Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy: short biography, facts and video

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Leo Tolstoy: a short biography

Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich is a famous writer and philosopher. His views and beliefs became the basis of a new religious and moral teaching, which would later be called Tolstoyism.

His legacy is ninety volumes of works, notes from a personal diary and letters. Tolstoy has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature on several occasions.

Childhood and youth

Levushka, as the boy was affectionately called, was born on September 9, 1828 in the noble estate of his mother in Yasnaya Polyana, Tula province. Nowadays, the estate museum annually attracts thousands of tourists and admirers of Tolstoy’s work.

In the family Levushka was the fourth boy, and the next year the long-awaited daughter Mashenka appeared. But soon the children were orphaned. Mother Maria Nikolaevna (Volkonskaya) died in the summer of 1830. 7 years later, Nikolai Ilyich also passed away.

The children were taken into care by their aunt, Alexandra Osten-Saken. She took two of them with her to Moscow, and the rest lived in the estate. Memories of this time always disturbed the soul, but they were also infinitely dear to Lev Nikolaevich.

In 1841 Osten-Saken died and the children were transported to another aunt Pelageya Yushkova in Kazan. In 1843, Lev entered the university. He was indifferent to his studies, and considered the teachers incompetent, preferring a variety of entertainment.

In the spring of 1847, without completing his studies and receiving part of the inheritance, including Yasnaya Polyana, the 19-year-old boy went home. Here he immediately sketched an extensive plan for his education. But I soon realized that it was easy to make plans, but I couldn’t force myself to do it.

Fascinated by asceticism, the young man sometimes changes this lifestyle for revelry and gambling cards. Then the stage of discontent began and he re-wrote the daily routine in order to change his life.

Leo Tolstoy’s creativity

In the spring of 1851, his brother Nikolai, who served in the Caucasus, visited the estate. Lev Nikolaevich, having heard enough heroic stories about the war, decided to go with him.

Tolstoy served in the Caucasus for about two and a half years. He hunted, played cards, and occasionally took part in raids. He liked this pastime. Here he wrote “Childhood” using his memories.

In the summer of 1852, the writer sent the manuscript to g. “Contemporary” to the editor with a note that further literary activity depends on his review. The answer came in the affirmative, and in 1854 Tolstoy published his story, Boyhood.

In December 1854 Tolstoy arrived in Sevastopol, about which he will write a detailed story. He describes the battle scenes. The style of the work is patriotic, glorifying the courage and courage of Russian soldiers.

Then he proceeds to the story “Sevastopol in May”. But pride in the Russian troops turned into horror and shock from senselessness and inhumanity.

In 1855 Tolstoy left for St. Petersburg. Here he completes the trilogy about Sevastopol and in the fall writes a report on leaving military service.

Lev Nikolaevich devotes himself entirely to literature. He writes the story “Snowstorm”, the story “Two Hussars”, finishes the trilogy about childhood. And in January 1857 he went on a voyage to European countries. He visited France, Italy, Germany: got acquainted with the masterpieces of art. But overall, the trip disappointed him.

Six months later, the writer returned to his estate. There he worked on the novella Cossacks and the novel Family Happiness.

In 1859, Lev Nikolaevich at his own expense created several schools in the province for the children of peasants. At this time, he was interested in education in European countries. A year later, he goes to Europe. He spent 9 months abroad and again experienced disappointment.

He decided to create his own education system, canceling all programs. In 1862, the writer publishes a journal on pedagogy, in the appendix of the book for reading. He writes “ABC” with his stories for children, makes arrangements of folk tales and songs.

Leo Tolstoy’s wife

A crisis gradually sets in in the writer’s work. In his diary, he often expresses dissatisfaction with his life. He is tormented by reflections on death.

But he finds the meaning of life in love for his wife. At 34, Lev Nikolaevich marries 18-year-old Sophia Bers. This happy union lasted 48 years. Sophia gave birth to her husband thirteen children. This was the best period in Tolstoy’s life, who finally found peace of mind.

Sofya Andreevna was his secretary and even editor. She lived for 75 years, having outlived her husband for 10 years.

“War and Peace”

Soon the writer begins work on the novel War and Peace. “Large-scale epic” – this is how critics will later call this work. Peaceful everyday scenes were taken from life, battle and civil episodes from the history of the Russian Empire.

The main idea of ​​the novel is pacifism: a protest against any war. The work was completed in 1869 and had a deafening resonance in society.

War and Peace will be followed by the equally serious and dramatic work Anna Karenina (1873-1876).

LN Tolstoy became a recognized writer, his works were a great success, he won worldwide fame. But it was of little interest to him. He increasingly thought about social inequality in society and the miserable existence of the common people.

Veliky Tolstoy passed away at the age of 82 on November 20, 1910 and was buried in Yasnaya Polyana.

Video

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