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in: 1828 births, 1910 deaths

Leo Tolstoy

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Leo Tolstoy (Толстой, Лев НиколаевичRussian: Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy; estate Yasnaya Polyana, 9 september 1828 – 20 november Astapovo, 1910[1]), was aRussian writer who has had much influence on the Russian literature and politics. He made as part of the Russian count nobility.

Content[]

[hide]*1 early life

Life Course[Edit][]

[1][2]Living house for Yasnaya Polyana (rear)

Tolstoy was born on the estate, Yasnaya Polyananear Tula, 180 kilometers south of Moscow. He came from a family of high nobility. His father, count Nikolai Ilyich Tolstoy, was a participant in the ' patriotic war ' of 1812 against the armies of Napoleon.His mother was Duchess Maria Nikolaevna. However, his parents died early and he was raised by relatives. His early life at Yasnaya Polyana has a large impact on the future writer. There he became acquainted with the lives of poor farmers. He got education from home teachers and read very much in French, German and English. In French, for example, all the works ofRousseau from whom he at the age of 15, a portrait in a locket around his neck bore. He also read the early poems, fairy tales and legends of the Pushkin admired by him.

When he was sixteen years old in 1844, he attended the University of Kazan, where he studied Oriental languages to prepare for a diplomatic career. Returned on the family estate, he founded his first school for the children of the poor farmers. He was then 21 years old. This first school has not long exist, at most a year. There is virtually nothing is known about it.

In 1851 after he had made large gambling debts, and a wild life, he accompanied his older brother Nikolai, who was an officer in the Russian army, to the Caucasus and entered moments later also to the army as a cadet. Tolstoy fought in the Caucasus against the rebellious aspiring to independence and Tatars (Islamic mountain peoples in the Northern Caucasus) and then in the Crimean War in the defence of Sevastopolas Commander of an artillery battery. In these years he wrote his childhood and early life and a first series of stories. For all his writings he found a Publisher almost immediately and became known as a writer. By his stories from both wars, he is also called the ' first war correspondent ' called.

In the years 1857 to 1861 , he traveled twice to Western Europe the first time tourist to France, Germany, Italyand Switzerland , the second time in addition to England and Belgium. The second time initially to his death in a French spa town resident ill brother Nikolai to assist and then, after his death, to in different countries to study primary education and adult education. In 1859 he founded a school for the second time for farm children of Yasnaya Polyana. In 1862-1863 did he reported his experiences as an educator and teacher in a private magazine under the title Yasnaya Polyana in twelve episodes was issued. In the summer of 1862 was Tolstoy to the cures in South Russia, not far from Samara (he was always afraid just like two of his three brothers to TB will get). There reached him the message that the police, on the orders of the Interior Minister, on 6 and 7 July raided his house and school building had done, looking for evidence for Tolstoy. Everything was broken up and turned upside down but nothing was found on which one could sue him.Tolstoy was very indignant and wrote after returning home an angry letter to Tsar Alexander II that he him by friends at the Court in Saint Petersburg left hand over personally.

[3][4]Tomb of Tolstoy at Yasnaya Polyana

In september of the same year 1862 Tolstoy married only 18-year-old Sofia Andreyevna Behrs, daughter of a doctor by the Kremlin. By the starting family life he quickly lost his interest in the school. That closed in 1863. In these years the couple their first children (every year 1 of the final thirteen) and he wrote his famous novel war and peace.When that book was finished opened a school for the third time to Tolstoy home and he developed a course for reading instruction, Novaja Azboeka, of which the Second Edition, from 1875, was a huge success, with eventually between 1 and 2 million copies sold. Meanwhile he was also begun his Anna Karenina that in 1877 in magazine episodes began to appear.

Then came a change in the work of Tolstoy. He was involved in the faith and wrote religious-philosophical tracts and got into conflict with the church because he felt that the simple farmers were the bearers of the true faith. He renounced his wealth and maids and went dedicate themselves to a simple life. Though he continued to live on his estate.

In the autumn of the year 1910 fled the then already very fragile Tolstoy his wife and his house, with the destination is somewhere in South Russia in a monastery to withdraw, in order then to die. Accompanied by his doctor and servant he came after just a few days, however, he stranded not far. at the station of Astapovo where he on 20 november in the House of the station master died of a pneumonia. All the national and international press had gathered around the station: the death of the famous writer was world news. Tolstoy was buried in a simple grave on his estate, on the spot where, according to a local legend a green stick hidden lag that would make everyone happy. [2] In 1918 or 1920 Astapovo got a new name: Leo Tolstoy .

Work[Edit][]

[5][6]Tolstoy as youth, adult and old man

Tolstoy began publishing stories and then with his partly autobiographical trilogy childhood (1852), early life (1854) and Jongelingschap (or Students years) (1857), with which he showed from the outset the artistic mastery to have mastered. Characteristic of his writing style is a huge precision and language proficiency. Many of Tolstoy's novels are relatively poor in events: the characters and not their actions stand in the Center. For example, he depicts normal other than Dostoevsky , with a crystal clear, healthy, balanced people from inner life. Tolstoy's realism is also ethical: he speaks from value judgements. In the period after 1880 he wrote even tendentious literature.Only in his final years he returned again back to the purely artistic.

Tolstoy is widely regarded as one of the greatest literary writers ever. His most important works still have hardly lost any strength and are getting read by new generations.In particular, war and peace and Anna Karenina fully apply as monuments in the world literature.

War and peace[Edit][]

In war and peace (1865-1869) develops a long series of scenes from the life of the Russian people varied between 1805 and 1812, of the campaigns at Austerlitz to the retreat of Napoleon after the fire of Moscow. For seven years, is the fate of the family followed Bolkonski and Rostov and Pierre Bezoechov of the lonely. Realistic descriptions of battles are interspersed with detailed descriptions of the daily life of the nobility. The Act develops on two planes: the General Russian and the individual. Historical events and individual destinies are closely linked. The historical figures Napoleon and Kutuzov illustrate Tolstoy's view that no great men shape the course of history. The gradient is actually determined by a large number of people whose acts each other by crosses and that cause unexpected and unforeseen situations.

Tolstoy's characters are never one sided or static: they grow slowly. Looking for a meaningful life they experience success and failure, joy and sorrow, glory and repentance. In the process of drawing the character often used Tolstoy antithesis: Andrei and Pierre, Hélène and Natasja, and so on.

[7][8]Anna meets her son===Anna Karenina[Edit]===

The antithesis also returns back in the novel Anna Karenina (1877). Anna is married with the older senior official Karenin, but falls in love with the young count Vronsky. Parallel to the love affair that develops between Anna and Vronsky Tolstoy describes the contrasting relationship of two couples: Levin (who strongly reminiscent of Tolstoy himself) and Kitty encounter many problems in the first period of their marriage, but suffering no shipwreck thanks to the sense of duty of the man. Stefan Oblonski and Dolly have been unhappily married, Stefan is frivolous, but his wife accepts the for the sake of the children. The novel forms a balanced and complete whole. The use of parallelism and contrast, of symbols and leitmotifs, there is nothing unnatural or caricatured.

Anna Karenina begins with the arrival of Anna on a platform in Saint Petersburg where they witness is from someone for the train jumps and ends with her suicide, likewise on the train tracks.

Other work[Edit][]

In addition to war and peace and Anna Karenina Tolstoy wrote with Resurrection (1899) a third great epic novel. Resurrection has as its theme the fallen man who can elevate morale again. The work has a strong moralistic streak and verve the greatness of his.

Apart from its great epic work wrote Tolstoy novels and stories, including a large number of flawless gems as Lucerne (1857, a critique of the "inhuman" West), The Cossacks (1863, about the superfluous man a new life purpose Olenin that takes place in the military action in the Caucasus), the death of Ivan Ilyich (1886, about the slow death of a civil servant who fulfilled is disgusted because he must die), The Kreutzer Sonata(1889, about an unhappy marriage) and Hadji Murad (1904, about the wild mountain people of the Caucasus). Also, shorter work of its kind is considered of the highest level.

As anything less successful is Tolstoy's stage work seen, in particular anyway because they the beautiful descriptive passages and psychological analyses from his novels should miss. Nevertheless, its drama The power of darkness (1886) still played regularly, both in Russia and abroad.

Christian[Edit][]

[9][10]Tolstoy behind the team, by Ilya Repin

Already in 1855 Tolstoy wrote: "I have a great idea where I would like to dedicate my life to: the creation of a new Christian religion, but without the dogmas and the miracles." At the end of the 1870s, just after the publication of his greatest success ' Anna Karenina ', Tolstoy was at the height of his fame. Just then, he was in a deep life crisis that it back to the Christian faith of his youth would take.

In 1880 he wrote his first Christian writings the confession (or: My Confession), which appeared in 1882 . In this concise writings, he again how his search for the meaning of life brings him back to the faith. He found the meaning of life is not part of the privileged class, but at ordinary people who make life possible with their daily work. All these people have something in common: they have an unshakable faith and do not doubt the meaning of life. My Confession was intended as an introduction to a thorough study of Christianity, in which ordinary people (such as the farmers on his estate) believed so deeply. The Orthodox liturgy and he rejects most of the Bible with rational arguments. The only goal that he made was to reconstruct the words of Christ so where possible. Therefore, it was said that he partly as criticism itself ' as a new evangelist '. My Little Gospel (1881-1883) provides a summary of his evangelical study. He added pieces of the four Gospels into a single clear story, from which emerges not as a mysterious Christ son of god, but as a human being with a simple and Grand leather.

[11][12]Tolstoy barefoot by Ilya Repin

Jesus was the son of an unknown father. Because he did not know who his father was, he called God his father as a child... In the desert he suffers hunger and realizes that he is not omnipotent and so not the son of God. ...I can make no bread from stones, but I can dispense bread. And that is why I am, although not omnipotent, Almighty in the flesh in the spirit; I can overcome the flesh; and that is why I am the son of god, not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.

The Russian Orthodox Church clouded this simple truth and played according to Tolstoy a hypocritical role. He blamed her she a multitude of earlier and later texts wanted to bring in line with the teachings of Christ. ' With Paul begins the Christian Talmud that "Church" is called ... (p 25) '. ' Religious authorities can prove anything, just straight talk: law talk the sacrilege that they equal the teachings of their God Jesus argued with the teachings of Ezra, with the councils and with Theophylactus. (p 36) '. The Church now excommunicated him in February 1901. As protest against this painted Ilya Repin Tolstoy barefoot.

Tolstoy produced still other writings of moral-ethical and Christian nature. Tolstoy's vision was always unorthodox. He sided with on the side of the people, the weak and the oppressed.

He also tried his insights into practice. He founded a school for children of farmers (with a teaching method based on freedom of the individual, see above), but also a time teaching children and went on the field work (what a backhoe was a revolutionary act at that time). Tolstoy had a long beard and dressed on his estate in farmers clothing or in a simple long robe. He sacked as are found that they had to provide for a work.

Although one can see Tolstoy also called as an anarchist, he was strictly speaking no revolutionary who, for example, farmers called for the violent Government overthrow. Tolstoy, in the line of Jesus' sermon on the mount, called for having resistance. Tolstoy turned against materialism and atheism of most revolutionaries. According to Tolstoy to the revolutionaries wanted to accomplish much. Sometimes it was also possible in certain business resignation/desired.

Trivia[Edit][]

  • After the turn of the century Mahatma Gandhi corresponded with Tolstoy. Tolstoy's ideas eventually played a major role in Gandhi, particularly in the area of non-violence.
  • Tolstoy was esperantist. In 1894 he said about Esperanto: "I found Volapük very difficult, but I have experienced as very simple Esperanto. It is so simple that I, (..) already after two hours could write the language might not be, but still reading fluently could. (..) The sacrifices would bring a European by time to the study of this language to spend, are so small and the results such that one can not refuse to try it. "
  • 2010 is, because of the 100th death year of Tolstoy, Tolstoy-voted the year. With a view to the Tolstoy-year in 2009, directed by Michael Hoffman and Christopher Plummer in the lead role, the film The Last Station on the last year of life of Tolstoy. The film is based on a biography by the American writer Jay Parini and the memoirs of Tolstoy's last private SecretaryValentin Bulgakov.

Bibliography[Edit][]

Novels and short stories[Edit][]

  • Autobiographical trilogy
    • Childhood (1852)
    • Boyhood (1854)
    • Jongelingschap (1857)
  • Family Happiness (1859, Novella)
  • The Cossack (1863)

[13][14]First English-language edition of war and peace*War and peace (1865-69)

Short stories[Edit][]

  • Robbery (1852)
  • Cutting down a forest (1855)
  • Memories from the Caucasus (1855)
  • Notes of a row markers (1855)
  • Sebastopolverhalen (1855)
    • Sevastopol in the month of december
    • Sevastopol in may
    • Sevastopol in August 1855
  • Snow storm (1855)
  • Two Hussars (1855)
  • The morning of a country nobleman (1855)
  • From the notes of Prince d. detachment "(1856). Luzern (1857)
  • Albert (1858)
  • Three deaths (1858)
  • Domestic Happiness (1859)
  • Polikoesjka (1863)
  • The prisoner in the Caucasus (1872)
  • Whereby the people live (1881)
  • As you fire allows committed, there is no putting out more to (1885)
  • Two old men (1885)
  • The candle (1885)
  • The piece the size of a chicken egg (1886)

[15][16]Illustration for Ivan the fool*The tale of Ivan the fool (1886)

  • The servant Yemelyan and the empty drum (1886)
  • Cholstomir: the story of a horse (1886)
  • How much land does a man need? (1887)
  • The devil (1889)
  • Lord and servant (1895)
  • Father Sergius (1898)
  • After the ball (1903)
  • Marc Gorsjok (1905)
  • 'S Poet Korney Vasilyev (1905)
  • Blueberries (1905)
  • Failed memoirs of a starets (1905)
  • Notes of an insane (posthumously published in 1911, started in 1884 but not completed)

Drama[Edit][]

  • The power of darkness (1887, tragedy)
  • Fruits of enlightenment (1889, comedy)
  • The living corpse (1900)

Non-Fiction[Edit][]

  • Yasnaya Polyana; report of an educational experiment (1862-1863)
  • My confession (1882)
  • What I believe (1884)
  • What needs to be done? (1886)
  • The Kingdom of God is in you (1894), also published as The God's Kingdom is in your
  • My little gospel (1896)
  • Letter to the Liberals (1896)
  • What is art? (1897)
  • The law of love and the law of violence (1940, posthumous)

About Tolstoy[Edit][]

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