Leo Tolstoy. Biography


Leo Tolstoy is a Russian writer, publicist, educator, creator of the original philosophical doctrine, known as “Tolstoyism” and evoking a broad social and cultural movement both in Russia and abroad. Creativity Tolstoy, permeated with the pathos of affirming the moral foundations of life and spiritual self-improvement of personality, marked a new stage in the development of realism.

Life of L. Tolstoy in dates and facts

September 9, 1828 – was born in the estate Yasnaya Polyana of the Tula province in the family of aristocratic aristocrats. Two years after his birth, his mother died.

1837 – Tolstoy’s family moved to Moscow, where in the same year his father died. Since that time, guardians have been training the future writer.

In 1844, after choosing a diplomatic career, Tolstoy entered Kazan University for the department of Arabic-Turkish literature of the Oriental faculty, but soon transferred to the law faculty, and then left

the university and returned to Yasnaya Polyana.

1849 – successfully passed two exams for the degree of candidate at the St. Petersburg University, but refused to continue education.

1852 – in the authoritative magazine Sovremennik appeared his first publication – the story “Childhood”, which opened an autobiographical trilogy, which included two more parts: “Adolescence” and “Youth.”

1852 -1856 gg. – While in military service, he visited the Caucasus and Crimea, took part in the Crimean War, in particular, in the heroic defense of Sevastopol. For military services he was awarded the Order of St. Anne and two medals. Impressions of his stay in the Caucasus and in the Crimea found artistic reflection in the unfinished story “Cossacks” and the cycle “Sevastopol Stories”.

1855 – Leo Tolstoy came to St. Petersburg, where he became acquainted with the leading writers of this time: IS Turgenev, NA Nekrasov, AA Fet, ME Saltykov-Shchedrin, A N. Ostrovsky, etc. Communication with them contributed to his awareness

of his own writing vocation.

1856 – made his first trip abroad, during which he visited France, Switzerland, Germany. Critical observations of Western European life writer in an artistic form summarized in the story “Lucerne.”

1859 – opened in Yasnaya Polyana school for peasant children, in which he gave lessons.

1860 -1861 years. – Carried out a second journey through the countries of Europe. At this time, the writer began the novel “Decembrists”, later developed into a novel-epic “War and Peace”, work on which continued until 1869.

1862 – married Sophia Burs.

1872 -1875 years. – actively engaged in teaching, Tolstoy compiled and published a series of relevant publications, which included “ABC”, “New alphabet” and “Russian books for reading.”

1873 -1877 gg. – The writer worked on the novel “Anna Karenina.”

1881 – appealed to Tsar Alexander III with a request to abolish the execution of terrorists who killed Tsar Alexander II.

1880s – a number of Tolstoy’s “rebellious” works of different genres appeared: the treatise “What is my faith?” , the stirring up of church circles, the drama “The Power of Darkness”, which was banned for staging on the stage, the story of the “Kreutzer Sonata”, pursued by censorship and only with the permission of the tsar printed in the collection of the writer’s writings.

1891 – Tolstoy refused to copyright the works written after 1881, which caused a serious conflict in his family.

1895 – made an article “Shame”, in which he condemned corporal punishment of peasants.

1899 – completed the novel “Sunday”, which gave ten years of his labor.

1901 – appealed to Tsar Nicholas II with a letter, in which he called for the liquidation of private property on land.

1908 – Abroad published an article by L. Tolstoy “I Can not Be Silent!”, In which he resolutely opposed the death penalty.

1910 – the writer tried to implement the long-planned escape from Yasnaya Polyana, and, alone and secretly leaving his native home, went to the south. However, on the way, he caught a cold and went off.

November 20, 1910 – died due to pneumonia.


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Leo Tolstoy. Biography