Leo Tolstoy, born Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy on September 9, 1828, in Yasnaya Polyana, Russia, was a prolific Russian writer, philosopher, and political thinker, widely recognized for his novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, which are often considered some of the greatest works of world literature.
Tolstoy was born into an aristocratic family. His parents died when he was young, leaving him to be raised by relatives. He attended Kazan University but did not finish his degree, instead leading a life of gambling, drinking, and womanizing in his early adulthood. This period of his life, which he later regretted, was documented in his autobiographical trilogy, Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth.
Tolstoy's later years were marked by a profound transformation in his beliefs, leading him to embrace Christian Anarchism. He rejected the Orthodox Church and developed his own form of Christianity, focusing on the Sermon on the Mount as the core of Jesus's teachings. His works from this period include The Kingdom of God is Within You, which inspired many including Mohandas Gandhi.
Tolstoy married Sofia Bers in 1862, and they had 13 children. His marriage was turbulent, particularly due to his later philosophical and moral changes, which often put him at odds with his family's aristocratic lifestyle. Tolstoy's life ended abruptly when he fled his home in 1910, seeking a life of simplicity; he died of pneumonia on November 20, 1910, at a railway station master's home in Astapovo.
His legacy includes not only his literary contributions but also his influence on non-violent resistance, educational reform, and his advocacy for the rights of peasants and the working class.