Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) is one of the foremost literary figures, best known to the general public for his works "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina," which are considered among the greatest novels of all time. Tolstoy's life was marked by great contrasts, as his early years of aristocratic excess were followed by a radical shift towards the renunciation of wealth, philanthropy, and a unique form of pacifist and Christian anarchism. This transformation earned admiration from figures like Gandhi and led to his excommunication by the Russian Church. His change in worldview began with the disillusionment he experienced while fighting with the Russian army on various fronts until 1856, during which he wrote his early, largely autobiographical works. The stark reality of war, stripped of patriotic embellishments, was depicted in the "Sevastopol Sketches" (1855). Shortly thereafter, Tolstoy devoted himself to his estates, while simultaneously writing "The Cossacks" (1863) and "Polikushka" (1863), reflecting his fascination with rural life and his disdain for the aristocratic order, whose propriety was critiqued in "Anna Karenina" (1875-77). In "War and Peace" (1865-69), a work based on historical testimonies and documents as interpreted through Tolstoy's political thought, he attempted to overturn historical fiction, dethrone leading figures, and highlight the role of ordinary soldiers. In his later works, such as "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" (1886), "The Kreutzer Sonata" (1887-9), "The Devil" (1889-90), and "Resurrection" (1899), Tolstoy explored aspects of genuine Christian virtue in contrast to formalism, a virtue he practiced by living ascetically, despite serious objections from his wife and his distancing from the organized state and official Church. Nevertheless, entire crowds considered him a role model and sought to meet him in person, as he approached the twilight of his life.