bers. At the time of the wedding, Sophia was 18 years old, and Leo was 34 years old. They lived together for 48 years, Sophia was with her husband until the very last day, despite misunderstandings and scandals during family life. Tolstoy had 13 children, five children died at an early age:
The birth of his son Sergei in 1863 coincided with the beginning of writing War and Peace. Even during pregnancy, Sofya Andreevna did household chores herself and helped her husband in his creative work, rewriting drafts into clean drafts. In the first ten years of family life in Yasnaya Polyana, the great work Anna Karenina was written.
Moscow
In the eighties, Leo Tolstoy decides to move to Moscow with the whole family for the sake of the children. Tolstoy believed that it was the move that would give the best education to his children. Arriving in Moscow, I saw the hungry life of people, it was this spectacle that contributed to the opening of free tables for people in need. Tolstoy opened more than two hundred free places where poor people were fed. In the same years, Tolstoy published a number of articles condemning the policy that contributed to the increase in the poor population in the country.
During this period, the following works were written: "The Death of Ivan Ilyich", "The Power of Darkness", "The Fruits of Enlightenment", "Sunday". Many historians compare the work "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Tolstoy Leo Nikolayevich partly with the life of the writer, the philosophy of the work is similar to the life of the writer, if we draw parallels.
A turning point in life and work
For criticizing the church and politics of that time, Tolstoy was excommunicated. Already by this time, Leo Tolstoy was a fairly popular and rich man. And then began a turning point in the life and work of the writer. After excommunication, the writer was crippled, because it was faith in God, in his opinion, that made it possible to create. So Leo Tolstoy, despite global changes, became interested in religion.
Asceticism
According to historians, the changes in Leo Tolstoy began with the adoption of vegetarianism. It was the state of spiritual devastation that led to the filling of the void with new ideas. He came to vegetarianism after seeing the death of a pig.
But vegetarianism was not fundamental to the changes in Leo Tolstoy's life. The writer began to strive for a simple life, without worldly joys. He tried to simplify his life as much as possible, to the point that he got rid of everything superfluous, and left everything most necessary for life. Subsequently, Tolstoy not only gave up a comfortable life, but also the rights to his works, believing that his thoughts are for everyone, and they are free.
Death
It's no secret that Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy was the leader of his time, he preached the idea. Tolstoy had many students, including his youngest daughter Alexandra. The wife of Lev Nikolaevich Sofya Andreevna often expressed her dissatisfaction with his teachings and students, they often quarreled on this basis.
The year of Leo Tolstoy's death will coincide with the beginning of his pilgrimage. In 1910, in an effort to smooth the situation in the family, Lev Nikolayevich, with his daughter Alexandra, as well as with his attending physician D.P. Makovitsky, secretly went on a pilgrimage. Who would have thought that the date of the pilgrimage would coincide with the date of the death of Leo Tolstoy
The writer did not master the road and felt unwell, this forced him to get off the train at the Astapovo station. After the pilgrimage was interrupted, Lev Nikolaevich accepted the invitation to stay at the head of the railway station. The death of Leo Tolstoy found at the Astapovo station seven days later. He died away from home and his family. The cause of Leo Tolstoy's death is pneumonia. The writer was buried in Yasnaya Polyana. Although he died outside the home, it turns out that Leo Tolstoy took both birth and death in one place - in Yasnaya Polyana, where he rested. It was a great loss for the whole world.
The whole world mourned over the death of Leo Tolstoy. After all, it was not just a person, but a whole era in the classics of literature. There were many friends and popular people of that time at the funeral. Date of death of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy - November 20, 1910.
Leo Tolstoy is one of the most famous and great writers in the world. Even during his lifetime, he was recognized as a classic of Russian literature, his work paved the bridge between the currents of two centuries.
Tolstoy showed himself not just as a writer, he was an educator and humanist, he thought about religion, and was directly involved in the defense of Sevastopol. The writer's legacy is so great, and his life itself is so ambiguous that they continue to study and try to understand him.
Tolstoy himself was a complex person, as evidenced by at least his family relationships. So numerous myths appear, both about Tolstoy's personal qualities, his actions, and about creativity and the ideas invested in it. Many books have been written about the writer, but we will try to debunk at least the most popular myths about him.
Flight of Tolstoy. A well-known fact - 10 days before his death, Tolstoy ran away from his home, which was in Yasnaya Polyana. There are several versions of why the writer did this. They immediately began to say that the already elderly man was already trying to commit suicide. The communists developed the theory that Tolstoy expressed his protest against the tsarist regime in this way. In fact, the reasons for the writer's flight from his native and beloved home were quite mundane. Three months before that, he wrote a secret will, according to which he transferred all copyrights to his works not to his wife, Sofya Andreevna, but to his daughter Alexandra and his friend Chertkov. But the secret became clear - the wife learned about everything from the stolen diary. A scandal erupted immediately, and Tolstoy's own life became a real hell. His wife's tantrums prompted the writer to do what he had planned 25 years ago - to escape. During these difficult days, Tolstoy wrote in his diary that he could no longer endure this and hated his wife. Sofya Andreevna herself, having learned about the flight of Lev Nikolaevich, became even more furious - she ran to drown herself in the pond, beat herself in the chest with thick objects, tried to run away somewhere and threatened to never let Tolstoy go anywhere again.
Tolstoy had a very angry wife. From the previous myth, it becomes clear to many that only his evil and eccentric wife is to blame for the death of a genius. In fact, Tolstoy's family life was so complex that numerous studies are still trying to figure it out today. And the wife herself felt unhappy in her. One of the chapters of her autobiography is called “The Martyr and the Martyr”. In general, little was known about Sofya Andreevna's talents; she was completely in the shadow of her powerful husband. But the recent publication of her stories made it possible to understand the full depth of her sacrifice. And Natasha Rostova from "War and Peace" came to Tolstoy straight from his wife's youthful manuscript. In addition, Sofya Andreevna received an excellent education, she knew a couple of foreign languages and even translated the complex works of her husband herself. The energetic woman still had time to manage the entire household, the accounting of the estate, as well as sheathe and tie up the entire considerable family. Despite all the hardships, Tolstoy's wife understood that she was living with a genius. After his death, she noted that for almost half a century of living together, she could not understand what kind of person he was.
Tolstoy was excommunicated and anathematized. Indeed, in 1910 Tolstoy was buried without a funeral, which gave rise to the myth of excommunication. But in the memorable act of the Synod of 1901, the word "excommunication" is absent in principle. Officials from the church wrote that with his views and false teachings, the writer had long placed himself outside the church and was no longer perceived by it as a member. But society understood the complex bureaucratic document with a florid language in its own way - everyone decided that it was the church that abandoned Tolstoy. And this story with the definition of the Synod was in fact a political order. So the chief prosecutor Pobedonostsev took revenge on the writer for his image of a man-machine in Resurrection.
Leo Tolstoy founded the Tolstoyan movement. The writer himself was very cautious, and sometimes even with disgust, about those numerous associations of his followers and admirers. Even after escaping from Yasnaya Polyana, the Tolstoy community turned out to be not the place where Tolstoy wanted to find shelter.
Tolstoy was a teetotaller. As you know, in adulthood, the writer refused alcohol. But he did not understand the creation of temperance societies throughout the country. Why do people gather if they are not going to drink? After all, big companies mean drinking.
Tolstoy adhered fanatically to his own principles. Ivan Bunin, in his book on Tolstoy, wrote that the genius himself was sometimes very cool about the provisions of his own teaching. One day the writer with his family and close family friend Vladimir Chertkov (he was also the main follower of Tolstoy's ideas) ate on the terrace. It was a hot summer, mosquitoes were flying everywhere. One particularly annoying one sat down on Chertkov's bald head, where the writer killed him with the palm of his hand. Everyone laughed, and only the offended victim noted that Lev Nikolaevich took the life of a living creature, shaming him.
Tolstoy was a big womanizer. The sexual adventures of the writer are known from his own notes. Tolstoy said that in his youth he led a very bad life. But most of all he is confused by two events since that time. The first is a connection with a peasant woman even before marriage, and the second is a crime with her aunt's maid. Tolstoy seduced an innocent girl, who was then driven out of the yard. That peasant woman was Aksinya Bazykina. Tolstoy wrote that he loved her like never before in his life. Two years before his marriage, the writer had a son, Timothy, who over the years became a huge man, like his father. Everyone in Yasnaya Polyana knew about the master's illegitimate son, that he was a drunkard, and about his mother. Sofya Andreevna even went to look at her husband's former passion, not finding anything interesting in her. And Tolstoy's intimate stories are part of his diaries of his youth. He wrote about the voluptuousness that tormented him, about the desire of women. But something like this was common for Russian nobles of that time. And repentance for past ties never tormented them. For Sofya Andreevna, the physical aspect of love was not at all important, unlike her husband. But she managed to give birth to Tolstoy 13 children, losing five. Lev Nikolaevich was her first and only man. And he was faithful to her throughout the 48 years of their marriage.
Tolstoy preached asceticism. This myth appeared thanks to the thesis of the writer that a person needs a little for life. But Tolstoy himself was not an ascetic - he simply welcomed the sense of proportion. Lev Nikolayevich himself fully enjoyed life, he simply saw joy and light in simple and accessible things.
Tolstoy was an opponent of medicine and science. The writer was not at all obscurantist. He, on the contrary, spoke about the fact that it is impossible to return to the plow, about the inevitability of progress. At home, Tolstoy had one of their first Edison phonographs, an electric pencil. And the writer rejoiced, like a child, at such scientific achievements. Tolstoy was a very civilized person, realizing that humanity pays for progress in hundreds of thousands of lives. And this development, associated with violence and blood, the writer did not accept in principle. Tolstoy was not cruel to human weaknesses, he was outraged that the vices were justified by the doctors themselves.
Tolstoy hated art. Tolstoy understood art, he simply used his own criteria to evaluate it. And didn't he have a right to? It is difficult to disagree with the writer that a simple man is unlikely to understand Beethoven's symphonies. To untrained listeners, much of classical music sounds like torture. But there is also such an art that is perceived as excellent by both simple villagers and sophisticated gourmets.
Tolstoy was driven by pride. It is said that this inner quality manifested itself both in the author's philosophy and even in everyday life. But is it worth considering the non-stop search for truth as pride? Many people believe that it is much easier to join some teaching and serve it already. But Tolstoy could not change himself. And in everyday life, the writer was very attentive - he taught his children mathematics, astronomy, and conducted physical education classes. Little Tolstoy took the children to the Samara province, that they knew better and fell in love with nature. It's just that in the second half of his life, the genius was preoccupied with a lot of things. This is creativity, philosophy, work with letters. So Tolstoy could not give himself, as before, to his family. But it was a conflict between creativity and family, and not a manifestation of pride.
There was a revolution in Russia because of Tolstoy. This statement appeared thanks to Lenin's article "Leo Tolstoy, as a mirror of the Russian revolution." In fact, one person, be it Tolstoy or Lenin, is simply not to blame for the revolution. There were many reasons - the behavior of the intelligentsia, the church, the king and court, the nobility. It was all of them who gave old Russia to the Bolsheviks, including Tolstoy. His opinion, as a thinker, was listened to. But he denied both the state and the army. True, he was opposed to the revolution. The writer generally did a lot to soften morals, urging people to be kinder, to serve Christian values.
Tolstoy was an unbeliever, he denied faith and taught this to others. Statements that Tolstoy turns people away from the faith irritated and offended him greatly. On the contrary, he stated that the main thing in his works is the understanding that there is no life without faith in God. Tolstoy did not accept the form of faith that the church imposed. And there are many people who believe in God, but do not accept modern religious institutions. For them, Tolstoy's searches are understood and not at all terrible. Many people generally come to church after being immersed in the thoughts of the writer. This was especially often observed in Soviet times. Even before, the Tolstoyans turned towards the church.
Tolstoy constantly taught everyone. Thanks to this rooted myth, Tolstoy appears as a self-confident preacher, telling whom and how to live. But when studying the writer's diaries, it will become clear that he dealt with himself all his life. So where was he to teach others? Tolstoy expressed his thoughts, but never imposed them on anyone. Another thing is that a community of followers, Tolstoyans, has developed around the writer, who tried to make the views of their leader absolute. But for the genius himself, his ideas were not fixed. He considered the absolute presence of God, and everything else was the result of trials, torments, searches.
Tolstoy was a fanatical vegetarian. At a certain point in his life, the writer completely abandoned meat and fish, not wanting to eat the disfigured corpses of living beings. But his wife, taking care of him, poured meat into his mushroom broth. Seeing this, Tolstoy was not angry, but only joked that he was ready to drink meat broth every day, if only his wife would not lie to him. Other people's beliefs, including in the choice of food, were above all for the writer. They always had those at home who ate meat, the same Sofya Andreevna. But there were no terrible quarrels because of this.
To understand Tolstoy, it is enough to read his works and not to study his personality. This myth prevents a real reading of Tolstoy's work. Without understanding what he lived, one cannot understand his work. There are writers who say everything with their texts. But Tolstoy can be understood only if you know his worldview, his personal traits, his relationship with the state, church, and relatives. Tolstoy's life is an exciting novel in itself, which sometimes spilled over into paper form. An example of this is "War and Peace", "Anna Karenina". On the other hand, the writer's work also influenced his life, including family life. So there is no escape from studying the personality of Tolstoy and the interesting aspects of his biography.
Tolstoy's novels cannot be studied at school - they are simply incomprehensible to high school students. It is generally difficult for modern schoolchildren to read long works, and "War and Peace" is also filled with historical digressions. Give our high school students abridged versions of novels adapted to their intellect. It is difficult to say whether this is good or bad, but in any case they will at least get an idea of Tolstoy's work. To think that it is better to read Tolstoy after school is dangerous. After all, if you do not start reading it at that age, then later the children will not want to immerse themselves in the writer's work. So the school works proactively, deliberately giving more complex and smart things than the child's intellect can perceive. Perhaps then there will be a desire to return to this and understand to the end. And without studying at school, such a “temptation” will not appear for sure.
Tolstoy's pedagogy has lost its relevance. Tolstoy the teacher is treated ambiguously. His teaching ideas were perceived as the fun of a gentleman who decided to teach children according to his original method. In fact, the spiritual development of a child directly affects his intellect. The soul develops the mind, and not vice versa. And Tolstoy's pedagogy works in modern conditions. This is evidenced by the results of the experiment, during which 90% of children achieved excellent results. Children learn to read according to Tolstoy's ABC, which is built on many parables with their secrets and archetypes of behavior that reveal the nature of man. Gradually, the program becomes more complex. A harmonious person with a strong moral principle emerges from the walls of the school. And according to this method, about a hundred schools are engaged in today in Russia.
1828 , August 28 (September 9) - was born in the Yasnaya Polyana estate of the Krapivinsky district of the Tula province in a noble family.
1837 - The Tolstoy family moved from Yasnaya Polyana to Moscow. Death of Tolstoy's father, Nikolai Ilyich.
1841 - death in Optina Pustyn of the guardian of the Tolstoy children A. I. Osten-Saken. The fat ones move from Moscow to Kazan, to a new guardian - P. I. Yushkova.
1844 - admission to the Kazan University at the Faculty of Oriental Studies, then study at the law. The desire to comprehend and understand the world is a passion for philosophy, the study of the views of Rousseau.
1845 - transfer to the Faculty of Law of Kazan University.
1847
, March 17 - the beginning of the diary.
April - exit from the university and departure to Yasnaya Polyana (without finishing the university course). Painful search for the meaning of life. Pen test - the first literary sketches.
1849 - examinations for the degree of candidate at St. Petersburg University. (Discontinued after a successful pass in two subjects.)
1851
- The story "The History of Yesterday" was written. The story "Childhood" was begun (finished in July 1852).
Departure to the Caucasus for a war with the highlanders. Test of oneself. War is an understanding of the way of the formation of man.
1852
- an exam for the rank of cadet, an order for enrollment in military service as a fireworks 4th class.
The story "The Raid" was written. Completed and printed (in No. 9 of Sovremennik) the story "Childhood" (the beginning of a trilogy).
1853 - the beginning of work on the "Cossacks" (completed in 1862). The story "Notes of the Marker" was written.
1854
- the story "Adolescence". The main question is what should be? What to strive for? The process of mental and moral development of a person.
Sevastopol epic. Transfer to the Danube army, to the fighting Sevastopol after an unsuccessful resignation.
1855 - written "Sevastopol stories" - anger and pain for the dead, the curse of the war, cruel realism.
1856 , November - dismissal from military service at a personal request. "Morning of the landowner" (the main evil is the miserable, plight of the peasants).
1857 - the story "Youth" was written (the completion of the trilogy). First overseas trip.
1859 - Opening of a school in Yasnaya Polyana. The idea of raising a new person, the creation of the "ABC" and books for children.
1862 , September - marriage to Sofya Andreevna Bers; transfer to Yasnaya Polyana.
1863–1869 - work on the epic novel "War and Peace".
1864–1865 - the first Collected Works of L. H. Tolstoy in two volumes (Published by F. Stellovsky, St. Petersburg) is out of print.
1865–1866 - the first two parts of the future "War and Peace" under the title "1805" were printed in the Russky Vestnik.
1866 - acquaintance with the artist M.S. Bashilov, to whom Tolstoy entrusts the illustration of "War and Peace".
1867–1869 - out of print two separate editions of War and Peace.
1873–1877
- work on the novel "Anna Karenina". Happiness is personal and happiness of the people. Family life and life in Russia.
1873 - I. H. Kramskoy paints a portrait of Tolstoy in Yasnaya Polyana.
1875
- the beginning of the printing of "Anna Karenina" in the journal "Russian Bulletin".
The French magazine Le Temps published a translation of The Two Hussars with a foreword by Turgenev, who wrote that after the release of War and Peace, Tolstoy "decidedly takes first place in the public's favor."
1878 - a separate edition of the novel "Anna Karenina".
1881 - moving to Moscow. Renunciation of the life of the noble circle. "Confession" (1879–1882).
1882
– participation in the three-day Moscow census.
The article "So what should we do?" (completed in 1886).
Buying a house in Dolgo-Khamovnichesky Lane in Moscow (now the House-Museum of Leo Tolstoy).
The story "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" was begun (completed in 1886).
1910
, (night from 27 to 28 October) - departure from Yasnaya Polyana.
November 7(20)- died at Astapovo station, buried in Yasnaya Polyana.
Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy is one of the greatest novelists in the world. He is not only the world's largest writer, but also a philosopher, religious thinker and educator. You will learn more about all this from this.
But where he really succeeded was in 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 the result of imitation of the great.
Hobbies and military service
Naturally, Leo Tolstoy had. He was extremely fond of music. His favorite composers were Bach, Handel and.
From his biography it clearly follows that sometimes he could play works by Chopin, Mendelssohn and Schumann on the piano for several hours in a row.
It is authentically known that the elder brother of Leo Tolstoy, Nikolai, had a great influence on him. He was a friend and mentor of the future writer.
It was Nicholas 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 Tolstoy
During the service, Lev Nikolaevich had quite a lot of free time. During this period, he wrote the autobiographical story "Childhood", in which he masterfully described the memories of the first years of his life.
This work was an important event for compiling his biography.
After that, Leo Tolstoy writes the following story - "Cossacks", in which he describes his army life in the Caucasus.
Work on this work was carried out until 1862, and was completed only after serving in the army.
An interesting fact is that Tolstoy did not stop his writing activity even while participating in the Crimean War.
During this period, from under his pen comes the story "Boyhood", which is a continuation of "Childhood", as well as "Sevastopol stories".
After the end of the Crimean War, Tolstoy leaves the service. Upon arrival home, he already has great fame in the literary field.
His distinguished 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 him. He refused to belong to one or another philosophical school, and once publicly called himself an anarchist, after which he decided to leave for 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, the 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". It happened in the same 1857.
Since 1862, Tolstoy began to publish the pedagogical journal Yasnaya Polyana, where he himself was the main contributor. However, not having a calling as a publisher, Tolstoy managed to publish only 12 issues.
Family of Leo Tolstoy
On September 23, 1862, a sharp turn takes place in Tolstoy's biography: he marries 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 in his premarital affairs.
Leo Tolstoy with his wife Sofia Andreevna For some time in the biography of Tolstoy, the brightest period begins.
He is truly happy, and largely due to the practicality of his wife, material wealth, outstanding literary creativity and, in connection with it, all-Russian and even worldwide fame.
In the person of his wife, Tolstoy found an assistant in all matters, practical and literary. In the absence of a secretary, it was she who several times copied his drafts cleanly.
However, very soon their happiness is overshadowed by the inevitable petty quarrels, fleeting quarrels and mutual misunderstanding, which only gets worse over the years.
The fact is that Leo Tolstoy proposed a kind of “life plan” for his family, according to which he intended to give part of the family income to the poor and schools.
The way of life of his family (food and clothing), he wanted to greatly simplify, while he intended to sell and distribute "everything superfluous": pianos, furniture, carriages.
Tolstoy with his family at the tea table in the park, 1892, Yasnaya Polyana Naturally, his wife, Sofya Andreevna, was clearly not satisfied with such an ambiguous plan. On the basis of this, their first serious conflict broke out, which served as the beginning of an "undeclared war" to secure the future of their children.
In 1892, Tolstoy signed a separate act 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 extraordinarily contradictory precisely because of his relationship with his wife, with whom he lived for 48 years.
Tolstoy's works
Tolstoy is one of the most prolific writers. His works are large-scale not only in terms of volume, but also in terms of the meanings that he touches on them.
The most popular works of Tolstoy are "War and Peace", "Anna Karenina" and "Resurrection".
"War and Peace"
In the 1860s, Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy lived with his entire family in Yasnaya Polyana. It was here that his most famous novel, War and Peace, was born.
Initially, part of the novel was published in the Russian Messenger under the title "1805".
After 3 years, 3 more chapters appear, thanks to which the novel was completely over. He was destined to become the most outstanding creative result in Tolstoy's biography.
Both critics and the public have long discussed the work "War and Peace". The subject of their disputes were the wars described in the book.
Thoughtful but still fictional characters were also sharply discussed.
Tolstoy in 1868 The novel also became interesting because it featured 3 meaningful satirical essays on the laws of history.
Among all other ideas, Leo Tolstoy tried to convey to the reader that the position of a person 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 is easy to see when 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 Tolstoy's autobiography, 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 genuine court case. It is in the "Resurrection" that the author's sharp views on church rites are clearly indicated.
By the way, this work was 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 tremendous success, this did not bring any joy to the writer.
He was in a depressed state and experienced a 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 Nikolayevich looked for answers to 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 acute issues in the media outlet.
His main position was that the 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 decision of the Holy Governing Synod on Count Leo Tolstoy was issued.
It was a decree that officially announced that Leo Tolstoy was no longer a member of the Orthodox Church, since his publicly expressed convictions were incompatible with such membership.
The definition of the Holy Synod is sometimes erroneously interpreted as excommunication (anathema) of Tolstoy from the church.
Copyright and conflict with his wife
In connection with his new beliefs, Leo Tolstoy wanted to distribute 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, the main family crisis was outlined 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 violent conflicts.
From Tolstoy's diary:
“She does not understand, and the children do not understand, spending money, that every ruble they live on and earn by books is suffering, my shame. Let it be a shame, but what a weakening of the effect that the preaching of the truth could have had.
Of course, it is not difficult to understand the wife of Lev Nikolayevich. 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 made 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 someone's property, and V.G. takes over the authority to monitor the processes. Chertkov is a faithful follower and student of Tolstoy, who was supposed to take all the writings of the writer, down to drafts.
Later work of Tolstoy
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".
Her main character realizes that he has wasted most of his life, and the realization came too late.
In 1898, Lev Nikolaevich wrote the equally famous work Father Sergius. In it, he criticized his own beliefs that he had 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 Murad (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 directed towards resisting evil in a non-violent way.
Even during his lifetime, Tolstoy became an idol for the majority. However, despite all his achievements, there were serious flaws in his family life, which were especially aggravated in old age.
Leo Tolstoy with grandchildren The writer's wife, Sofya Andreevna, did not agree with her husband's views and felt hostility towards 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 autumn 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, Leo Tolstoy felt unwell. First, he caught a cold, and then the disease turned into pneumonia, in connection with which he had to interrupt the trip and take the sick Lev Nikolayevich out of the train at the first large station near the village.
This station was Astapovo (now Leo Tolstoy, Lipetsk region).
The rumor about the writer's illness instantly spread throughout the neighborhood and far beyond. Six doctors tried in vain to save the great old man: the disease progressed inexorably.
On November 7, 1910, Leo 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 years of Russian life. May the Lord God be a merciful judge for him.”
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Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) is one of the five most widely read writers. His work made Russian literature recognizable abroad. Even if you have not read these works, you probably know Natasha Rostova, Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky at least from films or jokes. The biography of Lev Nikolaevich can be of interest to every person, because the personal life of a famous person is always of interest, parallels are drawn with his creative activity. Let's try to trace the life of Leo Tolstoy.
The future classic came from a noble family known since the 14th century. Pyotr Andreevich Tolstoy, the writer's ancestor on his father's side, earned the favor of Peter I by investigating the case of his son, who was suspected of treason. Then Pert Andreevich headed the Secret Chancellery, his career went uphill. Nikolai Ilyich, the father of the classic, received a good education. However, it was combined with unshakable principles that did not allow him to advance at court.
The condition of the father of the future classic was upset because of the debts of his parent, and he married the middle-aged but wealthy Maria Nikolaevna Volkonskaya. Despite the initial calculation, they were happy in marriage and had five children.
Childhood
Lev Nikolayevich was born fourth (there was also the younger Maria and the elders Nikolai, Sergey and Dmitry), but he received little attention after birth: his mother died two years after the birth of the writer; the father briefly moved with the children to Moscow, but soon also died. The impressions from the trip were so strong that the young Leva created the first composition "Kremlin".
Several guardians brought up children at once: first, T.A. Ergolskaya and A. M. Osten-Saken. A. M. Osten-Saken died in 1840, and the children went to Kazan to P. I. Yushkova.
adolescence
Yushkova's house was secular and cheerful: receptions, evenings, outward brilliance, high society - all this was very important for the family. Tolstoy himself strove to shine in society, to be "comme il faut", but shyness did not allow him to turn around. Real entertainment to Lev Nikolaevich was replaced by reflection and introspection.
The future classic studied at home: first under the guidance of the German tutor Saint-Thomas, and then with the French Reselman. Following the example of the brothers, Lev decides to enter the Imperial Kazan University, where Kovalevsky and Lobachevsky worked. In 1844, Tolstoy began to study at the Oriental Faculty (the admission committee was amazed by the knowledge of the "Turkish-Tatar language"), and later transferred to the Faculty of Law.
Youth
The young man was in conflict with the home history teacher, so the grades in the subject were unsatisfactory, at the university it was necessary to take the course again. In order to avoid repeating what he had gone through, Lev switched to law school, but did not finish, left the university and went to Yasnaya Polyana, his parents' estate. Here he is trying to manage the economy using new technologies, he tried, but unsuccessfully. In 1849 the writer went to Moscow.
During this period, the diary begins, the entries will continue until the death of the writer. They are the most important document in the diaries of Lev Nikolayevich and describes the events of his life, and is engaged in introspection, and argues. Also here were described the goals and rules that he tried to follow.
History of success
The creative world of Leo Tolstoy took shape as early as adolescence, in his emerging need for constant psychoanalysis. Systemically, this quality manifested itself in diary entries. It was as a result of constant introspection that Tolstoy's famous "dialectics of the soul" appeared.
First works
Children's work was written in Moscow, and real works were also written there. Tolstoy creates stories about gypsies, about his daily routine (unfinished manuscripts have been lost). In the early 50s, the story "Childhood" was also created.
Leo Tolstoy - a participant in the Caucasian and Crimean wars. Military service gave the writer many new plots and emotions, described in the stories "Raid", "Cutting the Forest", "Degraded", in the story "Cossacks". Here is completed and "Childhood", which brought fame. Impressions from the battle for Sevastopol helped to write the cycle "Sevastopol stories". But in 1856, Lev Nikolaevich parted ways with the service forever. The personal history of Leo Tolstoy taught him a lot: having seen enough bloodshed in the war, he realized the importance of peace and real values - family, marriage, his people. It was these thoughts that he later put into his works.
Confession
The story "Childhood" was created in the winter of 1850-51, and published a year later. This work and its sequels "Boyhood" (1854), "Youth" (1857) and "Youth" (was never written) were supposed to make up the novel "Four Epochs of Development" about the spiritual development of man.
The trilogies tell about the life of Nikolenka Irteniev. He has parents, an older brother Volodya and sister Lyubochka, he is happy in his home world, but suddenly his father announces his decision to move to Moscow, Nikolenka and Volodya go with him. Just as suddenly, their mother dies. A severe blow of fate ends childhood. In adolescence, the hero is in conflict with others and with himself, trying to comprehend himself in this world. Nikolenka's grandmother dies, he not only mourns for her, but also notes with bitterness that some care only about her inheritance. In the same period, the hero begins to prepare for the university and meets Dmitry Nekhlyudov. Having entered the university, he feels like an adult and rushes into the maelstrom of secular pleasures. This pastime does not leave time for study, the hero fails the exams. This event led him to think about the incorrectness of the chosen path, leading to self-improvement.
Personal life
It is always difficult for the families of writers: a creative person may be impossible in everyday life, and even he is always not up to earthly things, he is embraced by new ideas. But how did the family of Leo Tolstoy live?
Wife
Sofya Andreevna Bers was born in the family of a doctor, she was smart, educated, simple. The writer met his future wife when he was 34 and she was 18. A clear, bright and pure girl attracted the experienced Lev Nikolaevich, who had already seen a lot and was ashamed of his past.
After the wedding, the Tolstoys began to live in Yasnaya Polyana, where Sofya Andreevna took care of the household, children and helped her husband in all matters: she copied manuscripts, published works, was a secretary and translator. After the opening of the hospital in Yasnaya Polyana, she also helped there, examining the sick. Tolstoy's family rested on her worries, because it was she who conducted all the economic activities.
During a spiritual crisis, Tolstoy came up with a special charter of life and decided to renounce property, depriving children of their fortune. Sofya Andreevna opposed this, family life cracked. Nevertheless, Lev Nikolaevich's wife is the only one, and she made a great contribution to his work. He treated her ambivalently: on the one hand, he respected and idolized, on the other, he reproached her for the fact that she was engaged in material matters more than spiritual ones. This conflict was continued in his prose. For example, in the novel "War and Peace" the name of the negative hero, evil, indifferent and obsessed with hoarding, is Berg, which is very consonant with his wife's maiden name.
Children
Leo Tolstoy had 13 children, 9 boys and 4 girls, but five of them died in childhood. The image of the great father lived in his children, all of them were associated with his work.
Sergei was engaged in the work of his father (founded a museum, commented on works), and also became a professor at the Moscow Conservatory. Tatyana was a follower of her father's teachings and also became a writer. Ilya led a hectic life: he dropped out of school, did not find a suitable job, and after the revolution he emigrated to the United States, where he lectured on the worldview of Lev Nikolayevich. Lev, too, at first followed the ideas of Tolstoyism, but later became a monarchist, so he also emigrated and was engaged in creativity. Maria shared the ideas of her father, refused the world and was engaged in educational work. Andrei highly valued his noble origin, participated in the Russo-Japanese War, then took his wife away from the boss, and soon died suddenly. Mikhail was musical, but became a military man and wrote memoirs about life in Yasnaya Polyana. Alexandra helped her father in all matters, then she became the keeper of his museum, but due to emigration, her achievements in Soviet times were forgotten.
Creative crisis
In the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s, Tolstoy experienced a painful spiritual crisis. For several years, the writer was accompanied by panic attacks, thoughts of suicide, fear of death. Lev Nikolaevich could not find an answer to the questions of life that tormented him anywhere, and he created his own philosophical doctrine.
Change of outlook
The way of victory over the crisis was unusual: Leo Tolstoy created his own moral teaching. His thoughts were set forth by him in books and articles: "Confession", "So what should we do", "What is art", "I can not be silent."
The writer's teaching was anti-Orthodox in nature, since Orthodoxy, according to Lev Nikolaevich, perverted the essence of the commandments, his dogmas are not permissible, from the point of view of morality, and are imposed by centuries-old traditions, forcibly instilled in the Russian people. Tolstoyism resonated with the common people and the intelligentsia, and pilgrims from different classes began to come to Yasnaya Polyana for advice. The church reacted sharply to the spread of Tolstoyism: in 1901 the writer was excommunicated from it.
Tolstoyanism
Morality, morality and philosophy are combined in the teachings of Tolstoy. God is the best in man, his moral center. That is why it is impossible to follow dogmas and justify any violence (which the Church did, according to the author of the doctrine). The brotherhood of all people and the victory over world evil are the ultimate goals of mankind, which can be achieved through the self-improvement of each of us.
Lev Nikolaevich took a different look not only at his personal life, but also at his work. Only the common people are close to the truth, and art should only separate good and evil. And this role is played by one folk art. This leads Tolstoy to abandon past works and simplify new works to the maximum, adding edification to them (Kholstomer, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Master and Worker, Resurrection).
Death
Since the beginning of the 80s, family relations have been aggravated: the writer wants to give up copyright on his books, his property and distribute everything to the poor. The wife sharply opposed, promising to accuse her husband of being crazy. Tolstoy realized that the problem could not be solved peacefully, so he came up with the idea of leaving his home, going abroad and becoming a peasant.
Accompanied by Dr. D.P. Makovitsky, the writer left the estate (later his daughter Alexandra also joined). However, the plans of the writer were not destined to come true. Tolstoy had a fever, he stopped at the head of the Astapovo station. After ten days of illness, the writer died.
creative heritage
Researchers distinguish three periods in the work of Leo Tolstoy:
- Creativity of the 50s ("young Tolstoy")- during this period, the style of the writer, his famous "dialectics of the soul" develops, he accumulates impressions, military service also helps in this.
- Creativity of the 60s-70s (classical period)- it was at this time that the most famous works of the writer were written.
- 1880-1910 (Tolstoyan period)- bear the imprint of a spiritual upheaval: renunciation of past creativity, new spiritual beginnings and problems. The style is simplified, as are the plots of the works.
