The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy

by Cathy Porter

  a cinematographic lampoon about me: A reference to the film The Flight of a Great Old Man, scenario by I. Teneromo, produced by A. Ya. Protazov; the role of Tolstoy was played by V.I. Shaternikov. The preview in St Petersburg was attended by Lyova Tolstoy and Tanya Kuzminskaya, who protested against its screening. Outraged responses to the film, which depicted the last days of Tolstoy’s life in a distorted and disrespectful fashion, appeared also in the press. After Sofia’s complaint the police department ordered all cinema proprietors to destroy the film.

  complaint…Senate: In this complaint against L.A. Kasso, Minister of Education, which she sent to the Senate, she disputed the actions of the Museum in forbidding her access to the manuscripts, and on the basis of existing civil laws and supplementary documents, she proved her right to them. Her application was discussed by the Senate on 3rd April.

  cinematographic lampoon against me…Caucasus: The film was banned everywhere.

  a spiteful note by Chertkov in Speech: Chertkov published an article called ‘The Blessing of Love. L.N. Tolstoy’s Attitude to his Fellow Men’ with his own “Note”, in which he again developed the idea that his “flight” was prompted merely by family circumstances. Stating that Tolstoy’s article was written when he was “seriously ill”, Chertkov explained that “this illness was the direct consequence of the shock he suffered from those spiritual crises which periodically attacked him in connection with the agonizingly painful conditions of his family life and the circumstances of his life in general”. Further on Chertkov sought to prove Tolstoy was “on the point of leaving his family on several occasions” but stayed to “carry his cross”.

  Rod: E. Rod, a French writer and author of novels and philosophical works in which Tolstoy was very interested. There are several of his novels, with dedications, in the Yasnaya Polyana library.

  Today a young priest…requiem: This priest, Grigory Lavrentevich Kalinovsky (he told his name to no one but Bulgakov), “announced that he didn’t recognize the Synod’s prohibition against praying for L.N., as he considered L.N. had brought nothing but good to people”.

  Pankratov’s lying article about the priest’s visit: A. Pankratov’s article condemned the funeral service at Tolstoy’s grave, on the grounds that this appeared to accept Tolstoy back into the bosom of the Church which he did not recognize and from which he had been excommunicated. She responded with a letter justifying the priest’s “selfless” action, since, in her words, Tolstoy “was distinguished by his supreme religious tolerance”. The story of the service over Tolstoy’s grave was given wide publicity by the press.

  the Illustrated Anthology on War and Peace…censors: On 20th December the Moscow Committee on Press Affairs placed a ban on the book, and the publishers were tried in court. The ban was subsequently lifted and the trial cut short.

  1913

  the Senate’s decision…cowards: Several newspapers published an announcement that in connection with the Senate’s imminent discussion of her complaint to the Minister of Education, L.A. Kasso, the senators had already reviewed the question privately and had come to the conclusion that “The Senate had no right to enter into discussions as to the ownership of the material kept in the Historical Museum”, and would only debate the issue of “the legality of the Museum’s action in putting a ban on this property, without being granted special legal powers to do so”.

  numbered L.N.’s letters: In the first edition of the book Count L.N. Tolstoy’s Letters to his Wife, Moscow, 1913, she included 656 letters and seven notes.

  the buying and selling of Yasnaya Polyana: “The forest was sold on contract to the merchant Chesnokov,” she wrote to her daughter Tanya on 28th February. “I have bought 400 acres of land from my sons—with the estate—for 150 thousand rubles, and have sold my own land to Sasha.”

  my sons’ payment for the trees: Tolstoy’s sons had sold 300 acres of forest for felling.

  Sasha’s article…manuscripts: A reference to Alexandra Tolstaya’s Explanation, in which she invoked Tolstoy’s will to reaffirm her exclusive rights to the disputed manuscripts, and urged that the Senate should not support Sofia Tolstoy’s complaint.

  the Circassian guard: Osman, the old Circassian who guarded the house at Yasnaya Polyana between 1912 and 1913. He and his brother had been exiled from the Caucasus to Central Russia in their youth for participating in a bloody vendetta. Sofia petitioned for them to return to their native land.

  I am writing to the newspapers about our badly behaved visitors: Her letter in which she referred to the “unbecoming behaviour of the public visiting Yasnaya Polyana and the grave of Count Lev Nikolaevich”, and announced she was allowing access to his grave and rooms “only once a week”.

  Sasha…lovely little place: Sasha Tolstaya had sold Telyatinki and bought a small farm not far from Yasnaya Polyana called Novaya Polyana.

  Landau’s Moses: Dr L.A. Landau, Moses. An Analysis of His Psychological Life. (In the series Psychiatric Analysis, issues 1, 2 and 3. Sofia Tolstoy’s library.)

  1914

  The Chertkovs have been searched by the police: Chertkov was searched when S.M. Belinky, who was living with him, was arrested and charged with distributing 5,000 copies of various works of Tolstoy’s.

  he should travel…giving lectures about his father: Ilya Tolstoy visited Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod and various other towns, lecturing on “Personal Memories of My Father”.

  Tanya’s book about Maria Montessori: Tatyana Sukhotina, Maria Montessori and the New Education, Moscow, 1914; Sofia Tolstoy’s library, with the dedication: “To dearest Mother, with the author’s esteem. Kochety, April 1914”.

  newspapers…are full of Rasputin’s murder: On 28th June there was an attempt on the life of the Tsar’s adviser, Rasputin, but he was not killed.

  Nurse: Anna Sukolyonova, the younger Tolstoy children’s nurse.

  Bulgakov read us his article protesting against the war: Bulgakov’s article ‘On War’ appealing to people to refuse to join the army, was distributed in hectographed and manuscript versions.

  Misha has been taken prisoner in Milevi, in Bohemia: M.I. Tolstoy, a cadet of the Tifilis military academy, enlisted in the Intermanland infantry regiment, went to the front and was taken prisoner. He tried twice to escape.

  his leaflet against the war: Bulgakov’s appeal Come to Your Senses, Brothers! with a call to “love your enemies”, was signed by twenty Tolstoyans, fellow thinkers of Bulgakov. Bulgakov also took part in copying and circulating the appeal.

  wrote to Dzhunkovsky, Governor of Moscow: There exists a rough draft of Sofia Tolstoy’s letter of 29th October to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Dzhunkovsky: “Yesterday,” she wrote, “police appeared in my house, 6 of them, as though to catch a criminal, and arrested and took off to prison Valentin Fyodorovich Bulgakov, who was living with me. The charge is the usual one of spreading harmful thoughts. I feel personally outraged that a police lieutenant-colonel should have demanded that I unlock bookcases belonging to me personally in the room where Bulgakov was staying, then searched them.” In her letter she asked that Bulgakov be released on bail “on the recognizance of Sergei Lvovich” and herself, so that “work on the library could be finished.”

  a disagreeable telegram from Dzhunkovsky: Dzhunkovsky’s telegram of 3rd November read: “Bulgakov properly arrested in your house for circulating criminal appeals to population not to participate in war, and writing to them on your typewriter. Arrest and search could of course have been freely conducted by day, and I offer deep sympathy that you were disturbed at such an hour.”

  the gendarmes…police force: Sergei Tolstoy was present during the police search in October, and, enraged by Lieutenant-Colonel Demidov’s demand to search Tolstoy’s bookcases, he said to him: “I would advise you to change your occupation and find another.”

  Makovitsky…police: Makovitsky was arrested too for signing the appeal.

  1915

  Sienkiewicz…Quo Vadis: The Polish writer, G. Sienkiewicz, Kamo
gryadeshi (Quo Vadis), 1896.

  Dushan Petrovich Makovitsky has returned here from prison: Makovitsky was released on the security of Tanya.

  his play: Probably the play The Rocket.

  1916

  film of the story ‘What People Live for’: The film of Tolstoy’s story ‘What People Live for’ was produced by A.A. Khonzhenkov’s film company. Ilya Tolstoy wrote the script, and directed and played the part of the gentleman; the angel was played by A. Vertinksy.

  Tanya has left for the trial: Tanya left for Moscow to appear as a witness in the trial of Bulgakov, Makovitsky and the other Tolstoyans.

  I added my signature…Portugal: She wrote this protest after a German submarine in the Black Sea sank the hospital ship Portugal, carrying wounded soldiers and officers.

  all the Tolstoyans, apart from Seryozha Popov…acquitted: From 21st to 28th March the case of the Tolstoyans who had signed Bulgakov’s appeal was heard in the Moscow circuit court. Bulgakov, Makovitsky, Tregubov and others were acquitted. S. Popov, who was also accused of “inciting the military ranks to violate their obligations of service”, was sentenced to a term in prison.

  a new will: On 9th August her new will was legally ratified by the notary, Kosyakov.

  Ilya has just left for America with the same thing in mind: Ilya Tolstoy left Petersburg for America on 2nd November. On this day he wrote to his mother: “I deeply regret that I was unable to visit Yasnaya to say goodbye before leaving, but I had so much to do, writing and translating my lectures.”

  a Tolstoy evening in Moscow…Tolstoy Museum: Tanya helped to organize in the large auditorium of the Polytechnic Museum an evening in the memory of Tolstoy, at which she gave a lecture entitled ‘On Popular Education and Tolstoy’s Attitude to It’. Three Yasnaya Polyana peasants, coached by her, sang some of Tolstoy’s favourite folk songs, and O.A. Ozarovskaya read excerpts from her memoirs Tanya Tolstaya’s Childhood at Yasnaya Polyana. A third of the money collected was donated to the Society to Aid War Victims. On 7th November there was a musical evening in memory of Tolstoy at the Polytechnic Museum. Tanya wrote to her mother on 8th November: “We had the second Tolstoy concert yesterday. Everything went smoothly, I wouldn’t say it was a brilliant success but it was quite satisfactory. A full house both evenings. Stakhovich spoke well yesterday, and actors from the Maly Theatre read The Fruits of Enlightenment. My memoirs, as predicted, were appropriate for the children’s evening but not for the larger gathering.”

  Announcements for this evening had been placed in all the Moscow newspapers.

  1917

  Lev Nik.’s ‘Our Revolution’: The article ‘The Meaning of the Russian Revolution’ (1906).

  the Early Morning newspaper…leaders: The newspaper carried information about the July events in Petrograd, where the Provisional Government fired on peaceful demonstrations of workers, soldiers and sailors.

  They brought 12 or 10 soldiers…all: Peasants in the province of Tula, dissatisfied with the Provisional Government’s agrarian policies, unleashed a great wave of lootings against aristocratic estates. Several young Yasnaya Polyana peasants and some soldiers recently returned from the front incited the people to loot Yasnaya Polyana. Those who disagreed with them informed Sofia Tolstoy. Her daughter Tanya informed the secretary of the commission of enquiry, E.D. Vysokomirny, about the situation, after which the Presidium of the Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies dispatched soldiers there immediately to safeguard the estate. “After the October Revolution the protection of the house in Yasnaya Polyana where L.N. Tolstoy lived,” announced the Military-Revolutionary Committee of the Commissariat for Internal Affairs, “was made the responsibility of a detachment of Red Guards, and all the property was registered.”

  my story about Vanechka: ‘Vanechka. A True Episode from His Life’, a short story by Sofia Tolstoy included in her anthology Skeleton Dolls.

  Sergeenko helps us to get the things we need…rice: “Sergeenko has taken a lot of trouble for us and helped us a great deal,” she wrote to Sergei Tolstoy on 12th November. “Thanks to him they are now selling us flour at Kosaya Gora. He raised some interest there in the defence of Yasnaya Polyana, and they are sending us 15 militiamen every night.”

  1918

  Constituent Assembly…sailors: The Constituent Assembly was dissolved on 6th January on the decision of the Executive Committee of the Bolshevik Party. The ministers Shingarev and Kokoshkin of the overthrown Provisional Government were assassinated by anarchist sailors.

  Vysokomirny…soldiers: Yasnaya Polyana was in an exceptional position compared to other aristocratic estates in Tula province. “The safety of this historic estate is guarded even more carefully at present,” wrote Bulgakov. “The Tula political organizations are directly involved in the protection of Yasnaya Polyana, and have assigned a special permanent guard to the estate. The inhabitants are being helped with their provisions. A telephone has been installed there, linking Yasnaya Polyana with Tula and Moscow. The shadow of Lev Nikolaevich guards the estate and keeps it safe.”

  News that the Germans have seized St Petersburg: These rumours were caused by the start of an Austro-German offensive against the centre of Russia.

  They have refused me a pension…800: This decision was changed, and on the orders of the Soviet People’s Commissars the pension was continued. The decision (30th March 1918) was taken at a meeting chaired by Lenin.

  Some of our young peasants…land: On 15th to 20th April the provincial meeting of land committees decided “to make L.N. Tolstoy’s Yasnaya Polyana estate ineligible for reapportionment amongst the citizens of the adjacent hamlets, and to use it as a historical monument, purely for cultural and educational purposes”. The peasants at first agreed with this decision, then decided the land should be taken and used for tillage. Several days later, however, the Yasnaya peasants went back on their decision, and delegates were sent to the estate with an apology.

  Then the whole village arrived…times: “A solemn event took place at Yasnaya Polyana: all the peasants from the village appeared at the estate, met Sofia Andreevna with festive greetings and asked her to accompany them to Lev Nikolaevich’s grave. When they got there they all took off their caps, silently knelt on the ground and chanted ‘Eternal Memory’. Then, having walked Sofia Andreevna home, they told her there would be no more misunderstandings and went back to the village. As they left they said they had decided to put up a monument to Lev Nikolaevich in the village.”

  I wrote a new will…her: Sofia Tolstoy drew up a domestic spiritual will.

  1919

  Sergeenko sneaked in…alarmed: Sergeenko’s assumptions were without foundation. A children’s home was to be built in Telyatinki.

  asking them…Letters to His Wife: Her request was inspired by the Commissariat of Education’s decision to take stock of all the books on the market in view of the dearth of books in the country. All the publishing houses had to provide information about the editions sold and in stock. Her request was granted.

  they want to raise a large loan…workers: On 24th February the management committee of the Society appealed to the Soviet of People’s Commissars for an extended loan in order to carry out various measures needed to turn Yasnaya Polyana into a state cultural and educational centre. The Soviet government assigned the money to carry out the projected changes.

  I wrote a letter to be opened after my death…abandoning: In this letter, enclosed in an envelope with the inscription “To be opened after my death”, she wrote: “The circle of my life is closing, I am slowly dying, and to all those with whom I have lived, recently and in the past, I want to say farewell and forgive me.

  “Farewell my dear children who I love so much, especially my daughter Tanya, whom I love more than anyone else on earth—I beg her to forgive me for all the pain I have caused her.

  “Sasha too—forgive me for not giving you enough love, and thank you for your kindness to me in recent days.

  “Forgive me, sister Tanya, for bein
g unable, despite my unchanging love for you, to comfort you and make things a little easier for you when your life was so lonely and hard. I beg Kolya to forgive me for being unkind to him occasionally. Whatever may have happened, I should have realized how difficult life was, and been more charitable towards him. Forgive me, all you who have helped me throughout my life, and thank you for everything. And for you, my dearest, precious, beloved granddaughter Tanyushka, I have very special feelings. You have made my life so happy. Farewell, my darling! Be happy, I thank you for all your love and tenderness towards me. Do not forget your granny, who loves you so much. S. Tolstoy.”

  some Red Guards…Denikin: The White General Denikin’s offensive on the southern front, which started in July 1919, and the departure of the Red Army, put the central region of Russia in peril. The troops grouped in the village of Yasnaya Polyana had been quartered for military manoeuvres against the White army that was marching towards Moscow via Kursk and Tula.

  Kursk…slaughtered: The seizure of Kursk by Denikin’s army was accompanied by terror and pogroms.

  a letter to Davydov…‘Polikushka’: In reply to a letter from Davydov, she wrote: “I cannot be sure exactly when Lev Nikolaevich had the idea of writing ‘Polikushka’, as this was before my marriage, but I remember he gave me the story to copy shortly after I had arrived in Yasnaya Polyana. He based the character of Polikushka on a Yasnaya servant.”

  battles near Yasnaya Polyana: In October 1919 the Red Army won a series of victories over Denikin’s army: Oryol was taken, and Voronezh, and the danger threatening Tula and Yasnaya Polyana was averted.

  defend Yasnaya Polyana against looting: On 13th June 1921, the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee passed a resolution about the nationalization of Yasnaya Polyana, and it was declared “national property of the RSFSR”. In the years of Soviet power Yasnaya Polyana was converted into a cultural and historical monument of national and international significance.

  Appendices

  L.N. Tolstoy’s Marriage