Leo Tolstoy: the death of a writer, biography and creativity

Leo Tolstoy is a great world writer of all time. From under the pen of the writer came out works that have become 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 guided the writer's creative impulses? Let's delve into the story of the life and death of Leo Tolstoy.

Tolstoy: the early years

On September 9, 1828, a 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 Nikolay belonged to the old family of Tolstoys.
• Mother - Princess Volkonskaya, from the Rurikovich clan. The early death of Lev Nikolaevich's mother plunged into despair.
• Brother Nicholas, years of life 1823-1860.
• Brother Sergey, 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 parents and guardians, little Leo had to go through difficult times, and after that he experienced the whole series of deaths in his family. All brothers and sisters were placed under the care of their father. Seven years later, his father died when Leo was nine years old. The next guardian of the Tolstoy children was appointed Ergolskaya T.A., who was a native aunt for the Tolstoy children. After the death of the guardian, Lev and his brothers and sister had to move to Kazan, where they fell under the care of the next aunt, P. Yushkova. In the future, in his autobiographical work “Childhood,” he recalls the time spent with his aunt, the most cheerful and careless . He describes his aunt as an affectionate and sweet relative. It was the aunt's influence on the future writer that was huge, which subsequently helped Leo to begin his work, which did not let Leo Tolstoy die.

Education

Leo Tolstoy received an excellent home education from French and German teachers. Further, when he was already in Kazan, at the age of 16 he entered Kazan University at the Faculty of Philosophy, but Leo did not cause much interest in studies. As a student, the future writer transferred to the law faculty. But after two years of study, Leo, in addition to low grades and the ability to eat, did not receive anything from the study of law. After unsuccessful attempts to reason, Lev Nikolayevich finished his studies in 1847.

Youth

After being expelled from the university, Tolstoy decided to return to Yasnaya Polyana and tackle his estate. Everyday life in the village was monotonous - communication with peasants and agriculture. All this greatly bored Leo, and he increasingly began to strive for Moscow and Tula. In the fall of 1847, Tolstoy finally moved to Moscow and settled in a house on the Arbat. At first he was preparing for the candidate exams to continue his studies, then he was fascinated by music with binges and playing cards.

Because of his weakness for gambling, Tolstoy made a lot of debts, which his relatives had to pay with for a long time. Then, changing his decision, he left for St. Petersburg. At twenty, the young Leo was looking for something to do everywhere. There was a desire to enlist in the military service as a junker or in the civil service and become an official.

In his youthful years, Tolstoy threw 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 masterfully retold 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 begin 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 journal Sovremennik, where it was published in 1852.

Caucasus

Because of his huge debt obligations, Leo decided to return to Yasnaya Polyana, where in the future he decided in 1851 to go with his brother Nikolai to serve in the Caucasus. The privilege of service to Tolstoy gave a delay in paying back by that time not small debts. For two years of his service in the rank of cadet in the Caucasus, Leo was on the verge of life and death, almost daily clashes with the highlanders.

Crimea

In 1853, during the Crimean War, Leo went to serve in the Danube Regiment. He participated in many battles in the status of battery commander, and in his peaceful moments began to write his collection of Sevastopol short stories. The first story, “Logging,” after being published in the journal Sovremennik, was no less successful than the work Childhood, even Alexander II gave his positive feedback on Tolstoy’s works.

In 1855, Tolstoy resigned as a lieutenant. The prerequisites for building a brilliant military career were more than enough. But careless humor in the stories in the direction of eminent generals forced 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”, “Demoted”, “Logging”, “Raid”. All creativity during the service was closely related to military operations.

St. Petersburg

After the service, Tolstoy returned to St. Petersburg, where he wanted to continue his literary work, which brought considerable results and recognition of the writer. Leo Tolstoy was considered the representative of a new literary movement capable of creating a sensation in the literary circles of that time. Many secular salons and literary circles with open arms met Lieutenant Tolstoy. It was on the basis of creativity that Tolstoy made friends with Turgenev, with whom they later rented one apartment. It was Turgenev who introduced Tolstoy into the circle of Sovremennik.

After the war, Tolstoy’s taste for life doubled back and required more and more impressions. He did not consider himself to be a trend in philosophy; he considered himself an anarchist. So Leo was carried away by social life, with its idleness and revelry. Satisfied with amusement and having quarreled with his friend Turgenev, Tolstoy went abroad in search of inspiration and a better life.

In the years spent in St. Petersburg, such works as "Blizzard", "Two Hussars" and "Youth" were written.

Europe

In 1857, the young Leo Tolstoy went abroad. In his journey, he spent six months of his time. The goal was simple - to learn from the experience of the West, compare knowledge and ask about what matters 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 education system of children.

Having traveled a lot, Leo realized that Europe is not different in democracy, it is in it that a clear distinction is made between aristocrats and poor people.

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, after returning from Europe, first to Moscow, and then to Yasnaya Polyana, Leo withdrew from his work and took up his household. Tolstoy created his own school, which taught peasant children by his own methodology. He published the following textbooks according to his methodology: “Arithmetic”, “Alphabet”, “Book for reading”. And also closely dealt with the issue of publishing the magazine "Yasnaya Polyana".

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

Wife and kids

In 1863, Leo Tolstoy married Bers Sofya Andreevna. At the time of the wedding, Sophia was 18 years old, and Leo was 34 years old. They lived together for 48 years, Sofia was until the very last day with her husband, despite misunderstandings and scandals during family life. The Tolstoys gave birth to 13 children, five children died at an early age:

1. Son Sergey, the 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, years of life 1864-1950, was the keeper of the museum Yasnaya Polyana before she did not emigrate 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 United States in 1916.
4. Son Leo, the years of life 1869-1945, also followed the path of his father and became a writer and also a sculptor. In 1918 he emigrated to France, then to Sweden.
5. Daughter Maria, years of life 1871-1906, was married to NL Obolensky, governor of Kursk.
6. Son Peter, years of life 1872-1873.
7. Son Nicholas, years of life 1874-1875.
8. Daughter of Barbara, years of life 1875-1875.
9. Son Andrey, years of life 1877-1916, official at the Tula governor.
10. Son Michael, years of life 1879-1944, in 1920 emigrated to Turkey.
11. Son Alexei, years of life 1881-1886.
12. Alexander's daughter, 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 the writing of War and Peace. Even during pregnancy, Sofya Andreevna was engaged in household chores herself and helped her husband in his creative work, copying drafts to cleaners. In the first ten years of family life in Yasnaya Polyana, the great work “Anna Karenina” was written.

Moscow

In the eighties, Leo Tolstoy decided to move the whole family to Moscow for the sake of children. Tolstoy believed that moving would give a better education to his children. Arriving in Moscow, I saw a hungry life of people, it was this sight that contributed to the opening of free tables for people in need. Tolstoy discovered 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 of the poor in the country.

During this period, the following works were written: "The Death of Ivan Ilyich", "The Power of Darkness", "Fruits of Enlightenment", "Sunday". Many historians compare the work “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” by Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich in part with the life of a writer, the philosophy of the work is similar to the life of a writer, if you draw parallels.

The turning point in life and work

For criticizing the church and politics of that time, Tolstoy was excommunicated. Already by this moment Leo Tolstoy was a rather popular and wealthy man. And then a turning point began 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 change 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 he saw the death of a pig.

But vegetarianism was not fundamental to the changes in the life of Leo Tolstoy. The writer began to strive for a simple life, without worldly joys. He tried to simplify his life as much as possible, up to the point that he got rid of all that was superfluous and left everything he needed for life. Subsequently, Tolstoy not only refused a comfortable life, but also got 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, Alexander. 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 death of Leo Tolstoy will coincide with the beginning of his pilgrimage. In 1910, in an effort to smooth out the situation in the family, Lev Nikolaevich, with his daughter Alexandra, as well as with their attending physician D. P. Makovitsky, secretly went on a pilgrimage from everyone. Who would have thought that the date of the pilgrimage coincides with the date of death of Leo Tolstoy

The writer did not take the road and felt unwell, it made him get off the train at 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 was found at 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 birth and death in one place - in Yasnaya Polyana, where he rested. It was a great loss to the whole world.

The whole world mourned due to the death of Leo Tolstoy. After all, it was not just a person, but a whole era in the classics of literature. At the funeral there were many friends and popular people of that time. Date of death of Leo Tolstoy - November 20, 1910.