Leo Tolstoy: Escape from Paradise

Just over a century ago, an extraordinary event took place in Yasnaya Polyana. The writer, Count L. N. Tolstoy, fled his home at night in an unknown direction. The departure and death of the great elder gave rise to numerous myths and legends. Pavel Basinsky, in his book “Leo Tolstoy: Escape from Paradise,” provides a vivid reconstruction of this event, inviting readers to trace the entire life and final journey of Leo Tolstoy together, delve into the reasons behind his family drama, and explore the mysteries of his spiritual will. Pavel Basinsky is a writer, journalist, and literary scholar. He is a laureate of the “Big Book” award. His fascinating documentary research on the life and work of Leo Tolstoy sparked a new wave of interest in the phenomenon of the “Yasnaya Polyana apostle.” “Escape from Paradise” continues the series “Tolstoy: a New Perspective,” which began with the book “The True Story of Anna Karenina.” He is fleeing... He is entirely caught up in family contradictions. He is being torn apart by Chertkov, Sofya Andreevna, the Tolstoyans, the heirs, the petitioners... He is weak, sinful, sick, and fully understands this. But at the Astapovo station, it was not a private, albeit famous person, who was dying. Here the fate of the empire was being decided, and the whole world was watching.