Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy is a great Russian writer who created more than 279 literary works. In our article you will get acquainted with the list of the best and most popular books by this author.
Novels
War and Peace
“War and Peace” is an epic four-volume novel written during the hostilities of 1805-1812. Tolstoy was inspired by the events taking place, which is why he decided to create this masterpiece. The book takes place during the war with Napoleon (Russia was an ally of Austria, which was also involved in this conflict). Each volume tells a different story. Let's look at each of them in more detail.
The first volume tells about the life of Russian society in the 19th century, about how people lived in those difficult years, and touches on the stories of poor and rich social strata.
The second volume of the book “War and Peace” describes in detail the arrival of Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov to Austria in the town of Braunau, which was made to inspect and assess the power and strength of the Russian army.
The third volume is considered the most “calm and peaceful”, as it is dedicated to the love stories of the main characters, in particular the young count’s son Pierre Bezukhov.
The fourth part of the novel begins with the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte's troops on Russian soil.
Tolstoy's books are read by the whole worldAnna Karenina
"Anna Karenina" - a novel about unhappy young love married woman named Anna Karenina, who was passionately in love with the brave and courageous officer Alexei Vronsky. also in this work you can find many interesting historical facts about the life of bourgeois and peasant society in the 19th century. The author describes in detail St. Petersburg at that time, and this happens simultaneously with the love events of the novel.
Family happiness
“Family Happiness” is a novel that was first published in the then famous magazine “Russian Messenger” in 1859. The book tells the story of a young village girl who fell in love with best friend his recently deceased father, 38-year-old Sergei Mikhailovich. After some time, the man married a young beauty, so the first years of their married life are described below, including quarrels and separations.
Resurrection
"Resurrection" is a work written in 1899, which is considered last novel Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. The book tells the story of a court hearing at which the case of the theft of money and the poisoning of the merchant Smelkov, who could not be saved, is being considered, as a result of which he dies. The police were able to identify three suspects in this crime. What will be next? Who will be found guilty? You can find out about this by reading the book.
an educated person should be familiar with at least several of Tolstoy’s worksStories
Yule night
“Yuletide Night” is a story written in 1853. The book is about a little girl remembering an old Christmas story her grandmother told her. One night, a man went in search of fire to warm his wife and newly born child. Along the way, he meets shepherds warming themselves by the fire. The shepherds allowed the stranger to take coals from their fire. They were very surprised that he did not get burned when he took the hot stones in his hands. Who is this mysterious traveler? If you are intrigued, then you need to read this story as soon as possible.
Sevastopol in August 1855
“Sevastopol in August 1855” is a book included in a cycle of three works about the defense of the city of Sevastopol, which took place in 1855 during the Crimean War. The story “Sevastopol in August 1855” describes the fate of the young soldier Volodya, who voluntarily went to the front. This work describes military operations, the experiences of the main character, his personal idea and impression of the war.
Blizzard
"The Blizzard" is a short story written by Leo Tolstoy in 1856. The book is told from the author's point of view and begins with a story about how he jumps into a sleigh to a passing coachman and asks to take him home from the station. On the way, a strong snowstorm begins, the likes of which the city of Novocherkassk has not seen for a long time. Lately. It became difficult for the horse to walk, she could hardly see anything because of the snowstorm, so the driver decided to turn back. Main character tried to help the coachman and decides to get out of the cart to find the track from the sleigh, but nothing comes of it. How will they manage to cope with this situation?
Demoted
“Demoted” is a story that was written in 1856, part of the Caucasian cycle of works by Tolstoy. The plot of the book takes place during the Caucasian War in 1850. The story begins with a young prince serving in an artillery battalion Russian army. In a small forest clearing near a fire, officers gather to chat and play a game that was popular at that time - gorodki. Suddenly a strange stranger appears - a little man in a rabbit sheepskin coat, who sits down with the officers and begins to tell his story. Who is this a strange man? You will only learn about this from the book.
Prisoner of the Caucasus
« Prisoner of the Caucasus" - a story that was first published in the magazine "Zarya" in 1873. It tells the story of the Russian officer Zhilin, who, by an unfortunate coincidence, was captured by the mountaineers during the Caucasian War. Zilina's mother sends him a letter asking his son to come see her. The young man immediately decides to go to meet his mother. Along the way, he is attacked and taken prisoner.
Filipok
“Filipok” is a story written by Lev Nikolaevich in 1875. The plot describes the life of a small, curious boy named Philip, but his mother affectionately calls him “Filipok.” The boy is interested in everything that catches his eye. Philip dreams of going to school. Every morning he looks with envy at the older kids getting ready for school. One day he decides to sneak into class. What will he do? You can find out by reading the book.
Surat coffee shop
"The Surat Coffee House" is a story created in 1906. It tells the story of one small coffee shop located in the Indian town of Surat. Travelers, travelers and high-ranking officials loved to come to this place, because excellent coffee was brewed in the Surat coffee shop. One day a strange man came here, introducing himself as a scholar-theologian. What is the meaning of his appearance? You can learn about this from the story.
Dream of a young king
“The Dream of a Young Tsar” is a work written in 1958. It tells about the life of a young king who had recently ascended the throne. For almost 5 weeks he worked tirelessly, with virtually no rest: he signed decrees, attended meetings, received foreign ambassadors and guests. One day he dreamed extraordinary dream. What was he talking about? You can find out about this only after reading this book.
Stories
Childhood
“Childhood” is one of the books included in the trilogy of autobiography by Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy, which was written in 1852. The story tells many facts and stories from the writer’s life, describing his experiences, joys, grievances, first love, ups and downs.
Cossacks
“Cossacks” is a story by Lev Nikolaevich, written in 1864. It tells about the Cossack cadet Dmitry Andreevich Olenin, who went from Moscow to the Caucasus to a new duty station. Olenin settled in the small village of Novomlinskaya, located on the banks of the Terek River. A little later, the guy falls in love with the daughter of the owners of the house from whom he rents. The girl’s parents are against such a union, because they already have a groom in mind for their daughter. Who is this? You can only learn about this from a book.
Morning of the landowner
“The Landowner's Morning” is a story created in 1856, which has an autobiographical writing style. It tells about the 19-year-old Prince Nekhlyudov, who comes to his village on vacation. After life in the capital young man He was very surprised by the poor life of the local peasants, so he decided to help the unfortunate people. The guy decides to leave the university, return to his native land and take up farming.
Two hussars
“Two Hussars” is a story first published in the Sovremennik magazine in 1857. Lev Nikolaevich dedicated this work to his beloved sister. It tells about the hussar Fyodor Turbin (count and famous at that time socialite), arriving in a small provincial town, in whose hotel he meets the cornet Ilyin, who recently lost a large sum of money at cards. Turbin decides to help the unfortunate man and comes up with a game plan in order to beat the cheater. Will they succeed?
Idyll
“Idyll” is one of the last stories by Leo Tolstoy, written in 1862. In this work, the author describes the life of his family in the village of Yasnaya Polyana, located in the Tula province. The rural “idyll” of the Tolstoy family is described in detail in this book.
Boyhood
“Adolescence” is the second story from autobiographical trilogy Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, created in 1855. The book tells about the teenage period of the life of the boy Kolya, who experiences many difficulties: first feelings, betrayal of friends, school exams and admission to cadet school.
Youth
“Youth” is the last story in the autobiographical trilogy, written in 1857. Life is described here young guy Nikolai Irtenyev in his university years, about his friends, their experiences and difficulties that they will encounter more than once.
Hadji Murad
“Hadji Murad” is a story published in 1890. The book tells about the life of the famous brave Avar Hadji Murat, who fought in Caucasian War against the Russian army. Hadji Murat goes over to the enemy's side, abandons his compatriots and runs away from them into the mountains. Next, he tries to improve relations with Russian soldiers, starting to fight alongside them.
Along with this also read
The above works, written by Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, are considered one of the best and most famous among readers all over the world. But, there are books that are no less popular and interesting. These include:
- "Polyushka";
- "Mother";
- "Diary of a Madman";
- "Master and Worker";
- “Posthumous Notes of Elder Fyodor Kuzmich”;
- "Father Sergius";
- "The History of Yesterday";
- "Two horses";
- "Kholstomer";
- "Lucerne";
- "Expensive";
- "Fake coupon";
- "Alyosha Pot";
- "For what?";
- "The Power of Childhood";
- "Father Vasily";
- "Three days in the village";
- "Khodynka";
- "Infected Family";
- "Nihilist";
- "Fruits of Enlightenment";
- "Grateful Soil";
- "The Aeronaut's Tale";
- "Bounce";
- “The power of darkness, or the Claw is stuck, the whole bird is lost”;
- "Peter Khlebnik"
- “All qualities come from her”;
- “Dramatic adaptation of the legend of Ageya”;
- “Song about the battle on the Chernaya River on August 4, 1855.”
In this article you learned about the best and interesting works Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. The most popular novels, novellas and short stories were described here. Each of which we recommend reading.
This is a large-scale work that tells about the life of Russian noble society during the years Patriotic War, includes many storylines. Here you can find and love stories, And battle scenes, and morally difficult situations, and several human types that time. The work is very multifaceted, it contains several ideas characteristic of Tolstoy, and all are written out with amazing accuracy.It is known that work on the work lasted about 6 years, and its original volume was not 4, but 6 volumes. Leo Tolstoy used a huge amount sources so that events appear reliable. He read the works of Russian and French historians, privately for the period from 1805 to 1812. However, Tolstoy himself regarded his work with a certain degree of skepticism. So, he wrote in his diary: “People love me for those trifles - “War and Peace”, etc., which seem very important to them.”
Researchers counted 559 heroes in the novel “War and Peace”.
"Anna Karenina" - a tragic love story
Not everyone has read this famous novel, but everyone knows its tragic ending. The name Anna Karenina has already become a household name in conversations about unhappy love. Meanwhile, Tolstoy shows in the novel not so much the tragedy of events, as, for example, in Shakespeare, but a psychological tragedy. This novel is not dedicated to pure and sublime love, who doesn’t care about all the conventions, but the breaking psyche of a secular woman who suddenly found herself abandoned by everyone because of an “indecent” relationship.Tolstoy's work is popular because it is relevant at any time. Instead of the discussions of earlier authors about enthusiastic and bright feelings, it shows the underside of blinding love and the consequences of relationships that are dictated by passion rather than reason.
One of the heroes of the novel "Anna Karenina", Konstantin Levin, is an autobiographical character. Tolstoy put his thoughts and ideas into his mouth.
"Childhood. Adolescence. Youth" - autobiographical trilogy
Three stories, united by one hero, are partly based on the memoirs of Tolstoy himself. These are a kind of growing boy. Despite good upbringing and care from elders, the hero faces problems characteristic of his age.As a child, he experiences his first love, prepares with fear, and encounters injustice for the first time. The teenage hero, growing up, learns betrayal, and also finds new friends and experiences the breaking of old stereotypes. In the story "Youth" the hero faces social problems, acquires his first mature judgments, enters university and thinks about his future fate.
Lev Tolstoy is one of the most famous writers and philosophers in the world. His views and beliefs formed the basis of an entire religious and philosophical movement called Tolstoyism. Literary heritage The writer's collection included 90 volumes of artistic and journalistic works, diary notes and letters, and he himself was more than once nominated for Nobel Prize in Literature and the Nobel Peace Prize.
“Do everything that you have determined to be done.”
Family tree of Leo Tolstoy. Image: regnum.ru
Silhouette of Maria Tolstoy (nee Volkonskaya), mother of Leo Tolstoy. 1810s. Image: wikipedia.org
Leo Tolstoy was born on September 9, 1828 in the Yasnaya Polyana estate in the Tula province. He was the fourth child in a large noble family. Tolstoy was orphaned early. His mother died when he was not yet two years old, and at the age of nine he lost his father. Aunt Alexandra Osten-Saken became the guardian of Tolstoy's five children. The two older children moved to their aunt in Moscow, while the younger ones remained in Yasnaya Polyana. The most important and dear memories are associated with the family estate early childhood Lev Tolstoy.
In 1841, Alexandra Osten-Sacken died, and the Tolstoys moved to their aunt Pelageya Yushkova in Kazan. Three years after moving, Leo Tolstoy decided to enter the prestigious Imperial Kazan University. However, he did not like studying; he considered exams to be a formality, and university professors to be incompetent. Tolstoy did not even try to get a scientific degree; in Kazan he was more attracted to secular entertainment.
In April 1847 student life Leo Tolstoy is over. He inherited his share of the property, including his beloved Yasnaya Polyana, and immediately went home without receiving higher education. On the family estate, Tolstoy tried to improve his life and start writing. He drew up his education plan: to study languages, history, medicine, mathematics, geography, law, Agriculture, natural Sciences. However, he soon came to the conclusion that it is easier to make plans than to implement them.
Tolstoy's asceticism was often replaced by carousing and card games. Wanting to start what he thought was the right life, he created a daily routine. But he didn’t follow it either, and in his diary he again noted his dissatisfaction with himself. All these failures prompted Leo Tolstoy to change his lifestyle. An opportunity presented itself in April 1851: the elder brother Nikolai arrived in Yasnaya Polyana. At that time he served in the Caucasus, where there was a war. Leo Tolstoy decided to join his brother and went with him to a village on the banks of the Terek River.
Leo Tolstoy served on the outskirts of the empire for almost two and a half years. He whiled away his time by hunting, playing cards, and occasionally participating in raids into enemy territory. Tolstoy liked such a solitary and monotonous life. It was in the Caucasus that the story “Childhood” was born. While working on it, the writer found a source of inspiration that remained important to him until the end of his life: he used his own memories and experiences.
In July 1852, Tolstoy sent the manuscript of the story to Sovremennik magazine and attached a letter: “...I look forward to your verdict. He will either encourage me to continue my favorite activities, or force me to burn everything I started.”. Editor Nikolai Nekrasov liked the work of the new author, and soon “Childhood” was published in the magazine. Inspired by the first success, the writer soon began the continuation of “Childhood”. In 1854, he published a second story, “Adolescence” in the Sovremennik magazine.
“The main thing is literary works”
Leo Tolstoy in his youth. 1851. Image: school-science.ru
Lev Tolstoy. 1848. Image: regnum.ru
Lev Tolstoy. Image: old.orlovka.org.ru
At the end of 1854, Leo Tolstoy arrived in Sevastopol - the epicenter of military operations. Being in the thick of things, he created the story “Sevastopol in December.” Although Tolstoy was unusually frank in describing battle scenes, the first Sevastopol story was deeply patriotic and glorified the bravery of Russian soldiers. Soon Tolstoy began working on his second story, “Sevastopol in May.” By that time, there was nothing left of his pride in the Russian army. The horror and shock that Tolstoy experienced on the front line and during the siege of the city greatly influenced his work. Now he wrote about the meaninglessness of death and the inhumanity of war.
In 1855, from the ruins of Sevastopol, Tolstoy traveled to sophisticated St. Petersburg. The success of the first Sevastopol story gave him a sense of purpose: “My career is literature - writing and writing! Starting tomorrow, I work all my life or give up everything, rules, religion, decency - everything.”. In the capital, Leo Tolstoy finished “Sevastopol in May” and wrote “Sevastopol in August 1855” - these essays completed the trilogy. And in November 1856, the writer finally left military service.
Thanks to true stories about Crimean War Tolstoy entered the St. Petersburg literary circle magazine "Contemporary". During this period, he wrote the story “Blizzard”, the story “Two Hussars”, and finished the trilogy with the story “Youth”. However, after some time, relations with the writers from the circle deteriorated: “These people disgusted me, and I disgusted myself.”. To unwind, at the beginning of 1857 Leo Tolstoy went abroad. He visited Paris, Rome, Berlin, Dresden: he met famous works art, met artists, observed how people live in European cities. The journey did not inspire Tolstoy: he created the story “Lucerne”, in which he described his disappointment.
Leo Tolstoy at work. Image: kartinkinaden.ru
Leo Tolstoy in Yasnaya Polyana. Image: kartinkinaden.ru
Leo Tolstoy tells a fairy tale to his grandchildren Ilyusha and Sonya. 1909. Krekshino. Photo: Vladimir Chertkov / wikipedia.org
In the summer of 1857, Tolstoy returned to Yasnaya Polyana. At his native estate, he continued to work on the story “Cossacks”, and also wrote the story “Three Deaths” and the novel “Family Happiness”. In his diary, Tolstoy defined his purpose for himself at that time: "Main - literary works, then - family responsibilities, then - farming... And so to live for yourself - according to good deed a day and that's enough".
In 1899, Tolstoy wrote the novel Resurrection. In this work the writer criticized judicial system, army, government. The contempt with which Tolstoy described the institution of the church in his novel “Resurrection” provoked a response. In February 1901, in the journal “Church Gazette,” the Holy Synod published a resolution excommunicating Count Leo Tolstoy from the church. This decision only increased Tolstoy's popularity and attracted the public's attention to the writer's ideals and beliefs.
Literary and social activity Tolstoy became known abroad. The writer was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901, 1902 and 1909 and for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1902–1906. Tolstoy himself did not want to receive the award and even told the Finnish writer Arvid Järnefelt to try to prevent the award from being awarded because, “if this happened... it would be very unpleasant to refuse” “He [Chertkov] took the unfortunate old man into his hands in every possible way, he separated us, he killed the artistic spark in Lev Nikolaevich and kindled condemnation, hatred, denial, which can be felt in Lev Nikolaevich’s articles recent years, which his stupid evil genius egged him on".
Tolstoy himself was burdened by the life of a landowner and family man. He sought to bring his life into line with his beliefs and in early November 1910 secretly left the Yasnaya Polyana estate. The road turned out to be too much for the elderly man: on the way he became seriously ill and was forced to stay in the caretaker’s house railway station Astapovo. Here the writer spent last days own life. Leo Tolstoy died on November 20, 1910. The writer was buried in Yasnaya Polyana.
Count Leo Tolstoy, a classic of Russian and world literature, is called a master of psychologism, the creator of the epic novel genre, an original thinker and teacher of life. Works brilliant writer- Russia's greatest asset.
In August 1828, a classic of Russian literature was born on the Yasnaya Polyana estate in the Tula province. Future author"War and Peace" became the fourth child in a family of eminent nobles. On his father's side, he belonged to the old family of Count Tolstoy, who served and. On the maternal side, Lev Nikolaevich is a descendant of the Ruriks. It is noteworthy that Leo Tolstoy also has a common ancestor - Admiral Ivan Mikhailovich Golovin.
Lev Nikolayevich’s mother, nee Princess Volkonskaya, died of childbirth fever after the birth of her daughter. At that time, Lev was not even two years old. Seven years later, the head of the family, Count Nikolai Tolstoy, died.
Caring for the children fell on the shoulders of the writer’s aunt, T. A. Ergolskaya. Later, the second aunt, Countess A. M. Osten-Sacken, became the guardian of the orphaned children. After her death in 1840, the children moved to Kazan, to a new guardian - their father’s sister P. I. Yushkova. The aunt influenced her nephew, and the writer called his childhood in her house, which was considered the most cheerful and hospitable in the city, happy. Later, Leo Tolstoy described his impressions of life at the Yushkov estate in his story “Childhood.”
Silhouette and portrait of Leo Tolstoy's parents Elementary education the classic received at home from German and French teachers. In 1843, Leo Tolstoy entered Kazan University, choosing the Faculty of Oriental Languages. Soon, due to low academic performance, he transferred to another faculty - law. But he did not succeed here either: after two years he left the university without receiving a degree.
Lev Nikolaevich returned to Yasnaya Polyana, wanting to establish relations with the peasants in a new way. The idea failed, but the young man regularly kept a diary, loved social entertainment and became interested in music. Tolstoy listened for hours, and...
Disappointed with the life of the landowner after spending the summer in the village, 20-year-old Leo Tolstoy left the estate and moved to Moscow, and from there to St. Petersburg. The young man rushed between preparing for candidate exams at the university, studying music, carousing with cards and gypsies, and dreams of becoming either an official or a cadet in a horse guards regiment. Relatives called Lev “the most trifling fellow,” and it took years to pay off the debts he incurred.
Literature
In 1851, the writer’s brother, officer Nikolai Tolstoy, persuaded Lev to go to the Caucasus. For three years Lev Nikolaevich lived in a village on the banks of the Terek. Nature of the Caucasus and patriarchal life Cossack village later appeared in the stories “Cossacks” and “Hadji Murat”, the stories “Raid” and “Cutting the Forest”.
In the Caucasus, Leo Tolstoy composed the story “Childhood,” which he published in the magazine “Sovremennik” under the initials L.N. Soon he wrote the sequels “Adolescence” and “Youth,” combining the stories into a trilogy. The literary debut turned out to be brilliant and brought Lev Nikolaevich his first recognition.
The creative biography of Leo Tolstoy is developing rapidly: an appointment to Bucharest, a transfer to besieged Sevastopol, and command of a battery enriched the writer with impressions. From the pen of Lev Nikolaevich came the cycle “ Sevastopol stories" The works of the young writer amazed critics with their bold psychological analysis. Nikolai Chernyshevsky found in them a “dialectic of the soul,” and the emperor read the essay “Sevastopol in December” and expressed admiration for Tolstoy’s talent.
In the winter of 1855, 28-year-old Leo Tolstoy arrived in St. Petersburg and entered the Sovremennik circle, where he was warmly welcomed, calling him “the great hope of Russian literature.” But over the course of a year, I got tired of the writing environment with its disputes and conflicts, readings and literary dinners. Later in Confession Tolstoy admitted:
“These people disgusted me, and I disgusted myself.”
In the fall of 1856, the young writer went to the Yasnaya Polyana estate, and in January 1857 he went abroad. Leo Tolstoy traveled around Europe for six months. Visited Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland. He returned to Moscow, and from there to Yasnaya Polyana. On the family estate, he began arranging schools for peasant children. In the vicinity of Yasnaya Polyana, with his participation, twenty educational institutions. In 1860, the writer traveled a lot: in Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium he studied pedagogical systems European countries to apply what we saw in Russia.
A special niche in the work of Leo Tolstoy is occupied by fairy tales and works for children and teenagers. The writer has created hundreds of works for young readers, including good and cautionary tales“Kitten”, “Two Brothers”, “Hedgehog and Hare”, “Lion and Dog”.
Leo Tolstoy wrote the school textbook “ABC” to teach children writing, reading and arithmetic. The literary and pedagogical work consists of four books. The writer included instructive stories, epics, fables, as well as methodological advice for teachers. The third book includes the story “Prisoner of the Caucasus.”
Leo Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina" In the 1870s, Leo Tolstoy, while continuing to teach peasant children, wrote the novel Anna Karenina, in which he contrasted the two storylines: family drama Karenins and home idyll young landowner Levin, with whom he identified himself. The novel only at first glance seemed to be a love affair: the classic raised the problem of the meaning of existence of the “educated class”, contrasting it with the truth of peasant life. "Anna Karenina" was highly appreciated.
The turning point in the writer’s consciousness was reflected in the works written in the 1880s. Life-changing spiritual insight occupies a central place in the stories and stories. “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”, “The Kreutzer Sonata”, “Father Sergius” and the story “After the Ball” appear. A classic of Russian literature paints pictures social inequality, castigates the idleness of the nobles.
In search of an answer to the question about the meaning of life, Leo Tolstoy turned to the Russian Orthodox Church, but didn’t find satisfaction there either. The writer came to the conclusion that the Christian church is corrupt, and under the guise of religion, priests are promoting false teaching. In 1883, Lev Nikolaevich founded the publication “Mediator,” where he outlined his spiritual beliefs and criticized the Russian Orthodox Church. For this, Tolstoy was excommunicated from the church, and the writer was monitored by the secret police.
In 1898, Leo Tolstoy wrote the novel Resurrection, which received favorable reviews from critics. But the success of the work was inferior to “Anna Karenina” and “War and Peace”.
For the last 30 years of his life, Leo Tolstoy, with his teachings on non-violent resistance to evil, was recognized as the spiritual and religious leader of Russia.
"War and Peace"
Leo Tolstoy disliked his novel War and Peace, calling the epic “wordy rubbish.” The classic writer wrote the work in the 1860s, while living with his family in Yasnaya Polyana. The first two chapters, entitled “1805,” were published by Russkiy Vestnik in 1865. Three years later, Leo Tolstoy wrote three more chapters and completed the novel, which caused heated controversy among critics.
Leo Tolstoy writes "War and Peace" The novelist took the features of the heroes of the work, written during the years of family happiness and spiritual elation, from life. In Princess Marya Bolkonskaya, the features of Lev Nikolaevich’s mother are recognizable, her penchant for reflection, brilliant education and love of art. The writer awarded Nikolai Rostov with his father’s traits - mockery, love of reading and hunting.
When writing the novel, Leo Tolstoy worked in the archives, studied the correspondence of Tolstoy and Volkonsky, Masonic manuscripts, and visited the Borodino field. His young wife helped him, copying his drafts out clean.
The novel was read avidly, striking readers with the breadth of its epic canvas and subtle psychological analysis. Leo Tolstoy characterized the work as an attempt to “write the history of the people.”
According to the calculations of literary critic Lev Anninsky, by the end of the 1970s, only works abroad Russian classic filmed 40 times. Until 1980, the epic War and Peace was filmed four times. Directors from Europe, America and Russia have made 16 films based on the novel “Anna Karenina”, “Resurrection” has been filmed 22 times.
“War and Peace” was first filmed by director Pyotr Chardynin in 1913. The most famous film was made by a Soviet director in 1965.
Personal life
Leo Tolstoy married 18-year-old in 1862, when he was 34 years old. The count lived with his wife for 48 years, but the couple’s life can hardly be called cloudless.
Sofia Bers is the second of three daughters of the Moscow palace office doctor Andrei Bers. The family lived in the capital, but in the summer they vacationed on a Tula estate near Yasnaya Polyana. For the first time Leo Tolstoy saw his future wife as a child. Sophia was educated at home, read a lot, understood art, and graduated from Moscow University. The diary kept by Bers-Tolstaya is recognized as an example of the memoir genre.
At the beginning of his married life, Leo Tolstoy, wanting there to be no secrets between him and his wife, gave Sophia a diary to read. The shocked wife found out about her husband's turbulent youth, his passion gambling, wild life and the peasant girl Aksinya, who was expecting a child from Lev Nikolaevich.
The first-born Sergei was born in 1863. In the early 1860s, Tolstoy began writing the novel War and Peace. Sofya Andreevna helped her husband, despite her pregnancy. The woman taught and raised all the children at home. Five of the 13 children died in infancy or early childhood childhood.
Problems in the family began after Leo Tolstoy finished his work on Anna Karenina. The writer plunged into depression, expressed dissatisfaction with the life that Sofya Andreevna so diligently arranged in the family nest. The count's moral turmoil led to Lev Nikolayevich demanding that his relatives give up meat, alcohol and smoking. Tolstoy forced his wife and children to dress in peasant clothes, which he himself made, and wished to give the acquired property to the peasants.
Sofya Andreevna made considerable efforts to dissuade her husband from the idea of distributing goods. But the quarrel that occurred split the family: Leo Tolstoy left home. Upon returning, the writer entrusted the responsibility of rewriting drafts to his daughters.
Death last child– seven-year-old Vanya – brought the spouses closer together for a short time. But soon mutual grievances and misunderstandings alienated them completely. Sofya Andreevna found solace in music. In Moscow, a woman took lessons from a teacher for whom romantic feelings developed. Their relationship remained friendly, but the count did not forgive his wife for “half-betrayal.”
The couple's fatal quarrel occurred at the end of October 1910. Leo Tolstoy left home, leaving Sophia Farewell letter. He wrote that he loved her, but could not do otherwise.
Death
82-year-old Leo Tolstoy, accompanied by his personal doctor D.P. Makovitsky, left Yasnaya Polyana. On the way, the writer fell ill and got off the train at the Astapovo railway station. Lev Nikolaevich spent the last 7 days of his life in the house stationmaster. The whole country followed the news about Tolstoy’s health.
The children and wife arrived at the Astapovo station, but Leo Tolstoy did not want to see anyone. The classic died on November 7, 1910: he died of pneumonia. His wife survived him by 9 years. Tolstoy was buried in Yasnaya Polyana.
Quotes by Leo Tolstoy
- Everyone wants to change humanity, but no one thinks about how to change themselves.
- Everything comes to those who know how to wait.
- All happy families are similar to each other, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
- Let everyone sweep in front of his own door. If everyone does this, the whole street will be clean.
- It's easier to live without love. But without it there is no point.
- I don't have everything I love. But I love everything I have.
- The world moves forward because of those who suffer.
- The greatest truths are the simplest.
- Everyone is making plans, and no one knows whether he will survive until the evening.
Bibliography
- 1869 – “War and Peace”
- 1877 – “Anna Karenina”
- 1899 – “Resurrection”
- 1852-1857 – “Childhood”. "Adolescence". "Youth"
- 1856 – “Two Hussars”
- 1856 – “Morning of the Landowner”
- 1863 – “Cossacks”
- 1886 – “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”
- 1903 – “Notes of a Madman”
- 1889 – “Kreutzer Sonata”
- 1898 – “Father Sergius”
- 1904 – “Hadji Murat”
Our ship was anchored off the coast of Africa. It was a beautiful day, a fresh wind was blowing from the sea; but in the evening the weather changed: it became stuffy and, as if from a heated stove, hot air from the Sahara desert was blowing towards us.
Before sunset, the captain came out onto the deck and shouted: “Swim!” - and in one minute the sailors jumped into the water, lowered the sail into the water, tied it and set up a bath in the sail.
There were two boys with us on the ship. The boys were the first to jump into the water, but they were cramped in the sail, and they decided to race against each other in the open sea.
Both, like lizards, stretched out in the water and, with all their strength, swam to the place where there was a barrel above the anchor.
The squirrel jumped from branch to branch and fell straight onto the sleepy wolf. The wolf jumped up and wanted to eat her. The squirrel began to ask:
- Let me in.
Wolf said:
- Okay, I’ll let you in, just tell me why you squirrels are so cheerful. I’m always bored, but I look at you, you’re up there all playing and jumping.
One person had big house, and there was a large stove in the house; and this man’s family was small: only himself and his wife.
When winter came, a man began to light the stove and burned all his wood in one month. There was nothing to heat it with, and it was cold.
Then the man began to destroy the yard and drown it with wood from the broken yard. When he burned the entire yard, it became even colder in the house without protection, and there was nothing to heat it with. Then he climbed in, broke the roof and began to drown the roof; the house became even colder, and there was no firewood. Then the man began to dismantle the ceiling from the house in order to heat it with it.
A man was riding a boat and dropped precious pearls into the sea. The man returned to the shore, took a bucket and began to scoop up water and pour it onto the ground. He scooped and poured out for three days tirelessly.
On the fourth day a merman came out of the sea and asked:
Why are you scooping?
The man says:
I realize that I dropped the pearl.
The merman asked:
Will you stop soon?
The man says:
When I dry up the sea, then I will stop.
Then the merman returned to the sea, brought those same pearls and gave them to the man.
There were two sisters: Volga and Vazuza. They began to argue about which of them was smarter and who would live better.
Volga said:
Why should we argue - we are both getting older. Let's leave the house tomorrow morning and go our separate ways; then we will see which of the two will go through better and come to the Khvalynsk kingdom sooner.
Vazuza agreed, but deceived Volga. As soon as the Volga fell asleep, Vazuza at night ran straight along the road to the Khvalynsk kingdom.
When Volga got up and saw that her sister had left, she quietly and quickly went her way and caught up with Vazuzu.
The wolf wanted to catch a sheep from the herd and went into the wind so that dust from the herd would blow on him.
The sheepdog saw him and said:
It’s in vain, wolf, that you walk in the dust, your eyes will hurt.
And the wolf says:
That’s the trouble, little dog, that my eyes have been hurting for a long time, but they say that dust from a flock of sheep heals my eyes well.
The wolf choked on a bone and could not breathe out. He called the crane and said:
Come on, you crane, you have a long neck, stick your head down my throat and pull out the bone: I will reward you.
The crane stuck his head in, pulled out a bone and said:
Give me a reward.
The wolf gritted his teeth and said:
Or is it not enough reward for you that I didn’t bite your head off when it was in my teeth?
The wolf wanted to get close to the foal. He approached the herd and said:
Why is your foal limping alone? Or do you not know how to heal? We wolves have such a medicine that there will never be lameness.
The mare is alone and says:
Do you know how to treat?
How can you not know?
So, treat my right hind leg, something in the hoof hurts.
Wolf and goat
The category is made up of Russian life, mainly from village life. Data on natural history and history are given in the simple form of fairy tales and fiction stories. Most of the stories are about moral theme, occupying only a few lines.
Stories and fairy tales, written Lvom Nikolaevich Tolstoy for textbooks, rich and varied in content; they represent a valuable contribution to the domestic and world literature for children. Most of these fairy tales and stories are still in books for reading V primary school. It is reliably known how seriously he took Lev Tolstoy to writing little fairy tales for children, how much he worked on them, remaking the fairy tale many times. But the most important thing is Tolstoy's little stories the fact that their creator is concerned about the moral side and the topic of education. These stories contain hints from which one must be able to draw good, good, moral lessons.
Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy often used a genre that everyone understood and loved fables, in which, through allegories, he unobtrusively and carefully presented completely different edifications and intricate morals. Stories and fairy tales on proverb topics Lev Tolstoy instill in the child hard work, courage, honesty and kindness. Representing a kind of small lesson - memorable and bright, fable or proverb teaches understanding folk wisdom, teaching figurative languages, the ability to determine the value of human actions in a generalized form.