The Life of Leo Tolstoy: A Reading Experience

Leo Tolstoy has long been a hallmark of Russian culture, but in modern Russia, his perception is often clouded by stereotypes stemming from the Soviet tradition—school teaching, the desire to contrast Tolstoy the artist with Tolstoy the thinker. Meanwhile, today Tolstoy is remarkably relevant: the idea of nonviolent resistance, vegetarianism, downshifting, the demand to refuse military service, the struggle for environmental preservation, and attitudes towards love and sexuality—all that seemed peculiar to him is becoming the global intellectual mainstream. This new short biography of the great writer traces the main lines of his fate and creativity. Tolstoy's artistic and philosophical legacy is considered here alongside his military experiences, peasant labor, and family tragedy. Such an “integrative” approach allows for discussions about him outside the well-worn debates on “contradictions” and makes it easier to discern the unique continuity and integrity of his life path. Andrey Zorin is a literary historian, professor at the University of Oxford and the Higher School of Economics.