Leo Tolstoy: writer's death, biography and creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Leo Tolstoy is the world's greatest writer of all time. From the writer's pen came works that became masterpieces of world literature.

What led Lev Nikolaevich in the process of writing his works? Perhaps the description of the life and death of Leo Tolstoy 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, the fourth child was born in the Tolstoy family in Yasnaya Polyana, Tula province. 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 Nicholas, years of life 1823-1860.
• Brother Sergei, years of life 1826-1904.
• Brother Dmitry, years of life 1827-1856.
• Sister Mary, 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 to go through 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 aunt's influence 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, while 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 was preparing 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 life 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, after finishing the story, he sent it to the Sovremennik magazine, where it was published in 1852.

Caucasus

Because of his huge debt obligations, Lev decided to return to Yasnaya Polyana, where he later decided in 1851 with his brother Nikolai to go to serve in the Caucasus. The privilege of serving Tolstoy gave a deferment in payment by that time no longersmall debts. For two years of his service as a cadet in the Caucasus, Lev 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 "The Cutting of the Forest" after its publication in the Sovremennik magazine 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 Stories" 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.

St. 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 met with open armslieutenant Tolstoy. 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 "Snowstorm", "Two Hussars" and "Youth" were written.

Europe

In 1857 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 has visited the following countries:

• Italy, where I tried to understand the meaning of art.
• France, wanted to understand its culture.
• Switzerland.
• Germany, which made it possible to adopt the system of teaching children.

After traveling enough, 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 de alt with the issue of publishing the Yasnaya Polyana magazine.

Leo was so carried away by his agriculture that he subsequently began to increase it. Great love was for horses, the estate had a large stable with horses of various colors.

Wife and children

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:

1. Son Sergei, years of life 1863-1947, the only one of all the children of Leo Tolstoy who did not emigrate during the October Revolution.
2. Daughter Tatyana, born 1864-1950, was the curator of the Yasnaya Polyana Museum before she emigrated with her daughter in 1925.
3. Son Ilya, years of life 1866-1933, followed the path of his father and became a writer, emigrated to the USA in 1916.
4. Son Leo, years of life 1869-1945, also followed the path of his father and became a writer and sculptor. In 1918 he emigrated to France, then to Sweden.
5. Daughter Maria, years of life1871-1906, was married to Obolensky N. L., Governor of Kursk.
6. Son Peter, years of life 1872-1873.
7. Son Nicholas, years of life 1874-1875.
8. Daughter Varvara, years of life 1875-1875.
9. Son Andrei, years of life 1877-1916, official under the Tula governor.
10. Son Michael, years of life 1879-1944, emigrated to Turkey in 1920.
11. Son Alexei, years of life 1881-1886.
12. Daughter of Alexander, years of life 1884-1979, emigrated in 1929.
13. Son Ivan, years of life 1888-1895.

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 his 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 policies 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 historianscompare the work "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Tolstoy Leo Nikolayevich partially with the life of the writer, the philosophy of the work is similar to the life of the writer, if you draw parallels.

A turning point in life and work

For criticism of the church and politics of that time, Tolstoy is 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, 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 Tolstoy was the leader of his time, he preached the idea of non-resistance to evil. Tolstoy had many students, including his youngest daughter Alexandra. Lev Nikolaevich's wife 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 doctor Makovitsky D. P. secretly went on a pilgrimage. Who would have thought that the date of the pilgrimage would coincide with the date of Leo Tolstoy's death

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 Nikolayevich 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.