Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy
- Born:
- September 9, 1828 (August 28, Old Style), Yasnaya Polyana, Tula Governorate, Russian Empire
- Died:
- November 20, 1910 (November 7, Old Style), Astapovo, Tambov Governorate, Russian Empire
- Nationality:
- Russian
- Profession(s):
- Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Playwright, Philosopher
Early Life and Education
- Born into a wealthy aristocratic family.
- Orphaned at a young age and raised by relatives.
- Attended Kazan University, initially studying Oriental languages and later law, but did not graduate.
Career and Major Achievements
- Served in the Crimean War (1854-1856), experiences which deeply influenced his writing.
- Began his literary career with autobiographical works such as Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth.
- Championed educational reform and established schools for peasant children at Yasnaya Polyana.
- Underwent a profound spiritual crisis in the late 1870s, leading to the development of his own Christian anarchist philosophy.
Notable Works
- War and Peace (1869)
- Anna Karenina (1877) - a novel often explored through formats like the Leo Tolstoy biography Anna Karenina audiobook, offering different perspectives on its creation and themes.
- The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886)
- The Kingdom of God Is Within You (1894)
- Resurrection (1899)
Legacy and Impact
Leo Tolstoy is considered one of the giants of Russian literature and a major figure in world literature. His works explore themes of morality, faith, love, and social justice, and have had a profound influence on subsequent writers and thinkers. His philosophical and religious views also influenced pacifist and anarchist movements.