"...The story of Leo Tolstoy is a genuine mystery. For me, it is so. And Yasnaya Polyana is like a separate island, as if it is flying above the entire world, tethered to an invisible enormous balloon. It flies over fields and rivers, over houses — tiny village ones and multi-story buildings that tickle the clouds. This island flies over cities and over mountain peaks: beneath it are the Pamirs, Tien Shan, the Himalayas, volcanoes, hills; beneath it are the Pacific Ocean, the Andes, the forests of Patagonia. And everyone is welcome on this island; everyone will find something important for themselves here: an answer to a difficult question, or help with some endeavor that is not coming together, or understanding, or, for example, a green stick that holds the secret of happiness. Because here, everyone is loved and heard: people, animals, birds, even the grass.
I searched for a long time for the voice in which to tell the story of Leo Tolstoy - so that my narrative would be different from others: perhaps it would be quieter, or brighter, or cheerier... And suddenly, amidst the street noise on one of the autumn days, I heard this voice and no longer doubted for a moment. I realized that this time the mystery of Leo Tolstoy would be told by his youngest son, the last child — Vanechka."
