Nº 138 – LEV NIKOLAEVICH TOLSTOY SOFIA ANDREEVNA TOLSTAYA
[PSS 84/382]
13 April 1887. Yasnaya Polyana.

Today I received your most recent letter,⁵⁸⁹ dear friend, and I was very sad to hear that you are feeling neither peace nor joy. I know this is temporary, and I’m almost certain that tomorrow I’ll receive a good letter from you which will be in a different tone altogether. Yesterday was the first day that I haven’t written to you and I did not go to Kozlovka. The other evening I went to Kozlovka with Kolichka, and we trudged back from there in the mud, in such darkness that you couldn’t see past the nose on your face; very good. At the crossroads of the highway and the old road we saw a light flickering and happy women’s voices. Gipsies, we thought. When we came closer, [it turned out to be] children with sticks, girls, a man, and in the lead was Pelageja Fëdorovna,⁵⁹⁰ with a lantern; she was seeing off Sonja’s⁵⁹¹ fiancé to Kozlovka. — Upon reaching home, we found Alëkhin⁵⁹² who had arrived [in the meantime] — you remember, the chap in the spectacles? He’s on his way to buy some land and stopped in. We went to bed. Yesterday morning I did quite a lot of work — I was working on a whole new chapter on suffering, — pain.⁵⁹³ We went for a stroll, and had dinner. Also in the morning Sytin’s brother⁵⁹⁴ came; he’s come from Moscow to look for somewhere to live and work in the countryside; he went off to see Marija Aleksandrovna,⁵⁹⁵ and Alëkhin left. During the evening visitors came: Daniil,⁵⁹⁶ Konstantin;⁵⁹⁷ we read “Khvoraja” [The sick woman] by Potekhin.⁵⁹⁸ Fejnerman wasn’t there. He was in Tula petitioning for a divorce, for which there was a whole heap of obstacles [to overcome]. Today just Kolichka and I took tea and coffee: then I wrote, he transcribed and stoked [the stove for] the bathhouse. We had dinner; then came the slightly drunk Pëtr Tsyganok⁵⁹⁹ and had a lot of good things to tell me. Just now I was at the bathhouse and wanted to take some tea. It’s the second day of spring — the lungwort and nut-trees were in blossom, and the flies, bees and ladybugs woke up and were buzzing and swarming about. The nighttime is even better: quiet, warm, starry — you don’t feel like going indoors. I also worked well today. First [I] did some reviewing and correcting. I really wanted to translate everything into [a kind of] Russian that everybody could read — down to the least literate peasant.⁶⁰⁰ And how compact and self-explanatory it all becomes then. When you talk with professors you get verbosity, gobbledy-gook and abstruseness, while muzhiks express themselves with conciseness, linguistic beauty and clarity. — I received letters from Chertkov,⁶⁰¹ Birjukov,⁶⁰² Simon⁶⁰³ — all good, delightful letters. — My health is good. Now I hope.⁶⁰⁴ Oh, and I shan’t go see Khilkov. I hope that you are not getting weighed down by the proofreading, and that the workdays have calmed everyone down, and that only the grass in the garden is trembling and giving joy. I hope that Il’ja is behaving himself, that the little ones are healthy, and that Tanja and Masha are in a good mood, and that Lëva is not playing vint. Fejnerman saw [our son] Serëzha today in Tula: he was trying to decide whether to come to Yasnaya or not. I think he’ll come tomorrow, most likely, and with hunters. The very best [time] for hunting. — Well, farewell, dear friend. Hugs and kisses to you and the children.

L. T.

On the envelope: Moscow. 15. Dolgokhamovniki Lane. Countess Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya.

Nº 139 – SOFIA ANDREEVNA TOLSTAYA LEV NIKOLAEVICH TOLSTOY
[LSA 189]
[14 April 1887. Moscow]

I wanted to describe and summarise for you Grot’s lecture,⁶⁰⁵ but I shan’t be able to — it’s long, wordy and impossible to follow, he read it so quickly. Now I understand why people come down on him for [trying to] serve two masters — evidently his aim is to reconcile materialism with idealism. To this end he assigns the former to the realm of science, and the latter to the realm of religion. He frankly rejects categorising philosophy as science and said so today. I did not care for the way he began his lecture. It’s the old chestnut of the diseased and abnormal moral and political state of Russian society, as infected by Europe. Then [he made] the comparison: just as the grape phylloxera which was brought in from Europe devastated Russian vineyards, so, too, society must become devastated by moral phylloxera. This was followed by an historical philosophical survey with a brief summary of the teachings of each individual philosopher, comparing Plato with Descartes and Aristotle with Kant.

The second part of the lecture was devoted to an analysis of matter and spirit in the personality of each individual and proving the presence of this spirit and its relation to God and Nature.

I was quite tired, and towards the end [of the lecture] could not follow it all that well. Besides, he was in a hurry and frightfully agitated [in his presentation]. He was mainly disappointed that there were so few people [in attendance]. When Solov’ëv spoke,⁶⁰⁶ the hall was completely full. But Grot was applauded, while Solov’ëv was not, [not even] once.

I received your rather lengthy letter⁶⁰⁷ and was surprised [to learn] that the dark people found you even there. Today I heard concerning [Ivan Dmitrievich] Sytin’s brother [Sergej] from the words of Bulygin,⁶⁰⁸ who continues to wander, and Gerasimov⁶⁰⁹ is quite fond of [Sergej] and praises him, — and Ivan Dmitrievich wrote to our office about his brother Sytin, [saying] that we should under no circumstances give him either books or money, that he has [already] forged two counterfeit promissory notes in his brother’s name and he is both a drunkard and a debaucher (his [Ivan’s] very words). Ivan Dmitrievich Sytin is in despair — evidently he doesn’t know what to do with [his brother], and has sent him away. As to where all these good-for-nothings go, they get sent to you. Decent people are either going about their business or living in families. You’ll again say that I’m angry; while I’m not angry, but to my misfortune I have a coarsely down-to-earth view of people, and I can’t close my eyes, the way you do, to what exists. Your head and imagination are filled with types, not people. And by compensating for their deficiencies and casting off what doesn’t fit, you categorise everyone under these types, spiritualising and idealising them. But this is not the way it is in life, and I see and judge people in life.

Serëzha came and was sorry he didn’t go see you yesterday [at Yasnaya]. Tomorrow I am forwarding to you letters and manuscripts: from Chertkov, Jagn⁶¹⁰ and Timashev-Bering⁶¹¹ — c/o Yasenki. You can send for them in a couple of days. Also the artel worker asked to tell Kolichka that he has sent something to Tula. Ask Kolichka how to enter payments from the old edition into the little [account] book: neither I nor Gerasimov understand the significance of the Roman numerals, or, [indeed], of this whole complex record. Perhaps he will be able to decipher it.

Tanja’s leg is better; tomorrow I’ll take Masha and the little ones to the exhibit.⁶¹² For some reason I can’t quite figure out Il’ja and Lëva — what kind of mood they’re in — a lackadaisical one, it seems. When I dropped in today on the Tolstojs⁶¹³ to collect Masha, where she was supposed to be playing four-handed piano with Varja, I was dismayed to find that Vera⁶¹⁴ and Mar’ja Mikhajlovna⁶¹⁵ were not there, but Il’ja and Sonja,⁶¹⁶ Orlov⁶¹⁷ and Nata, all red-faced; apparently these rendez-vous are arranged at the Tolstojs, when convenient, as, for example, today, since Sof’ja Alekseevna⁶¹⁸ had gone to see the dying Alësha Bobrinskij,⁶¹⁹ and [Sonja’s] father⁶²⁰ is ill; the girls arranged this [get-together] themselves. Tanja will write Sonja a letter tomorrow; she, too, is outraged over the impropriety of such behaviour.

Our garden, too, has been getting greener, and the children run around all day. Today both Fomich⁶²¹ and the cook Semën were all playing on the swings and having fun, just like in the country. The whole household was outdoors all day long. Some people are packing books. Vas’ka⁶²² from the artel is proudly taking the dogs for walks; the cook, Annushka — they’re all working outdoors; the nanny and Masha the maid are sewing on little benches in the garden. I alone am coping with dusty packages and writing full tilt. Today I almost went without dinner. I had to check whether they had made the proper corrections based on my [previous] proofreading, and the courier waited while I worked; everybody had dinner, and I had a bite to eat afterwards, even though I felt [almost] too tired to eat. This morning I spent at the State and the Merchant Banks. I have a hurt in the pit of my stomach and my back, I just feel like crying. If only I could die sooner! I’m fed up with work, but it’s impossible to stop a machine once it’s started. If the machine breaks down, the work stops of necessity, or they will bring another machine and again it starts! Gerasimov is clever and a good man; but he will be a poor worker: he has neither the health nor the energy, but already shows signs of fatigue and a reluctance to work, because of previous difficulties in earning his daily bread. Kolichka works unevenly: either too much or too little, and not skilfully.

Instead of the fiction [I was] hoping for, you’ve started to write about suffering.⁶²³ That’s a pity. Anyway, the question does interest me. When will you have this article finished? It would be good if you divided it into chapters and named each chapter according to its contents. That always helps [readers] understand! For example: “On pain”, “On the joy of life”, “On labour”, “On the soul”, etc.

Well, farewell. This letter has turned out to be longer than I had expected. May God save you from disease, sorrow, dark people and any sort of deception or misfortune. Hugs and kisses.

Sonja.

14 April 1887

Nº 140 – LEV NIKOLAEVICH TOLSTOY SOFIA ANDREEVNA TOLSTAYA
[PSS 84/388]
1 May 1887. Yasnaya Polyana.

You must be quite dissatisfied with me, dear friend, over my letters. They probably turned out [rather] gloomy, since my soul has felt gloomy these past two, or one-and-a-half, days. Gloomy doesn’t mean unwell, but physically languid. Probably something in my liver. But now since last evening, I feel fine once again. And today I’ve been doing a lot of work and feel like doing even more. I’ve had so many [ideas] come to me for my writing that I soon shan’t be able to count them on my fingers, and it seems that I could just sit down and write something. Whatever God shows me after I finish writing On Life and Death [O Zhizni i Smerti]. After all, there will be an ending. But not yet. It’s a serious subject, and so I want to write about it as best I can. You think it’s worse, but that’s not how it seems to me. Yesterday Serëzha arrived and moved in with Filip,⁶²⁴ that is, downstairs in the annexe — especially since he moved with his furniture, and he claims he feels so much at home there that he would like to stay there the whole summer. — It’s after five now, and we just had dinner, and I shall take [this] letter to Kozlovka and probably receive one from you. It will be too bad if I don’t see Chertkov.⁶²⁵ You ask:⁶²⁶ Why did I leave? Of course, in many respects it is better and more joyful [for us] to be together, but from the point of view of [my] work — and I don’t have that much more [to finish at the moment] — it’s a lot better here. And loneliness is productive. Keep that in mind — and [I know that] you have [it in mind]. — Yesterday I picked violets, and they are now in front of me on my desk. — How strange it was a couple of evenings ago, after [Tomáš] Masaryk’s⁶²⁷ departure, that I was overcome by such a physical bout of melancholy as I had at Arzamas.⁶²⁸ And back then the most frightening aspect of this was the thought of death. This time, on the contrary, as soon as I began to feel melancholy, I started to think: What do I need? What am I afraid of?

How do I stop this from happening? And all I needed to do was to think about death as I understand it [now], and immediately any sense of melancholy disappeared and a very calm, even pleasant, state set in.

Today is a fine, warm day; the windows are open and they’re washing at the Kuzminskijs’.⁶²⁹ They’ll be stoking [the stoves] in the annexe tomorrow.

What have you decided about [your] departure and how are you doing? I feel fine being alone [here], but of course I shall be even happier when you come.

I shan’t seal the envelope for now — I may add a postscript at Kozlovka.

[Kozlovka:] I received your two letters⁶³⁰ about Misha. It’s probably gone by now, or you would have let me know. Hugs and kisses to all. — An amazing evening. I’m sitting [here] at Kozlovka.

On the envelope: Moscow. 15. Dolgokhamovniki Lane. Countess Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya.

Nº 141 – SOFIA ANDREEVNA TOLSTAYA LEV NIKOLAEVICH TOLSTOY
[LSA 195]
[18 April 1888. Moscow]

They told me that yesterday you started your trek⁶³¹ so cheerfully, dear Lëvochka. I’m glad that the weather is so fine, and that you [and your fellows] didn’t start out the day before. I can only imagine how cheered you must have been when after pavement and stones and cities you set foot on soft [ground], as my sister Tanja puts it, and walked across the grass, with wide open space before you, and that space infinite. From my little cage it seemed so joyous; however, when I think of staying overnight, the meals and the people [you meet], I wouldn’t want to do it myself.

I hope this trek wakes you up a bit, and that its result will not be a Palkin,⁶³² but something more poetic, soft and artistic. It all comes down to I hope.⁶³³

Here after you left yesterday we were inundated with a crowd of eighteen people, and just before noon they all headed in boats to the Vorob’ëvy Hills. And they took my little ones with them. They all had a very good time, and in their absence I entertained Petja and his wife,⁶³⁴ both Shidlovskijs — Vera Aleksandrovna and Ol’ga — and Masha Sverbeeva,⁶³⁵ and Ermolova,⁶³⁶ and the two Olsuf’ev brothers⁶³⁷ — so [you see] I was a little exhausted. In the evening Buturlin⁶³⁸ was here, along with Uncle Kostja.⁶³⁹ Buturlin is a pathetic creature, but [somehow] he continues to appeal to me. Tomorrow he is going to the exhibit with our family and see Polenov’s⁶⁴⁰ picture, and later he’ll come and take dinner with us.

The little one⁶⁴¹ and I slept better, and I feel fresher [than before]. Write me more often; it will be a great source of strength in these moments of nervousness.

The girls have gone shopping, Serëzha is getting ready [to head off to] Nikol’skoe, tomorrow, it seems. The younger ones are diligently going to church of their own free will; I am happy to let them come to everything on their own without clumsy or over-mature interference.

Regards to Kolichka; I’m sorry I didn’t say good-bye to him properly. Where did he put Mamontov’s bill,⁶⁴² and what did he find out about it?

Farewell, dear friend. I am teaching Misha⁶⁴³ and am hastening to send off this letter. They were really fussing around me this morning: the girls with their purchases, and the artel worker, and the baby, and others.

Hugs and kisses to you; it’s not my usual handwriting; for some reason my hand is not obeying me [today].

S. T.

Nº 142 – LEV NIKOLAEVICH TOLSTOY SOFIA ANDREEVNA TOLSTAYA
[PSS 83/398]
23 April 1888. Yasnaya Polyana.

Lëva⁶⁴⁴ has already told you, dear friend, about yesterday, and how we arrived [home] and how I, drooping from fatigue, fell asleep almost as early as 10 o’clock. Your letter⁶⁴⁵ saddened me, very much so. I promised you that I would write you the whole truth about myself, not hiding [anything], and I would ask you the same and I hope that you will do it. I was sad to learn from your letter that you are despondent in your soul, besides being not well in your body, but I was glad to learn and feel that I know the whole, the most complete truth about you. I hope that [your troubles] have passed; if not, write and tell me what you are thinking and feeling, and I shall come at once if I see that’s needed. From what I said about getting tired during ploughing, the same as I did when travelling, and in conjunction with Birjukov’s letter,⁶⁴⁶ you deduce that I want to torment and kill myself in any way possible. This is completely uncalled for, since I always insist that a person should do everything just for his own good. Only the point is this: that getting tired, even extremely tired in the spring air, [either] when travelling or ploughing, is a positive benefit in every respect and, vice-versa, the absence of labour fatigue is an evil. I feel splendid. Our young people⁶⁴⁷ are very dear, and my fellow trekkers — i.e. [Aleksandr Nikiforovich] Dunaev, are nicer and more refined than I had expected. I spent the whole morning today in my study, cleaning out all the dust and putting everything in order so that if the occasion presents itself tomorrow, I can [actually] sit down and do some writing, which would be [both] possible and pleasant. This morning I took a walk to the village to see Tit Borisov.⁶⁴⁸ But he’s no longer there, he died. Now I’m riding over to Yasenki to fetch mail and take this letter to the post.

Today I took down [the storm windows and] opened the windows in all the rooms. I’ll see to Tanja’s balcony. Please write and tell me what is needed: I shall be very glad to take care of everything. Hugs and kisses to you and to our daughters who are helping you and probably want [to do] only that, and enjoy doing it, and to the boys, and Sasha⁶⁴⁹ (Ivan included in the boys).

L.

Nº 143 – SOFIA ANDREEVNA TOLSTAYA LEV NIKOLAEVICH TOLSTOY
[LSA 200]
[1 May 1888. Moscow] [Preceded by SAT’s Nº 7U, 27 April 1888]

My breast-feeding [of Vanechka] is not going at all well, dear friend. One breast has become so painful that after every feeding I’m all in a sweat, and am almost ready to break into hysterics, and can’t hold back my tears. What hellish pains [I am experiencing] and how unnaturally everything in the world is constructed! Tanja happened to notice how I was breast-feeding, and started to repeat emphatically: “You’d better hire a wet-nurse”. But I’m still not ready for a wet-nurse and I pray to God for patience. I don’t have much milk; the baby has such frail little legs, and he is all — both his little face and his whole little body — so frail, and I feel so sorry for him! This time the pity set in earlier than six weeks; it’s been later in the past. This shows the weakness and tenderness of old age towards the very young and helpless.

Since I can’t even move on account of the pain, nor work, nor do anything with my right hand (it’s painful even to write), I spend my time sitting motionless and have a terrible case of melancholy, as I cannot see any end to my sufferings. And how did this happen so quickly, all of a sudden, without any [apparent] cause? — How is your own health, and how are you getting along? I haven’t had a letter from you for two days now, and that in itself makes us all concerned. We were thinking perhaps you could send the coachman Mikhail at my request, and with him a letter, too, tomorrow morning. Konstantin⁶⁵⁰ left today, and we are without a coachman.

Today your sister Mashen’ka and Uncle Kostja took dinner with us, and later all the children and the grown-ups ran or went for a walk in the garden. I saw Maslova⁶⁵¹ and Gubkina⁶⁵² through the window, but nobody came in to see me on account of my ill health, which I was very glad of. A little drama took place over dinner. Serëzha whispered to Andrjusha that his hands were dirty. Masha overheard it and everybody came down on him and he broke into tears, left the room and wouldn’t eat, and sobbed for a long time, more from being shamed in front of Kolja Obolenskij and Borja Nagornov.⁶⁵³ I didn’t interfere, my nerves were too far shot, and I felt so sorry for him and wanted to cry myself. Later it all worked itself out: he ran off to play, and at 7 o’clock he got some salt beef from the cupboard and ate with great gusto. I went down to him, Lëva didn’t know I was doing this, and he went first [among the children] to comfort him. He’s very dear, Lëva, only he shouldn’t have bought a balalaika — his exam [preparations] might suffer [as a result].

Farewell, Lëvochka, hugs and kisses. Lessons begin tomorrow, and I’m glad about that, otherwise the children would do nothing but run around and often get bored from inactivity.

If my breasts are not better, I don’t know how we can move. I can’t undertake anything in my present condition and, without a push from me, my whole household machine cannot be set in motion. And this grieves me. — Lëva asked me yesterday: “Mamà, are you happy?” I was very surprised, didn’t know what to say at first, but then I responded: “Yes, I consider myself happy.” And he said: “Then why do you look like a martyr?” I didn’t say anything in reply, and I think it comes from my cares and fatigue over sleepless nights, as well as from pain. But he notices everything, and he needs all of us to be doing well.

You and I are a lot closer in our letters than in our lives. In a letter we remember everything and write down anything that might be of interest, even just a little, while in life we see little of each other, dark people take possession of you, and it’s always shameful to somehow talk about the trifles of everyday life, while in a letter everything seems interesting.

Well, farewell again; don’t keep us too long without news. Hugs and kisses.

S.

1 May.

Hurry up with the work on the house, so you won’t make us wait.⁶⁵⁴

 

1   Leonid Dmitrievich Urusov (1837–1885) — Deputy Governor of Tula Gubernia (1876–85) and family friend of the Tolstoys, with whom he became acquainted in early 1878. He took special pleasure in introducing SAT to the study of philosophy (see Editor’s Introduction, “Philosophy and Leonid Dimitrievich Urusov”). The letter referred to has not been preserved.

2   Vasilij Nikolaevich Bestuzhev-Rjumin (1835–1910) — Lt-General; from 1876 to 1889 he headed the Tula Arms Factory.

3   The family of Andrej Nikolaevich Kislinskij (1831–1888) — Chairman of the Regional Government of Tula Gubernia.

4   The reference is to the St. Petersburg Historical-Philological Institute, founded in 1867, which prepared teachers of various subjects for gymnasiums and regular secondary schools.

5   Pavel Dmitrievich Golokhvastov (1838–1892) — writer, historian, folk musicologist.

6   Leonid Dmitrievich Obolenskij — see Letter Nº 41, Note 264.

7   Mlle Guillod — served as tutor in the Tolstoy household from October 1880 to October 1881.

8   Varvara Valer’janovna (Varin’ka) Tolstaja (LNT’s niece) — see Letter Nº 6, Note 43.

9   Aleksandr Grigor’evich Michurin — see Letter Nº 33, Note 199.

10  Dmitrij Petrovich Botkin (1829–1889) — owner of a gallery in Moscow and Chairman of the Moscow Society of Art Lovers; elder brother to Dr. Sergej Petrovich Botkin (see Letter Nº 47, Note 7).

11  Il’ja Efimovich Repin (1844–1930) — celebrated Russian artist, who became acquainted with LNT in 1880 and painted a number of portraits of him; he also illustrated some of his works (such as The death of Ivan Ilyich [Smert’ Ivana Il’icha], The power of darkness [Vlast’ t’my]).

12  Vasilij Stepanovich Perfil’ev — see Letter Nº 16, Note 94.

13  Vladimir Konstantinovich Istomin — see Letter Nº 47, Note 299.

14  SAT’s brother Pëtr Andreevich (Petja) Behrs with his wife Ol’ga Dmitrievna Behrs (née Postnikova).

15  LNT was walking through the regional centre Krapivna on his way to the Optina Pustyn’ Monastery in Kaluga Gubernia.

16  Dmitrij Fëdorovich Vinogradov, a teacher at LNT’s school at Yasnaya Polyana, who would later transcribe for LNT.

17  Mikhail L’vovich (Misha) Tolstoj (1879–1944) — the Tolstoys’ seventh (surviving) child after Sergej (Serëzha), Tat’jana (Tanja), Il’ja (Iljusha), Lev (Lëlja), Marija (Masha) and Andrej (Andrjusha).

18  Anna Sergeevna Khomjakova (1856–?) — daughter to Tula governor Sergej Petrovich Ushakov (1828–1894).

19  Leonid Dmitrievich Urusov — see Letter Nº 57, Note 1.

20  Sergej Nikolaevich Tolstoj — see Letter Nº 4, Note 12.

21  The reference is to the Tula nobility in Moscow attending a reception for the recently installed Emperor Alexander III.

22  Empress Marija Fëdorovna — see Letter Nº 30, Note 178.

23  Nikolaj Efimovich Bogojavlenskij (1867–?) — a gymnasium pupil from Tula, who tutored the Tolstoy boys.

24  Tat’jana Andreevna Kuzminskaja, SAT’s younger sister, ‘Auntie’ to SAT’s children.

25  Pëtr Fëdorovich Samarin (1830–1901) — a landowner from Epifan Uezd.

26  Vladimir Vasil’evich Stasov (1824–1906) — art historian, a librarian at the St. Petersburg Public Library, whom LNT got to know in 1878 while he was collecting materials for his novel set in the time of Peter the Great.

27  Vladimir Sergeevich Solov’ëv — see Letter Nº 52, Note 333.

28  Vasilij Nikolaevich Bestuzhev-Rjumin — see Letter Nº 57, Note 2. The brother mentioned is Konstantin Nikolaevich Bestuzhev-Rjumin (1829–1897), a professor of history at St. Petersburg University.

29  Vladimir Solov’ëv’s final public lecture, given 28 March 1881, which ended by calling upon Tsar Alexander III to refrain from executing his father’s assassins.

30  Sof’ja Vasil’evna Volkonskaja (née Urusova; 1809–1884). The Tolstoys lived here over the winter of 1881–82.

31  On 31 October 1881 SAT gave birth to a son Aleksej (Alësha), who would die aged only 5 in January 1886.

32  Slavjanskij Bazaar — a popular restaurant and hotel in Nikol’skaja Street in Moscow, built in 1873. It was frequented by a number of prominent musicians and writers.

33  SAT’s sister Tat’jana Andreevna Kuzminskaja with her daughters Marija and Vera.

34  Ivan Mikhajlovich Ivakin (1855–1910) — a student in the History/Philological Faculty of Moscow University who was tutoring at Yasnaya Polyana. He would later serve as a librarian in the Rumjantsev Museum (see Letter Nº 20, Note 137).

35  Mania — a French-derived variant of the Tolstoys’ daughter’s name Marija (Masha).

36  Konstantin Nikolaevich (Kostjushka) Zjabrev — a poor Yasnaya Polyana peasant.

37  The Kuzminskijs — in this case referring to Tat’jana’s husband Aleksandr Mikhajlovich and their sons Mikhail and Aleksandr. Tat’jana Kuzminskaja and their daughters were in Moscow at this time.

38  On 13 July 1881 LNT left for his Samara farmstead, accompanied by his son Sergej (Serëzha).

39  In 1881 maths tutor Vasilij Ivanovich Alekseev (see Letter Nº 52, Note 338) leased some land from LNT and settled in Samara Gubernia.

40  Elizaveta Aleksandrovna Malikova (1861–?) — common-law wife to Vasilij Ivanovich Alekseev.

41  Aleksej Alekseevich Bibikov (farmstead manager) — see Letter Nº 56, Note 361.

42  Konstantin Ignatovich (Kostja) — grandson to SAT’s midwife Marija Ivanovna Abramovich.

43  Aleksandr Stepanovich Prugavin (1850–1920) — political commentator.

44  Emily Tabor — an English tutor to the Tolstoys’ children.

45  the boys — Il’ja, Lev, Andrej and Mikhail.

46  the Kuzminskijs — Aleksandr Mikhajlovich and his sons, who were spending the summer at Yasnaya Polyana.

47  Letter Nº 64 of 19 July 1881.

48  Sergej Nikolaevich (Serëzha) Tolstoj, joint-owner with his sister Marija Nikolaevna of the Pirogovo estate (see Letter Nº 4, Note 1).

49  the one to come — see Letter Nº 62, Note 31.

50  Baron Vladimir Mikhjlovich Mengden (see Letter Nº 37, Note 226) and his wife Elizaveta Ivanovna Mengden (née Bibikova; 1822–1902) — a writer who had briefly attracted LNT’s attentions in 1857; she maintained her friendship with the Tolstoys throughout the rest of her life.

51  Epishka — an elderly retired Cossack, whom LNT used as a prototype for Uncle Eroshka in his story The Cossacks [Kazaki].

52  These letters have not been preserved.

53  The Tolstoys’ son Lev was sitting his entrance examination for admission to Polivanov’s gymnasium in Moscow.

54  SAT left for Moscow on 2 August to fix up the Volkonskaja house they had rented for the winter.

55  Strakhov announced his intended summer visit to Yasnaya Polyana in his letter of 22 July 1881 — see: Leo Tolstoy & Nikolaj Strakhov: Complete correspondence (2003), Vol. II, p. 616. For LNT’s letter to Strakhov, see ibid., p. 615.

56  Dmitrij Fëdorovich Vinogradov (teacher) — see Letter Nº 60, Note 16.

57  Woe from wit [Gore ot uma] — a comedic play by Aleksandr Sergeevich Griboedov (1795–1829).

58  Vasilij Ivanovich Alekseev (maths tutor) — see Letter Nº 52, Note 338. His daughter Marija Vasil’evna (Masha) Alekseeva is mentioned in the following sentence.

59  Dmitrij Aleksandrovich (Mitja) Malikov and Elizaveta Aleksandrovna (Liza) Malikova [Jr] — son and daughter (respectively) to Elizaveta Aleksandrovna Malikova [Sr] (see Letter Nº 64, Note 40).

60  Ivan Dmitrievich Kudrin — a Molokan peasant.

61  Festival of the Saviour [Medovyj Spas] — an annual festival celebrated with honey-gathering, beginning 1 August.

62  The reference is to the Buzuluk Spas-Preobrazhensk Monastery, founded in 1853.

63  Leonid Dmitrievich Urusov — see Letter Nº 57, Note 1.

64  Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (121–180 C. E.) — Roman emperor (161–80). The book referred to is his Meditations, translated by Leonid Dmitrievich Urusov and published in Tula in 1882.

65  Jenny Tarsey (governess) — see Letter Nº 29, Note 177.

66  Natal’ja Petrovna (Natusja) Behrs — daughter to SAT’s brother Pëtr Andreevich (Petja) Behrs.

67  Ol’ga Dmitrievna Behrs (née Postnikova) — wife to SAT’s brother Petja.

68  Praskov’ja Fëdorovna (Polin’ka) Perfil’eva — see Letter Nº 47, Note 308.

69  Vladimir Konstantinovich Istomin (see Letter Nº 47, Note 299) and his wife Natal’ja Aleksandrovna Istomina (née Remi; 1851–1927).

70  name-day — 26 August is celebrated as St-Natal’ja’s Day.

71  SAT’s brother-in-law Aleksandr Mikhajlovich (Sasha) Kuzminskij.

72  Vasilij Ivanovich Karnitskij (1831–1881) — priest at the Kochaki church close to Yasnaya Polyana; religious teacher for all the Tolstoys’ children up to his death.

73  Vladimir Aleksandrovich Bibikov (1874–1938) — son of the Teljatinki estate owner Aleksandr Nikolaevich Bibikov (see Letter Nº 34, Note 205) — along with Aleksandr Nikolaevich’s second wife, Ol’ga Adol’fovna Firekel’.

74  The reference here is to LNT’s story What men live by [Chem ljudi zhivy], intended for the magazine Detskij otdykh, put out between 1881 and 1907 by Pëtr Aleksandrovich Behrs.

75  26 August 1881 was the 25th anniversary of the coronation of Emperor Alexander II in 1856.

76  Ivan Ivanovich Raevskij (1835–1891) — a landowner in Tula and Rjazan’ Gubernias; a friend of LNT’s.

77  Russian masonry stoves (or ovens) are large structures designed to maintain heat for a long period of time. Especially in rural dwellings, they have a flat top which provides the warmest place to sleep on cold winter nights.

78  Pëtr Pavlovich Shentjakov (1858–?) — a Yasnaya Polyana peasant, son to harness-maker Pavel Fëdorovich Shentjakov (1826–1899).

79  Marija Afanas’evna Arbuzova (nanny) — see Letter Nº 41, Note 265.

80  Agaf’ja Mikhajlovna (maid) — see Letter Nº 21, Note 141.

81  Revues — issues of the French journal Revue des deux mondes.

82  The reference here is to LNT’s article What then must be done? [Tak chto zhe nam delat’?].

83  The room where LNT’s aunt, Tat’jana Aleksandrovna Ergol’skaja (see Letter Nº 5, Note 33) used to sleep when she lived at Yasnaya Polyana (she passed on in 1874).

84  LNT’s niece Varvara Valer’janova (Varen’ka) Nagornova (née Tolstaja) — see Letter Nº 6, Note 43.

85  Vasilij Kirillovich Sjutaev (1819–1892) — a peasant sectarian in Tver’ Gubernia, whom LNT got to know in 1881, and whose ideas made a considerable impression on LNT.

86  The Tolstoys’ daughter Tanja was painting a portrait of Sjutaev at the same time as the professional artist Il’ja Efimovich Repin (see Letter Nº 59, Note 11). Maslenitsa (Shrovetide) is an annual Russian winter festival just prior to the Orthodox Lent.

87  Letter Nº 69 of 3 February 1882.

88  LNT’s story What men live by [Chem ljudi zhivy], published in the magazine Detskij otdykh (1881, Nº 12, pp. 407–34).

89  Nikolaj Leonidovich (Kolja) Obolenskij (1872–1934) — grandson to LNT’s sister Marija Nikolaevna Tolstaja.

90  Ivan Mikhajlovich Ivakin (tutor) — see Letter Nº 63, Note 34.

91  the Këllers — the family of Major-General Count Viktor Fëdorovich Këller (1834–1906), married to Countess Sof’ja Vasil’evna Bobrinskaja (1837–1891).

92  the Ljarskijs — the family of Mikhail Alekseevich Vonljarljarskij (1830–?), a justice of the peace in Moscow.

93  the Obolenskijs — the family of LNT’s niece Elizaveta Valer’janovna Obolenskaja (see Letter Nº 6, Note 43).

94  the Olsuf’evs — the family of the Tolstoys’ Moscow neighbour Vasilij Aleksandrovich Olsuf’ev (1831–1883).

95  Grigorij Vasil’evich (Grisha) Olsuf’ev, their son, and Anna Vasil’evna Olsuf’eva (married name: Levitskaja), their daughter.

96  Afanasij Afanas’evich Fet (poet) — see Letter Nº 7, Note 51.

97  The letter referred to was written on 2 February 1882 (not included in the present volume).

98  Aleksej Stepanovich Orekhov — see Letter Nº 5, Note 37.

99  Ivan Ivanovich Raevskij and his family — see Letter Nº 69, Note 76.

100 The reference here is to LNT’s treatise What then must be done? [Tak chto zhe nam delat’?].

101 Vladimir Fëdorovich Orlov (1843–1898) — son of a priest of Vladimir Gubernia, a teacher who got involved in a revolutionary movement; he became acquainted with LNT in 1881.

102 Nikolaj Fëdorovich Fëdorov (1829–1903) — Russian religious thinker and philosopher, sometimes dubbed the “Moscow Socrates”, founder of a movement known as Russian cosmism, whose later adherents included the rocket scientist Konstantin Èduardovich Tsiolkovskij (Tsiolkovsky; 1857–1935) and the naturalist Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadskij (1863–1945). As a librarian at the Rumjantsev Museum (see Letter Nº 20, Note 137), Fëdorov initiated a series of intellectual discussion forums, which were attended by many prominent contemporary thinkers; he also introduced a number of reforms in library science, including the setting up of a systematic book catalogue.

103 LNT took part in the Moscow census of 23–25 January 1882. He chose to collect data in the Khitrov Market district that had the very poorest population. He wrote about his impressions in an article On the Moscow census [O perepisi v Moskve].

104 Mitrofan Nikolaevich Bannikov — son to a former tutor of LNT’s and his brothers’; a Yasnaya Polyana foreman.

105 Tat’jana Vasil’evna Olsuf’eva — daughter to Vasilij Aleksandrovich Olsuf’ev.

106 Aleksej L’vovich Tolstoj — see Letter Nº 62, Note 31.

107 Marija Nikolaevna (Masha) Tolstaja (LNT’s sister) — see Letter Nº 4, Note 12.

108 Concerning LNT’s instructions to their daughter Tanja, see the last few paragraphs of Letter Nº 69 (3 February 1882), as well as the fifth and sixth paragraphs of Letter Nº 71 (4 February).

109 Letter unknown.

110 Filip Rodionovich Egorov (1839–1895) — coachman at Yasnaya Polyana.

111 Arina Fëdorovna Frolkova (a.k.a. Irina Fëdorovna Khrolkova; née Shentjakova; 1831–after 1906) — cook at Yasnaya Polyana.

112 The wire was sent the same day: “Didn’t manage to write yesterday; distracted. Healthy. Working” (PSS 83: 317).

113 Manège — a large exhibition hall located just near the Kremlin in Moscow.

114 LNT’s sister Marija Nikolaevna (Mashen’ka) Tolstaja and her daughter Elena Sergeevna (Hélène) Denisenko (see Letter Nº 24, Note 160).

115 Konstantin Aleksandrovich Islavin — see Letter Nº 47, Note 301.

116 Princess Elizaveta Petrovna Obolenskaja (née Vyrubova; 1843–1931) — wife to Dmitrij Dmitrievich Obolenskij (see Letter Nº 13, Note 79), with her daughter Elizaveta Dmitrievna Obolenskaja (1871–1894; married name: Kazem-Bek).

117 Elizaveta Valer’janovna (Liza) Obolenskaja (LNT’s niece) — see Letter Nº 40, Note 259.

118 Misprinted in the published Russian version as 1881.

119 Valerija Vladimirovna Arsen’eva (1836–1909) — daughter to neighbouring landowner Vladimir Mikhajlovich Arsen’ev (1810–1853) and his wife Evgenija L’vovna Arsen’eva (née Shcherbachëva). After Vladimir Mikhajlovich’s untimely death, LNT became guardian of his children and often visited their Sudakovo estate. In 1856–57 LNT was romantically attracted to Valerija Vladimirovna and thought about marrying her, but considered her of too frivolous character. A year or so later she married Anatolij Aleksandrovich Talyzin (1820–1894), but then divorced him and married Nikolaj Nikolaevich Volkov (?–1901). His attraction to Arsen’eva inspired him to write Family happiness in 1858, which was first published in the journal Russkij vestnik (1859, Nº 7–8).

120 Aleksandr Andreevich (Sasha) Behrs (SAT’s brother) — see Letter Nº 4, Note 13.

121 The reference is to a letter from LNT’s great aunt Aleksandra Andreevna Tolstaja (see Letter Nº 37, Note 231) which has been preserved only in part. For ten days in February 1882 Aleksandra Andreevna was in Moscow, where she met with LNT, arguing with him on religious topics. While she strongly defended traditional Orthodoxy, he attacked the Church and accused its followers of hypocrisy. This dispute affected their subsequent relationship. Aleksandra Andreevna described their further irregular correspondence as “lame”.

122 In the unsent letter of 3 March 1882 LNT wrote: “There can be no common ground between you and me, since that spiritually sacred faith which you profess, I professed with all my soul and studied with all my strength of mind and became convinced that it was not faith, but a bitter deception” (L. N. Tolstoy and A. A. Tolstaja: Correspondence 1857–1903 [L. N. Tolstoj i A. A. Tolstaja: Perepiska], pp. 402–03). The following day he wrote another letter (ibid., pp. 404–05), but did not send it either.

123 Nanny — Marija Afanas’evna Arbuzova — see Letter Nº 41, Note 265.

124 Avdot’ja Vasil’evna Popova — housekeeper for the Tolstoys at Yasnaya Polyana.

125 Konstantin Nikolaevich (Kostjushka) Zjabrev — a poor peasant at Yasnaya Polyana.

126 This letter is dated 1 March 1882 (not included in the present volume).

127 See Letter Nº 75 of 2 March 1882.

128 Vasilij Ivanovich Alekseev (tenant in Samara) — see Letter Nº 52, Note 338.

129 LNT described this condition of his in A confession [Ispoved’]: “The truth is that life is meaningless. I seemed to live a bit, move a bit, came to the edge of an abyss and saw that there was nothing ahead of me but doom… And so then I, a happy man, removed [all] ropes from my room where I was alone, undressing, every night, so as not to hang myself on the crossbar between the closets, and I ceased hunting with a rifle, so as not to be tempted by an all-too-easy method of saving myself from life… And this was happening with me at a time when I was surrounded on all sides by what might be considered complete happiness: this was before I turned fifty. I had a kind, loving and beloved wife, good children, a large estate which was growing and increasing without any labour on my part. I was respected by family and acquaintances; praised by others more than ever before, and could say that I enjoyed popularity without any exaggerated delusions of grandeur” (PSS 23:12).

130 Malysh — Il’ja L’vovich’s beloved pointer.

131 Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Sverbeeva (née Princess Shcherbatova; 1802–1892) — widow of historian and diplomat Dmitrij Nikolaevich Sverbeev (1799–1874).

132 Ol’ga Semënovna Bojanus (née Khljustina; 1st married name: Davydova; 1837–1910 — mother to friends of Il’ja’s, wife to homœopath Karl Karlovich Bojanus (1818–1897).

133 Tat’jana L’vovna was studying at the Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture; Sergej L’vovich was in his first year in the Natural Sciences department of Moscow University.

134 Sergej Mikhajlovich Sukhotin (1818–1886) — chamberlain, a Tula landowner, since 1851 a councillor with the Moscow Court Office. He helped LNT secure archival materials for work on his novel War and Peace.

135 Nikolaj Bogdanovich Fokht (?–1882) — Russian language teacher at the First Moscow Gymnasium, married to Sergej Sukhotin’s daughter Elizaveta Sergeevna (1851–1902).

136 Marija Mikhajlovna L’vova (née Chelishcheva; 1843–1915) — wife to amateur spiritualist Nikolaj Aleksandrovich L’vov (1834–1887). LNT’s impressions of his séance were embodied in his comedy The fruits of enlightenment [Plody prosveshchenija], particularly in the character of Zvezdintsev.

137 Sergej Sukhotin’s son was Mikhail Sergeevich (Misha) Sukhotin (1850–1914), whose first wife was also named Marija Mikhajlovna (née Baroness Bode; 1856–1897). Later, in 1899, he married the Tolstoys’ daughter Tat’jana L’vovna (Tanja; 1864–1950).

138 Elizaveta Valer’janovna (Liza) Obolenskaja (LNT’s niece) — see Letter Nº 6, Note 43.

139 the proofs — of LNT’s article Introduction to an unpublished treatise (A confession) [Vstuplenie k nenapechatannomu sochineniju (Ispoved’)], which was to have been published in Russkaja mysl’, but was blocked by the censors.

140 Ivan Alekseevich — a harness-maker.

141 Dmitrij Alekseevich Khomjakov and Anna Sergeevna Khomjakova (née Ushakova; see Letter Nº 61, Note 18).

142 Vsevolod Vsevolodovich Shidlovskij (1854–1912) — first cousin to SAT.

143 Valentina Sergeevna Ushakova (married name: Gordeeva; 1863–1931) — lady-in-waiting; sister to Anna Sergeevna Khomjakova.

144 Countess Sof’ja Andreevna Tolstaja (née Bakhmeteva; 1827–1895) — widow of the poet Count Aleksej Konstantinovich Tolstoj (1817–1875). The other ‘mysterious lady’ referred to is her namesake’s extra-marital daughter, Sof’ja Petrovna Khitrovo (née Bakhmetova; 1848–1910).

145 the Olsuf’evs’ — see Letter Nº 70, Note 94.

146 Batjushka — a term of endearment derived from the word for “Father”, akin (in this particular instance) to “Precious one” (used by Russians in addressing an Orthodox priest and by peasants in addressing their masters).

147 Ivan Ivanovich Glazkov (1823–1882) — a landowner in the settlement of Pokrovskoe-Ushakovo, Krapivna Uezd, Tula Gubernia; he passed on 6 April 1882.

148 Matvej Egorovich Egorov (1816–1892).

149 Tit Ermilovich Zjabrev (1829–1894).

150 Pëtr Osipovich Zjabrev (1843–1906).

151 Aleksej Stepanovich Orekhov — see Letter Nº 5, Note 38.

152 Varvara Nikolaevna Bannikova — second daughter to LNT’s servant Nikolaj; her sister Evdokija (see Letter Nº 5, Note 12) was married to Aleksej Stepanovich Orekhov.

153 Tat’jana Ivanovna Lokhmacheva (1832–?) — a Yasnaya Polyana peasant.

154 Probably a reference to the peasant Anna Alekseevna Gasteva (?–ca1927).

155 Tat’jana Ivanovna Kurnasenkova (or possibly Kurnosova; 1842–?) — a Yasnaya Polyana peasant.

156 Grigorij Il’ich Bolkhin (1836–?) — father to coachman Adrian Grigor’evich Bolkhin (1865–1936).

157 Osip Naumovich Zjabrev (1802–1884) — husband to LNT’s wet-nurse. His son was Pëtr Osipovich Zjabrev.

158 Possibly a reference to the 1833 novel Eugénie Grandet by Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850), published in the 1884 issue of Revue étrangère, which LNT was reading at the time (see his letter to SAT dated 4 March 1882, PSS 83: 325).

159 The words I hope are given in English (not Russian).

160 Letter Nº 78 of 8 April 1882.

161 Tanja wanted to go to a ball at the Khomjakovs’.

162 SAT’s sister Tat’jana Andreevna (Tanja) Kuzminskaja was spending the summer in the annexe at Yasnaya Polyana.

163 The Zakaz was the Tolstoys’ private forest preserve on the Yasnaya Polyana estate (where LNT’s grave is located today), while the Zaseka was another designated conservation area outside the perimeter of the estate.

164 The Tolstoys’ son Lev L’vovich (Lëlja) was ill with a fever, and so SAT decided to delay her departure to Yasnaya Polyana (where she was planning to spend the summer) until such time as the doctors deemed it safe for Lev to go there.

165 Grand Prince Nikolaj Nikolaevich the Younger (1856–1929) — grandson to Tsar Nicholas I, eldest son to Grand Prince Nikolaj Nikolaevich the Elder (1831–1891); commander-in-chief of the Russian Imperial army and navy at the start of World War I.

166 In the summer of 1882 the Tolstoys purchased a house from Ivan Aleksandrovich Arnautov at 15, Dolgokhamovniki Lane in Moscow, where after repairs and renovations they lived nineteen winters (up to 1901), spending their summers at Yasnaya Polyana. LNT would often stay at Yasnaya Polyana even during the winter.

167 Sergej Semënovich Urusov (see Letter Nº 40, Note 258) with his niece, surnamed Bogdanova.

168 Mitrofan Pavlovich Shchepkin (1832–1908) — owner of a printshop where individual works of LNT’s were printed.

169 The Tolstoys needed an architect to renovate their house in Khamovniki Lane, newly purchased from Ivan Aleksandrovich Arnautov (see Letter Nº 80, Note 166). The architect selected was Mikhail Illarionovich Nikiforov (1837–after 1897).

170 Marija Vjacheslavovna Sverbeeva (née Shidlovskaja; 1853–1912) — a cousin of SAT’s, married to Mikhail Dmitrievich Sverbeev (1843–1903).

171 Neskuchnyj Gardens — a popular recreational park on the banks of the Moskva River.

172 Adam Vasil’evich Olsuf’ev (1833–1901) — a major-general; a neighbour of the Tolstoys’ in Moscow.

173 Liza — in this case a reference to the nanny hired to look after the Tolstoys’ baby Aleksej (see Letter Nº 62, Note 31).

174 your first piece — probably a reference to a drawing by the Tolstoys’ daughter Tat’jana L’vovna (Tanja).

175 SAT’s sister Tat’jana Andreevna (Tanja) Kuzminskaja accompanied LNT to Moscow.

176 Lev Ivanovich Polivanov (1838–1899) — founding headmaster of a private boys’ gymnasium, where the Tolstoys’ sons Il’ja (Iljusha) and Lev (Lëlja) were enrolled.

177 In this case the family of Vasilij Aleksandrovich Olsuf’ev, neighbours to the Tolstoys in Moscow.

178 Letter Nº 82 of 11 September 1882.

179 The Tolstoys’ had about ten servants in all — nannies, maids, cooks, yardkeepers, stable-men and so forth. They all needed accommodation: some were lodged in the gate-house, others in the kitchen, the annexe and the main house.

180 Elena Ivanovna (Alëna) Prasekina — a cook at Yasnaya Polyana.

181 A letter from the writer Turgenev in Bougival (France), dated 4 September 1882, asking for a copy of A confession, which had been blocked by the censors.

182 In the 1880s LNT came to believe in the simplification of his life-style and the rejection of private property. He expressed these views in his writings of the time (A confession [Ispoved’] and What I believe in [V chëm moja vera?], and endeavoured to express them in his life. However, so as not to leave his large family in poverty, his first step was to transfer to SAT all rights to manage all his affairs (hence this power of attorney). Later, in 1890, he divided his property between his wife and his children, transferring to them all his property along with the rights of publication of all his works written up to 1881 — i.e. to his spiritual crisis — including his fiction works, which realised a basic income. Any works written by him after 1881 he declared to be in the public domain — i.e. anyone wishing to could publish them without paying royalties. In his 1910 will, drawn up without SAT’s knowledge, he bequeathed his whole literary legacy to the public domain through his executor — i.e. his youngest daughter Aleksandra L’vovna Tolstaja.

183 LNT left for his Samara farmstead shortly after signing the Power of Attorney on 21 May 1883.

184 The greenhouse at Yasnaya Polyana, where they grew peaches for sale, burned to the ground on 14 March 1867.

185 Pëtr Andreevich Arkhangel’skij, who took over from Aleksej Alekseevich Bibikov (see Letter Nº 56, Note 361) as manager of the Samara farmstead.

186 SAT’s sister Tanja and her children Marija, Vera, Mikhail, Aleksandr and Vasilij.

187 Aleksej L’vovich (Alësha) Tolstoj — see Letter Nº 62, Note 31.

188 Alcide Seuron (1869–1891) — son to Mme Anna Seuron (née Weber; 1845–1922), French/German governess to the Tolstoys’ children, author of the reminiscences Graf Leo Tolstoi von Anna Seuron.

189 Jakov Ivanovich Golovin (1852–?) — landowner, hunter, and his wife Ol’ga Sergeevna Golovina (née Fëdorova).

190 this French article — a French version of A confession [Ispoved’] which LNT was preparing for La Nouvelle revue; in this journal Nº 23 (1883), was published his Foreword to The Gospel in brief [Krakoe izlozhenie Evangelija] under the heading Pages inédites de Léon Tolstoi [Unpublished pages by Leo Tolstoy].

191 Marfa Evdokimovna Fokanova — a Yasnaya Polyana peasant.

192 M-a — an abbreviated reference to a landowner named Pelageja Nikolaevna Metelitsyna, who spent a year doing farm labour and wrote an article entitled God v batrachkakh [A year as a farm labourer], published in Otechestvennye zapiski. In 1883 the Tolstoys’ Samara farmstead began to be worked by women farm labourers.

193 A letter written 23 May 1883, not included in the present volume (see PSS 83: 375–76).

194 Turgenev passed away in Bougival (France) on 22 August 1883. LNT was reading Turgenev’s works in preparation for speaking on Turgenev (by invitation) to the Society of Lovers of Russian Language & Literature [Obshchestvo ljubitelej rossijskoj slovesnosti] in Moscow.

195 A reference to the proofs of his treatise What I believe [V chëm moja vera?], originally scheduled to be published in the journal Russkaja mysl’. LNT was currently working on the conclusion to this treatise. He later decided to have it published as a separate edition rather than in the journal.

196 These letters were written on 28 and 29 September 1883 (not included in the present volume) — see Letters of S. A. Tolstaya to L. N. Tolstoy [Pis’ma k L. N. Tolstomu], pp. 230–32.

197 Sergej Andreevich Jur’ev (1821–1888) — literary critic, appointed in 1878 as the Chairman of the Society of Lovers of Russian Language & Literature, who was in charge of setting up the memorial service for Turgenev. Jur’ev had visited SAT in Moscow to ask what day LNT could give his speech on Turgenev — the 8th or the 15th of October.

198 Vukol Mikhajlovich Lavrov (1852–1912) — writer, editor (from 1880) of the journal Russkaja mysl’, which proposed to publish LNT’s treatise What I believe [V chëm moja vera?].

199 Tit Ivanovich Polin (Pelagejushkin; 1867–1932) — one of the Tolstoys’ servants.

200 SAT wrote on 29 September 1883: “Uncle Kostja is here again; last night he spent up to 2 a.m. pouring out all the bitterness of his situation to me and his reproaches to everybody in the world” — Letters of S. A. Tolstaya to L. N. Tolstoy [Pis’ma k L. N. Tolstomu], p. 232.

201 In response to Letter Nº 88 of 30 September 1883.

202 Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in central Moscow. The foundation was laid on 23 September 1839 — an event witnessed by LNT as a child — and the cathedral was consecrated on 26 May 1883. It was destroyed by Stalin’s order in 1931, and from 1960 to 1994 the site was used for a huge swimming-pool. After the collapse of the Soviet system, the original church was reconstructed (1994–97).

203 Elizaveta Valer’janovna (Liza) Obolenskaja (see Letter Nº 40, Note 259) with her daughters Marija and Aleksandra.

204 Konstantin Aleksandrovich (Kostja, Kosten’ka) Islavin — SAT’s uncle (see Letter Nº 47, Note 301).

205 A telegram from the print-shop demanding that the proofs be sent at once.

206 Mitrofan Nikolaevich Bannikov (foreman) — see Letter Nº 71, Note 104.

207 Chepyzh — the name of a grove on the Yasnaya Polyana estate.

208 Sandoz — a Tolstoyan from Switzerland (no further details known).

209 Filipp Rodrigovich Egorov (coachman) — see Letter Nº 73, Note 110. His eldest son was Mikhail Filippovich Egorov.

210 Nikolaj Mikhajlovich Rumjantsev (cook) — see Letter Nº 5, Note 27.

211 The reference here is to a peasant from the village of Rvy (see SAT’s Letter Nº 92 of 12 November 1883).

212 Nikolaj Vasil’evich Davydov (1848–1920) — prosecutor of the Tula District Court, whom LNT became acquainted with in 1878. LNT’s letter to him is dated 10 November 1883 (PSS 63: 140).

213 Aleksandr Nikolaevich Bibikov (neighbour) — see Letter Nº 34, Note 205.

214 Dmitrij Fëdorovich Vinogradov (teacher) — see Letter Nº 60, Note 16.

215 Une Vie — an 1883 novel by Guy de Maupassant. LNT was quite enamoured of this work. In a preface to a Russian translation of de Maupassant’s works (1894) he wrote: “Une Vie is a superb novel, not only de Maupassant’s best novel without compare, but possibly the best French novel [ever], after Hugo’s Les Misérables” (PSS 30: 7).

216 A pencil portrait of SAT, executed (in her words) “by a student at the Sokolovskij Institute”.

217 Most probably, a letter written 10 November 1883 (Letters to L. N. Tolstoy, p. 240).

218 Lieutenant Frants Ivanovich Baratynskij — a state forester in the Zaseka, whose wife had just passed on.

219 LNT was reading the novel Le Rouge et le Noir by Stendhal (real name: Henri Beyle), whom he considered a writer that had greatly influenced him. In November 1883 LNT wrote: “I read this about 40 years ago, but don’t remember anything except my feeling towards the author — an affinity with [his boldness], a kinship, but also a dissatisfaction. And it’s strange: I have the same feelings now, but with a clear awareness of why and wherefore” (PSS 83: 410).

220 LNT was also reading Pis’ma iz derevni [Letters from the country] by political commentator and agricultural scientist Aleksandr Nikolaevich Engel’gardt (Engelhardt; 1832–1893).

221 I hope — phrase given in English.

222 See the first paragraph of Letter Nº 90 (of 10 November 1883) and Note 211 therein.

223 In Russian tradition, two teeth falling out with no blood can be seen as a premonition of ill health or a personal loss.

224 Aleksandr Sergeevich (Sasha) Perfil’ev — grandson to Stepan Vasil’evich Perfil’ev (see Letter Nº 16, Note 94).

225 Aleksandr Ivanovich Koshelev (1806–1883) — Slavophile political commentator and activist. His son Ivan Aleksandrovich Koshelev (1836–?) had the rank of Court Councillor. His daughter, Dar’ja Aleksandrovna (1844–?) was married to Fëdor Andreevich Beklemishev (1830–1906), a chamberlain and governor of Khar’kov. They were acquaintances of the Tolstoys’ in Moscow.

226 Pëtr Andreevich Arkhangel’skij (farmstead manager) — see Letter Nº 85, Note 185.

227 This is probably a reference to Alexandre Dumas-fils’ Preface to the French translation of Gœthe’s Faust, published in 1873.

228 Tat’jana Aleksandrovna Olsuf’eva (a friend of the Tolstoys’ daughter Tanja) and her sister Anna Aleksandrovna Levitskaja (née Olsuf’eva) — daughters to the Tolstoys’ Moscow neighbour Vasilij Aleksandrovich Olsuf’ev.

229 Ol’ga Semënovna Bojanus (acquaintance) — see Letter Nº 77, Note 132.

230 Arina Grigor’evna (Arisha) Arbuzova — wife to Sergej Petrovich Arbuzov (see Letter Nº 4, Note 15).

231 The reference is probably to the book Tristesses et sourires (35th ed., Paris, 1884) by French author Gustave Droz (1832–1895), a copy of which is to be found in the Yasnaya Polyana library.

232 Dmitrij Fëdorovich Vinogradov (teacher) — see Letter Nº 60, Note 10.

233 Letter Nº 93 of 28 January 1884.

234 Princess Varvara Dmitrievna Urusova — sister to Prince Leonid Dmitrievich Urusov (see Letter Nº 57, Note 1).

235 Ivan Nikolaevich Kushnerëv (1827–1896) — print-shop owner; also a writer and publisher of the journal Russkaja mysl’. Here, too, Tolstoy’s censored What I believe [V chëm moja vera?] was printed as a separate edition in 50 copies, which were mainly distributed by Vladimir Nikolaevich Marakuev (?–1921), a journalist, publisher of books for the common people, to whom LNT turned to for copies.

236 Adelaida Dmitrievna Ivanova (née Urusova) — another sister to Leonid Dmitrievich Urusov.

237 Archimandrite Amfilokhij (secular name: Pavel Ivanovich Sergievskij-Kazantsev; 1818–1893) — Prior of the Svjato-Danilov Monastery; chairman of the censorship committee.

238 Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev (1827–1906) — Senior Procurator of the Holy Synod (1880–1905).

239 Possibly a reference to Ivan Ignat’evich Borisevich (Borysiewicz?; 1792–1888) — a Polish nobleman living in Chern’ (Tula Gubernia).

240 Filip Rodionovich Egorov (coachman) — see Letter Nº 73, Note 110.

241 Kaliki perekhozhie [Wandering minstrels] — a collection of spiritual verse by Slavic philologist Pëtr Alekseevich Bessnov (1828–1898) published in Moscow in two parts (6 editions) between 1861 and 1864.

242 In early 1884 LNT sketched out a plan for a folk drama Peter the Publican [Pëtr khlebnik]. In his introduction to Act I he mentions Bessonov’s collection “Kaliki perekhozhie, Part II, 5th ed., p. 26”. A rough draft was completed in 1894, but the play was not published during LNT’s lifetime.

243 Vlas Anisimovich Vorob’ëv (1853–1929) — a Yasnaya Polyana peasant, who did yard-keeping for the Tolstoys.

244 A peasant custom.

245 Letter Nº 95 of 30 January 1884.

246 Nikolaj Savvich Tikhonravov (1832–1893) — a philologist; rector of Moscow University from 1877 to 1884.

247 two copies — of LNT’s treatise What I believe [V chëm moja vera?].

248 The reference is to the payment of rent for use of LNT’s Samara lands by the peasants of the village of Gavrilovka.

249 See Letter Nº 85.

250 SAT was pregnant with her youngest daughter Aleksandra L’vovna (Sasha) Tolstaja (1884–1979), who was born on 26 September 1884.

251 Prince Vladimir Andreevich Dolgorukov (1810–1891) — Governor-General of Moscow from 1865 to 1891.

252 On 12 February 1884 Princess Agrafena Aleksandrovna Obolenskaja (1823–1891) put on an amateur performance of the 1840 play Novichki v ljubvi [Novices in love] by Nikolaj Arsen’evich Korovkin (1816–1876).

253 Count Fëdor L’vovich Sollogub (1848–1890) — set decorator, amateur actor; nephew to the writer Vladimir Aleksandrovich Sollogub (1813–1882).

254 Osip Naumovich Zjabrev — see Letter Nº 79, Note 157.

255 Rodnoe slovo — an anthology for younger children, compiled by the ‘father’ of scientific pedagogy in Russia Konstantin Dmitrievich Ushinskij (1823–1870).

256 Aleksej Dmitrievich Galakhov (1807–1892) — historian of Russian literature, compiler of the popular Russkaja khrestomatija [Russian anthology] (1842).

257 This idea came to fruition in 1884 when LNT, in collaboration with his friend and kindred thinker Vladimir Grigor’evich Chertkov (1854–1936), founded the Posrednik publishing house with the aim of providing inexpensive literature for the common people.

258 On 5 February Agaf’ja Mikhajlovna (see Letter Nº 21, Note 141) came to LNT’s home to celebrate her name-day, where she received a congratulatory telegram from Mikhail Aleksandrovich Stakhovich (1861–1923), a poet and writer from Orël Gubernia, who switched from his liberal views to being an arch-conservative and served as a right-wing deputy in the First and Second State Duma (Russian parliament).

259 In a letter dated 3 February 1884 (not included here) SAT said that she had gone to the State Bank where she had received 2,500 roubles to transfer to the publisher Ivan Nikolaevich Kushnerëv (see Letter Nº 94, Note 235) to cover the printing costs for the booklet What I believe [V chëm moja vera?].

260 A letter dated 4 February 1884 (not included here), in which LNT described dislocating the thumb on his right hand (PSS 83: 423).

261 Maslenitsa — see Letter Nº 69, Note 86.

262 SAT was reading a work at the time by French writer and philosopher Étienne de la Boétie (1530–1563) entitled Le Discours de la servitude volontaire ou le Contr’un.

263 SAT’s cousin Boris Vjacheslavovich Shidlovskij (1859–1922) was marrying Countess Vera Nikolaevna Miloradovich (née Shabel’skaja; 1861–1916), who had just divorced Count Grigorij Aleksandrovich Miloradovich (1839–1905). In 1896 the marriage was declared illegitimate and three years later Vera Nikolaevna entered a convent.

264 Varvara Valer’janovna (Varja) Nagornova, niece to LNT (see Letter Nº 6, Note 43).

265 Avdot’ja Vasil’evna Popova — housekeeper at Yasnaya Polyana.

266 Adrian Grigor’evich Bolkhin (1865–1936) — a Yasnaya Polyana peasant, who served as a coachman for the Tolstoys.

267 Marija Afanas’evna Arbuzova (nanny) — see Letter Nº 41, Note 265.

268 LNT was working at the time on A criticism of dogmatic theology [Issledovanie dogmaticheskogo bogoslovija] (1884).

269 Ivan Nikanorovich Mukhalevskij (1852–1884) — priest at the Kochaki church, whose parish included Yasnaya Polyana.

270 Anna Ivanovna — a widowed smallholder, who ran a post-station. Tat’jana Andreevna Kuzminskaja based her story “Beshenyj volk” [The mad wolf] on Anna Ivanovna’s words; it was published in Vestnik Evropy (1886, Nº 6).

271 Rybin — nickname of a bandit named Nikolaj Kurnosenkov, who would steal fish from railway carriages (ryba is the Russian word for ‘fish’).

272 Sergej Alekseevich Pisarev (ca1855–1909) — retired cavalry captain, a Tula landowner. In October 1884 he fought a duel with SAT’s brother Aleksandr Andreevich (Sasha) Behrs over Behrs’ wife Matrona Dmitrievna (Patti; née Èristova). The duel took place in the Zaseka near Yasnaya Polyana; Pisarev was wounded but not killed. He married Patti Behrs, but their married life was less than successful.

273 Ol’ga Dmitrievna Zajkovskaja (1844–1919) — SAT’s childhood friend.

274 Letter Nº 99 of 21 October 1884.

275 Leonid Dmitrievich Obolenskij and Elizaveta Valer’janovna (Liza) Obolenskaja (LNT’s niece). 22 October (Liza’s name-day) honours St. Elisabeth of Adrianopolis [Elisaveta Adrianopol’skaja] who was martyred in the third century C. E. for professing her Christian faith.

276 Dr. Mikhail Il’ich Chizh (?–1895) — obstetrician and gynæcologist.

277 Vlas Anisimovich Vorob’ëv (yard-keeper) — see Letter Nº 95, Note 243.

278 Aleksandra L’vovna (Sasha) Tolstaja (daughter) — see Letter Nº 96, Note 250.

279 A letter dated 22 October 1884 (not included here) — see PSS 83: 431–32.

280 Nikol’skoe-Vjazemskoe estate foreman Ivan Ivanovich Orlov (see Letter Nº 5, Note 34) proposed constructing a potato factory there.

281 LNT wanted to dismiss his Yasnaya Polyana foreman Mitrofan Nikolaevich Bannikov (see Letter Nº 71, Note 104) for seducing the wife of peasant Fëdor Sergeevich Rezunov (1858–1920).

282 Marija Nikolaevna (Mashen’ka) Tolstaja (LNT’s sister) — see Letter Nº 4, Note 12.

283 Sergej Nikolaevich (Serëzha) Tolstoj (LNT’s brother) — see Letter Nº 4, Note 12.

284 Mikhail Nikiforovich Katkov (editor of Russkij vestnik) — see Letter Nº 12, Note 73. Sergej Nikolaevich was angered that students had vandalised the Moscow University print-shop rented by Katkov.

285 Dmitrij Fëdorovich Vinogradov (teacher) — see Letter Nº 60, Note 16.

286 A letter written by SAT from Moscow on 21 October 1884 (Letters to L. N. Tolstoy, pp. 255–56).

287 LNT was sewing boots for Mikhail Aleksandrovich Stakhovich (1861–1923) — poet and writer from Orël Gubernia, who switched from his liberal leanings to arch-conservative views and took part in the first two State Dumas (parliaments) as a right-wing deputy. After the February 1917 revolution he served the Provisional Government as Governor-General of Finland (at the time a Russian province). Tolstoy had studied boot-making as part of his conviction (outlined in What then must be done? [Tak chto zhe nam delat’?] that one’s day should comprise four basic activities: intellectual labour, physical labour, work with handicrafts and interaction with people (PSS 25: 388). The boots he made for Stakhovich are on display at the Tolstoy Museum in Moscow.

288 In her letter of 21 October SAT told her husband that Sergej Alekseevich Pisarev was still alive after his duel with her brother Aleksandr Andreevich (Sasha) Behrs (see Letter Nº 99, Note 272).

289 Mme Seuron and M[iss] Lake — governesses to the Tolstoys’ children.

290 Sharik — the name of a mongrel dog trained by Anna Seuron (the Russian name literally signifies balloon, but is a common name for a pet dog).

291 Letter Nº 101 of 23 October 1884.

292 Arina Fëdorovna Frolkova (née Shentjakova; cook) — see Letter Nº 73, Note 111

293 Fedot Terent’evich Orekhov (1846–1884) — a Yasnaya Polyana peasant on the verge of death.

294 SAT’s letter to LNT dated 24 October 1884 (PSS 83: 436–37, not included here) and a letter from Vasilij Ivanovich Alekseev (see Letter Nº 64, Note 39) from Samara, dated 15 October 1884.

295 Ekaterina Nikolaevna Kashevskaja (married name: Fridman; 1862–1939) — teacher of music and French to the Tolstoys’ children.

296 the Tolstojs — in this case referring to LNT’s brother Sergej Nikolaevich Tolstoj and his family.

297 The Tolstoys’ daughter Tat’jana L’vovna Tolstaja and her first cousin Vera Sergeevna (Verochka) Tolstaja (1865–1923) — daughter to LNT’s brother Sergej Nikolaevich Tolstoj.

298 Gauthier’s — a shop specialising in foreign books in Kuznetsky Most Street (a major thoroughfare in central Moscow) operated by Vladimir Ivanovich Gauthier-Dufayer (1815–1887), who inherited the business from his father and grandfather; the latter had emigrated to Russia from Picardy (France) in 1764, thanks to a promotional campaign sponsored by Empress Catherine the Great to attract entrepreneurs to Russia from Western Europe.

299 In 1884 LNT was doing a lot of reading in Confucius and Lao-Tse (Laozi). SAT wrote her sister Tat’jana Andreevna that her husband was “reading Confucius enthusiastically, along with anything written about the Chinese, their life, religion and so forth” (Tolstoy Museum archives). At this time LNT was working on a series of articles which he grouped together under the general title Chinese wisdom [Kitajskaja mudrost’].

300 Maurycy Bolseław Wolff (Russian name: Mavrikij Osipovich Vol’f; 1825–1883) — a publisher and bookseller originally from Poland who opened a chain of bookshops in Russia, including the one on Kuznetsky Most in Moscow.

301 Ivan Mikhajlovich Ivakin (tutor) — see Letter Nº 63, Note 34.

302 See Letter Nº 99, Note 272.

303 In her letter of 26 October 1884 (not included here) SAT complained: “I’ve been missing you something terrible; I’ve held my chin up so far, but today I literally let myself go, just longing for you, it’s simply a fright! If I were healthy, I guess I would hop on the next train and come to Yasnaya. But my health is really bad…” (Letters to Tolstoy, p. 265).

304 Vasilij Sevast’janovich (Vas’ka) Makarychev (Makarov; 1846–?) — a Yasnaya Polyana peasant.

305 To her letter of 26 October SAT attached a statement of their household accounts, calculating their monthly household expenses to be just over 900 roubles.

306 Konstantin Aleksandrovich (Kosten’ka) Islavin — see Letter Nº 47, Note 301.

307 The nine surviving children to date were: Sergej (Serëzha, born 1863), Tat’jana (Tanja, 1864), Il’ja (Iljusha, 1866), Lev (Lëlja, 1869), Marija (Masha, 1871), Andrej (Andrjusha, 1877), Mikhail (Misha, 1879), Aleksej (Alësha, 1881) and Aleksandra (Sasha, 1884).

308 LNT was working on his article What then must be done? [Tak chto zhe nam delat’?].

309 a young doctor — identity unknown.

310 Marija Mikhajlovna Kholevinskaja (1858–1920) — a physician in Krapivna Uezd, who shared LNT’s views.

311 Mikhail Ivanovich Kuznetsov, Prostitutsija i sifilis v Rossii: istoriko–statisticheskie issledovanija [Prostitution and syphilis in Russia: historical-statistical research] (St. Petersburg, 1871).

312 Pëtr Osipovich Zjabrev — see Letter Nº 79, Note 149.

313 the new teacher — identity unknown.

314 Sergej Semënovich Rezunov — a Yasnaya Polyana peasant carpenter.

315 Maksim Maksimovich Kovalevskij (1851–1916) — a professor at Moscow University; author of reminiscences on LNT.

316 Letters written 9, 10 and 11 December 1884.

317 hinny — a cross between a stallion and a donkey.

318 In her letter of 10 December SAT asked: “Have you been in the storeroom, and is Dunja’s trunk safe, and all our [things]?” (Letters to L. N. Tolstoy, p. 285).

319 See My Life, IV.26. In her letter of 10 December SAT wrote about her daughter: “Tanja, who you send special hugs and kisses to, is up to her ears in making her gown.… I told her ‘Be sure to write Papà’, and she said: ‘All I can do is describe my outfit to him!’” (ibid., p. 285).

320 Letter Nº 104 dated 12 December 1884.

321 See Proverbs 31: 10.

322 Count Pavel Alekseevich Kapnist (1842–1904) — a Moscow school trustee from 1880 to 1895.

323 Princess Agrafena Aleksandrovna Obolenskaja and three nieces.

324 At the home of Fëdor Andreevich Beklemishev and his wife Dar’ja Aleksandrovna Beklemisheva (see Letter Nº 92, Note 4) Tat’jana L’vovna was taking art lessons along with their daughters.

325 Avdot’ja (Evdokija) Nikolaevna (Dunjasha) Bannikova (see Letter Nº 5, Note 37).

326 Vladimir Grigor’evich Chertkov (neighbour) — see Letter Nº 97, Note 257.

327 LNT’s postcard note of 13 December 1884 was never sent. It ends with the words: “If nothing [unforseen] happens, I shall arrive on Sunday. It will be a sad trip” (PSS 83: 465).

328 Lev L’vovich’s letter has not been preserved. LNT’s correspondence with his son Lev (Lëlja) was published in 2014 under the editorship of Liudmila Gladkova (see Bibliography under Tolstoj, Lev L’vovich for details).

329 Ekaterina Petrovna Ermolova (1829–1910) — elderly, unmarried lady-in-waiting (from 1847) to the Imperial Court. It is said that Nicholas I offered her a tempting position if she would move to his St. Petersburg palace, but she refused.

330 Princess Agrafena Aleksandrovna (Grushen’ka) Obolenskaja — see Letter Nº 96, Note 252.

331 A letter dated 11 December 1884 (Letters to L. N. Tolstoy, pp. 285–86).

332 SAT added the following comment to this passage: “Lev Nikolaevich was meticulously studying the Hebrew language. He was receiving lessons in Moscow by the Rabbi Minor, an outgoing and clever fellow” (PSS 83: 468). The rabbi in question was Rabbi Solomon Alekseevich Minor (1826–1900), head of the Jewish religious community in Moscow from 1869 to 1892. He ran a Talmud-Torah school for children from poor families.

333 In a letter dated 8 December (not included here), LNT describes what he saw as the unsavoury characteristics of his fellow-passengers on the Moscow–Tula train (PSS 83: 454).

334 the four little ones: Andrej (Andrjusha), Mikhail (Misha), Aleksej (Alësha) and Aleksandra (Sasha).

335 This letter has not been preserved.

336 Nikolaj Ermilovich Zjabrev — a Yasnaya Polyana peasant.

337 Konstantin Nikolaevich (Kostjushka) Zjabrev (peasant) — see Letter Nº 63, Note 36.

338 Ganja — wife to the Tolstoys’ employee Grigorij Ivanovich.

339 Vsevolod Mikhajlovich Garshin (1855–1888) — writer, highly appreciated by LNT, who published several of his stories through Posrednik (see Letter Nº 97, Note 4).

340 George Eliot — pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans (1819–1880), English writer. In the Yasnaya Polyana library there is a copy of Felix Holt, the Radical with LNT’s marginal notations.

341 The other book was Gustave Droz’s Tristesses et sourires (see Letter Nº 93, Note 231).

342 Lieutenant Frants Ivanovich Baratynskij (forester) — see Letter Nº 91, Note 218.

343 Mikhail L’vovich (Misha) Tolstoj was ill with typhoid fever.

344 This letter has not been preserved.

345 SAT and her daughter Tanja had gone to St. Petersburg, where they stayed with SAT’s sister and brother-in-law (the Kuzminskijs).

346 Vasilij Vasil’evich Chirkov (also spelt: Cherkov; 1846–1907) — therapist-assistant to Dr. Grigorij Antonovich Zakhar’in (see Letter Nº 34, Note 210).

347 This letter was written by Prince Leonid Dmitrievich Urusov on 18 February 1885. The seriously ill Urusov was about to head off for treatment in the Crimea with a stop at his wife’s Djat’kovo estate in Brjansk Uezd, Orël Gubernia.

348 Pëtr Vasil’evich Lukovnikov (1847–?) — owner of a bookshop in St. Petersburg.

349 Probably a reference to Anna Mikhajlovna Polivanova (née Parmont) — wife of Major-General Mitrofan Andreevich Polivanov (1842–1913).

350 Ol’ga Aleksandrovna Kiriakova (née Islen’eva; 1845–1909) — aunt to SAT.

351 Ekaterina Nikolaevna Shostak (née Islen’eva; ?–1904) — first cousin to SAT’s mother; director (1863–92) of the Nicholas Institute, founded in 1837 in St. Petersburg for daughters of slain military personnel.

352 Countess Aleksandra Andreevna Tolstaja (LNT’s great aunt) — see Letter Nº 37, Note 231.

353 On SAT’s meeting with Empress Marija Fëdorovna at the Nicholas Institute, see My Life, iv.32.

354 Vera Vjacheslavovna Shidlovskaja (married name: Meshcherinova; 1866–?) — SAT’s first cousin.

355 Sof’ja Leonidovna (Sofa) Islen’eva (married name: Islavina; 1866–1931) — SAT’s second cousin.

356 Natal’ja Ivanovna Orzhevskaja (née Princess Shakhovskaja; 1859–1939) — wife of Senator and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Pëtr Vasil’evich Orzhevskij (1839–1897); granddaughter of Decembrist Prince Fëdor Petrovich Shakhovskoj (1796–1829).

357 The ending of this letter has been lost.

358 This note has not been preserved.

359 In a letter of 20 February 1885 (not included here), LNT wrote to his wife: “Iljusha has somehow angered his teacher, Janchin, who wrote me a letter, but tomorrow Il’ja has promised to make everything right” (PSS 83: 479). Ivan Vasil’evich Janchin (1818–1889) was a teacher of geography and a class mentor at Polivanov’s gymnasium (see Letter Nº 82, Note 176); he authored Kratkij uchebnik geografii [A brief guide to geography], which ran through more than 30 editions.

360 A book (1879) by American political economist Henry George (1839–1897) entitled Progress and poverty. LNT liked George’s ideas about a ‘single tax’ and the nationalisation of land.

361 Aleksandr Mikhajlovich (Sasha) Kuzminskij (SAT’s brother-in-law).

362 Vladimir Nikolaevich Marakuev (journalist) — see Letter Nº 94, Note 235.

363 Nikolaj Mikhajlovich Lopatin (1854–1897) — singer, collector of folk songs.

364 Count Adam Vasil’evich Olsuf’ev (see Letter Nº 81, Note 172) and Countess Anna Mikhajlovna Olsuf’eva (née Obol’janinova; 1835–1899).

365 A work LNT translated from the Greek — a manuscript discovered in 1873 in Constantinople, which fascinated LNT.

366 Varvara Dmitrievna Urusova (sister to Leonid Dmitrievich Urusov — see Letter Nº 94, Note 234.

367 Letter Nº 108 of 21 February 1885.

368 Vladimir Fëdorovich Orlov (teacher) — see Letter Nº 71, Note 101.

369 Valerian Valerianovich Shirkov (1843–1912) — amateur composer; son of artist-poet Valerian Fëdorovich Shirkov (1805–1856), a landowner in Kursk.

370 The beginning of a canticle known in the Bible as the Nunc dimittis in the words of St. Simeon (see Luke 2: 29–32).

371 Vladimir Grigor’evich Chertkov’s mother — Elizaveta Ivanovna Chertkova (née Chernysheva-Kruglikova; 1832–1922) — lived in St. Petersburg. The Posrednik publishing house, co-founded by LNT and Chertkov, was also located there.

372 Prince Dmitrij Ivanovich Shakhovskoj (1861–1939) — a political activist, one of the founders of the so-called Cadet Party; a graduate of St. Petersburg University who was then active in establishing state schools in the countryside.

373 See Letter Nº 10, Note 60.

374 Countess Aleksandra Andreevna (Alexandrine) Tolstaja — see Letter Nº 37, Note 231.

375 Mikhail Matveevich Stasjulevich (1826–1911) — editor and publisher of the journal Vestnik Evropy.

376 Vera Aleksandrovna Kuzminskaja (SAT’s niece) — see Letter Nº 43, Note 281.

377 Aleksandr Vasil’evich Olsuf’ev (1843–1907), brother to Adam Vasil’evich Olsuf’ev, and his wife Ekaterina L’vovna Olsuf’eva (née Sollogub; 1847–1902).

378 The reference is to the proofreading of the new fifth edition of LNT’s collected works. At the moment they were working on the proofs of What men live by [Chem ljudi zhivy] and Childhood [Detstvo].

379 On 7 March 1885 LNT left for the Mal’tsovs’ Djat’kovo estate in Orël Gubernia where the ailing Prince Leonid Dmitrievich Urusov was staying. On 10 March, on the advice of his doctors, he left for the Crimea, accompanied by LNT.

380 The letter was dated 10 March 1885.

381 A reference to LNT’s article What then must be done? [Tak chto zhe nam delat’?].

382 This letter was written on 8 March.

383 Most probably a reference to Evdokija Ljubimovna Khovrina (née Princess Engalycheva; 1833–1895) and her daughter Elizaveta Leonidovna [Liza] Khovrina, a friend of the Tolstoys’ daughter Tanja.

384 Childhood [Detstvo] was first published in the journal Sovremennik (1852, Nº 9, pp. 6–104), attributed to “L. N.”. The first book edition was published in 1856 jointly with Boyhood [Otrochestvo].

385 Leonid Dmitrievich Obolenskij — see Letter Nº 40, Note 259.

386 Countess Elizaveta Adamovna (Liza) Olsuf’eva (1857–1898) — daughter to Count Adam Vasil’evich Olsuf’ev and Anna Mikhajlovna Olsuf’eva (see Letter Nº 109, Note 7).

387 Aleksandr Ignat’evich Zolotarëv (1848–?) — a Tula landowner.

388 Viktor Mikhajlovich Vasnetsov (1848–1926) — an artist.

389 Prince Leonid Dmitrievich Urusov.

390 LNT’s postcard from Sevastopol’ dated 14 March, 9 a.m., reads: “We are departing Sevastopol’ in a landau (at the request of the Prince [Urusov])… We’ll be at our destination by 5. I’m weary from idleness and miss having news from you. My health is good” (PSS 83: 494).

391 Vladimir Alekseevich Abrikosov (1858–1922) — son of the merchant Aleksej Ivanvovich Abrikosov (1824–1904); later director of the Moscow branch of the Imperial Russian Musical Society; author of memoirs concerning LNT. His wife was Marija Filippovna Abrikosova (née Chemjakina; 1866–1948).

392 LNT had participated in the Crimean War of 1854–1855 in the defence of Sevastopol’, to which he devoted his Sevastopol’ stories [Sevastopol’skie rasskazy].

393 A reference to the pulp-fiction Povest’ o prikljuchenijakh anglijskogo milorda Georga i brandenburgskoj marktgrafini Frederiki-Luizy [The story of the adventures of the English Milord George and the Brandenburg margravine Frederika-Louisa] written in 1782 by Matvej Komarov (1730s–1812). See My Life, IV.12.

394 In Russia LNT’s article What I believe [V chëm moja vera?] was banned by the religious censorship committee and was first published in Paris in 1885 under the title Ma Religion, translated from the Russian by Prince Leonid Dmitrievich Urusov.

395 The reference is apparently to LNT’s Church and State [Tserkov’ i gosudarstvo], distributed in Russia in hand-made and lithographed copies. It was first published in Berlin by Cassirer & Danziger in 1891; in Russia its first appearance was in the St. Petersburg journal Obnovlenie (1906, Nº 8).

396 A reference to LNT’s collection A criticism of dogmatic theology [Kritika dogmaticheskogo bogoslovija], from which Church and State was taken.

397 Aleksandr Mikhajlovich Ivantsov-Platonov (1835–1894) — archpriest and theologian, appointed Professor of Church History at Moscow University, author of Ocherk istorii khristianstva u slavjan [Outline of the History of Christianity among the Slavs]. At LNT’s request he read his article What I believe and other religious writings and gave LNT his comments in writing.

398 Sof’ja Nikolaevna Fisher (née Bogdanova; 1836–1913) — founding headmistress of a private gymnasium in Moscow.

399 Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev (Synod procurator) — see Letter Nº 94, Note 238.

400 Ivan Il’ich Solov’ëv (1854–1918) — a theologian, Master of Divinity; a clerical writer.

401 On the advice of Ivantsov-Platonov, in the 1886 edition the title What I believe [V chëm moja vera?] was changed to How I have understood the teachings of Christ [Kak ja ponjal uchenie Khrista].

402 Evgenij Mikhajlovich Feoktistov (1828–1898) — government press supervisor (1883–1896).

403 Alcide Seuron (son of the Tolstoys’ governess Anna Seuron) was studying at the Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages.

404 Ankovsky pie — a traditional symbol of hospitality in the Behrs family, named after their doctor, Nikolaj Bogdanovich Anke (1803–1872)

405 These are two of the Tolstoys’ servants in Moscow.

406 Nikolaj Nikolaevich (Kolichka) Ge Jr (1857–1940) — son of prominent Russian artist Nikolaj Nikolaevich Ge (Gay) Sr.

407 The reference is to the Salaev Brothers’ publishing house, which had printed the preceding, fourth, edition of LNT’s works in 1880.

408 This letter has not been preserved.

409 William Frey [in transliteration from the Cyrillic: Vil’jam Frej] (real name: Vladimir Konstantinovich Gejns; 1839–1888) — a Russian intellectual of noble birth who embraced revolutionary ideals and in 1868 emigrated with his wife (who shared his views) to America, where he adopted the pseudonym Frey, from the English word free. Here he became a lifelong vegetarian and joined a Kansas commune, following French philosopher Auguste Conte’s (1798–1857) doctrine of ‘positive religion’. See also My Life, IV.52.

410 This letter was dated 11 October 1885 (PSS 85: 260–61).

411 Isaak Borisovich Fejnerman (pseudonym: Teneromo; 1863–1925) — a Tolstoyan. For further information, see My Life, IV.41 and IV.50.

412 A reference to LNT’s work The death of Ivan Ilyich [Smert’ Ivana Il’icha], first published in 1886.

413 LNT’s daughters Tat’jana (Tanja) and Marija (Masha) both became vegetarians, much to SAT’s disapproval (see Letter Nº 116 below).

414 This letter has not been preserved. On 16 October 1885 LNT wrote: “How fortunate that the letter you were unhappy with did not arrive; if it does still arrive, I shan’t read it. But I’d still like to know the reason” (PSS 83: 513).

415 The reference is to the 5th edition of LNT’s collected writings which SAT was preparing for publication.

416 Letter Nº 115 of 12 October 1885.

417 Vladimir Vladimirovich Treskin (1863–1920) — a Tula landowner; a jurist; friend to Il’ja L’vovich Tolstoj.

418 Nikolaj Nikolaevich Ge Jr (see Letter Nº 114, Note 406) placed his illegitimately conceived daughter, Praskov’ja Nikolaevna Ge (1878–1959), with a Moscow family — probably with Vera Pavlovna Ziloti (née Tret’jakova; 1866–1940), daughter to Tret’jakov Gallery founder Pavel Mikhajlovich Tret’jakov and wife to pianist Aleksandr Il’ich Ziloti (1853–1945).

419 Anatolij Ivanovich Mamontov (1839–1905) — publisher, printshop owner and book distributor.

420 Mikhail Gavrilovich Kuvshinov — paper manufacturer.

421 The reference is to LNT’s work Strider [Kholstomer] (written between 1856 and 1863), which SAT included in Part III of the 5th edition of LNT’s collected works.

422 the ‘vault room’ — a room with a vaulted ceiling at Yasnaya Polyana which LNT used as an office.

423 Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoj (1837–1887) — artist, co-organiser of exhibitions by the ‘Itinerant’ Society of Artists, along with Nikolaj Nikolaevich Ge Sr (1831–1894), Grigorij Grigor’evich Mjasoedov (1834–1911) and Vasilij Grigor’evich Perov (1833–1882); painter of a famous 1873 portrait of LNT.

424 The reference is to a letter from the Tolstoys’ son Sergej L’vovich to LNT, which has not been preserved.

425 The three little ones: Mikhail (Misha), Aleksej (Alësha), Aleksandra (Sasha).

426 Mlle Sof’ja Fominichna Brandt (married name: Dzhons) — daughter to the Tolstoys’ neighbours in the village of Baburino.

427 Golosova — no further details available.

428 At the time SAT’s sister Tat’jana (Tanja) was working on a story called Beshenyj volk [The mad wolf].

429 the articles — here referring to A confession [Ispoved’] and What I believe [V chëm moja vera?].

430 Sergej Nikolaevich Tolstoj (LNT’s brother) and his family.

431 In his letter to his daughter Tanja of 18 October 1885, LNT wrote: “…my only dream and possible joy, which I dare not hope for, is to find in my family [true] brothers and sisters, and not what I have seen to date — alienation and deliberate counteraction, which smacks of a cross between disdain (not for me but for the truth) and fear of something” (PSS 63: 292–93).

432 21 October.

433 A reference to LNT’s article What then must be done? [Tak chto zhe nam delat’?].

434 For the background to Isaak Borisovich Fejnerman’s dismissal, see My Life, IV.50.

435 Konstantin Nikolaevich Zjabrev (peasant) — see Letter Nº 63, Note 36.

436 See Letter Nº 117, Note 424.

437 In his article What then must be done? LNT points out how ‘division of labour’ is used to justify the exploitation and oppression of the poor by the rich: “If some people give orders, while others obey them, if some live in plenty and others in want, that is not God’s will — this [comes about] not because the state is a form of manifestation of personality, but because in societies, just as in living organisms, there occurs a division of labour necessary for the whole: some people in societies perform muscular labour, others intellectual labour. This is an article of faith underlying the prevalent justification of our age” (PSS 25: 330).

438 Aleksandr Petrovich Ivanov (1836–1912) — retired army officer who suffered from alcoholism; he served as a copyist for LNT.

439 Letter Nº 118 of 22 October 1885.

440 The letter from Vladimir Grigor’evich Chertkov is dated 20 October 1885 (see PSS 85: 271).

441 Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Stakhovich (1830–1913) — equerry; a landowner in Orël, amateur actor, an old acquaintance of LNT’s, who loaned LNT money for the publication of his complete collected works.

442 an agent — a reference to the manager of Volchaninov’s printshop.

443 Grigorij Grigor’evich Mjasoedov (artist).

444 LNT’s nieces Vera Sergeevna (Verochka) Tolstaja (see Letter Nº 102, Note 297) and Elena Sergeevna (Hélène) Tolstaja (see Letter Nº 74, Note 114).

445 Anatolij Petrovich Zaljubovskij (1859–1936) — lieutenant, later lieutenant-general. His brother Aleksej Petrovich Zaljubovskij (1863–?), under the influence of LNT’s writings refused military service and was sentenced to exile in a distant kraj.

446 Pëtr Semënovich Vannovskij (1822–1904) — Russian general; Minister of War (1881–98) and later Minister of Education (1901–02).

447 Nikolaj Nikolaevich Obruchev (1830–1904) — army headquarters commandant (1881–97); honorary member of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences.

448 Mennonites — a Dutch Protestant sect that settled in Russia in 1789 at the invitation of Empress Catherine the Great.

449 Elena Ivanovna Shuvalova (1830–1922) — a noblewoman, paternal aunt to Vladimir Grigor’evich Chertkov, married to Count Pëtr Andreevich Shuvalov (1827–1889); she was intrigued by the teachings of the English religious activist Lord Radstock and participated in the defence of persecuted sectarians. LNT’s letter to her is unknown.

450 Aleksandr Mikhajlovich (Sasha) Kuzminskij (SAT’s brother-in-law).

451 Vladimir Vasil’evich Stasov (librarian) — see Letter Nº 61, Note 26. For LNT’s letter to Stasov of 20 November 1885, see PSS 63: 300–01.

452 This letter has not been preserved.

453 Pavel Ivanovich (Posha) Birjukov (1860–1931) — a Tolstoyan who acted as a liaison between LNT and the Doukhobors, both before and after their emigration to Canada in 1899; he was also LNT’s first biographer. See My Life, II.76. For LNT’s letter to Birjukov of 20 November 1885 see PSS 63: 299.

454 Dmitrij Ivanovich Svjatopolk-Mirskij (1824–1899) — an old wartime chum of LNT’s from the Caucasus campaigns during the Crimean war in 1855. In 1880 he became a member of the Russian State Council.

455 Count Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov (1825–1888) — Minister of Internal Affairs (1880–81), an acquaintance of Aleksandr Mikhajlovich Kuzminskij’s.

456 Mikhail Vasil’evich Teplov (1862–1958) — artist, pupil of Nikolaj Nikolaevich Ge Sr; a friend of Lev L’vovich (Lëlja) Tolstoj’s.

457 In her postcard of 19 November 1885 SAT wrote about her arrival in St. Petersburg, where she had come to clear up matters of censorship regarding her latest edition of LNT’s collected works.

458 This is in reference to Tat’jana Andreevna Kuzminskaja’s story Beshenyj volk [The mad wolf].

459 SAT describes this meeting in My Life (IV.56): “On the 20th of November I went to the head of the [government’s] press affairs department, Mr. Feoktistov, and took him the typeset and proofread copy of Volume XII of the Complete Collected Works. He took it and came to see me himself the following day with the reply that he would be sending Volume XII to the religious censorship board, that everything would depend on Pobedonostsev, that there was no point in my appealing to the minister, but that he (Feoktistov) himself, after consultation with his chief censor and after reading Volume XII, would personally support it before the religious censorship board.” On Evgenij Mikhajlovich Feoktistov, see Letter Nº 114, Note 402.

460 Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev (Synod procurator) — see Letter Nº 94, Note 238.

461 Count Dmitrij Andreevich Tolstoj (1823–1889) — Minister of Internal Affairs and Head of the Gendarmerie (1882–89).

462 Nikolaj Nikolaevich Strakhov (editorial associate) — see Letter Nº 47, Note 303.

463 The reference here is to LNT’s work A tale of Ivan the fool and his two brothers [Skazka ob Ivane-durake i ego dvukh brat’jakh], first published in Volume XII of his Complete Collected Works (1886).

464 An excerpt from LNT’s article What then Must Be Done? [Tak chto zhe nam delat’?].

465 On 21 November (4 December N. S.) Christians observe the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple.

466 Patriarch Ponds — a favourite recreational spot for Muscovites, which includes a skating rink in the winter.

467 Officer Levashov — a tenant in the annexe of the Tolstoys’ house in Khamovniki Lane.

468 A reference to the Usachevsko-Chernjavskoe Women’s Academy at Devich’e Pole in Moscow.

469 Aleksandr Il’ich Ziloti (pianist) — see Letter Nº 116, Note 418.

470 Elena Ivanovna Shuvalova (Chertkov’s aunt) — see Letter Nº 120, Note 449.

471 Filaret — Orthodox Metropolitan of Moscow (secular name: Vasilij Mikhajlovich Drozdov; 1782–1867).

472 The reference here is to the Fourth Reader [Chetvërtaja kniga dlja chtenija].

473 A letter dated 20 November 1885 (not included here), in which SAT described her life in St. Petersburg and complained of headaches (Letters to L. N. Tolstoy, p. 338).

474 In the first edition of LNT’s A tale of Ivan the fool, ‘Mr. Clean’, who worked with his head, was a German.

475 In her letter of 20 November, SAT wrote concerning her sister Tanja’s outing to buy a hat, that Tanja “asked [me] to assure you that everything is surely finished” and that no further explanation would be forthcoming (ibid., p. 338). It is not known what she had in mind.

476 There is no postscript by Tat’jana L’vovna in this letter.

477 In the same letter (20 November) SAT wrote that some acquaintances (including Birjukov) had advised her to go see the Tsar, while others advised against it (ibid., p. 338).

478 Interior Minister Count Dmitrij Andreevich Tolstoj.

479 The Tolstoys’ daughter Tat’jana L’vovna (Tanja).

480 Letter Nº 120 of 20 November 1885.

481 Count Pavel Andreevich Shuvalov (1830–1908) — a wartime chum of LNT’s in the Sevastopol’ defence, with his second wife Marija Aleksandrovna Shuvalova (née Komarova; 1852–1928).

482 Alfonse XII, King of Spain (1857–1885) died 25 November (N. S.) 1885.

483 Anatolij Petrovich Zaljubovskij — see Letter Nº 120, Note 445.

484 Pëtr Semënovich Vannovskij — see Letter Nº 120, Note 446.

485 Grand Prince Sergej Aleksandrovich (1857–1905) — brother to Emperor Alexander III; at the time, he was a colonel with the Preobrazhensk Imperial Guard regiment, later to become the Governor-General of Moscow.

486 SAT’s sister Tat’jana Andreevna (Tanja) Kuzminskaja and Tanja’s daughter Vera Aleksandrovna Kuzminskaja.

487 Vera Aleksandrovna Shidlovskaja (née Islavina; 1825–1910) — elder sister to SAT’s mother, whose second husband was State Councillor Vjacheslav Ivanovich Shidlovskij (1823–1879). By her first marriage to Mikhail Petrovich Kuzminskij (1811–1847) she was mother to SAT’s brother-in-law Aleksandr Mikhajlovich Kuzminskij.

488 Nikolaj Mikhajlovich Nagornov (husband to LNT’s niece Varvara) — see Letter Nº 54, Note 348. From 1874 to 1881 he assisted LNT in the sale of his writings.

489 A reference to the family of SAT’s uncle Vladimir Aleksandrovich Islavin (see Letter Nº 5, Note 31).

490 Ekaterina Nikolaevna Shostak (cousin) — see Letter Nº 108, Note 351.

491 LNT left this letter unsent in Moscow while he went off to the Olsuf’ev’s Nikol’skoe-Obol’janovo estate. In My Life (IV.63), SAT reflected on the theme of the letter as follows: “I find it easier now to find an explanation for this difficult condition of Lev Nikolaevich’s. The convictions and fervour expressed in his preaching on the harmfulness of the city, money, luxury, science and art — and his rejection of all this — were so strong that living with family members who didn’t share these negative thoughts had become simply unbearable for him. He wanted to break down mankind, but he couldn’t break down his own family.”

492 Chevrons < > in this letter indicate interpolations by the editors of the Russian text.

493 A reference to the pages of A confession [Ispoved’], published by Èlpidin in Geneva in 1884.

494 John 18: 38.

495 Nikolaj Vasil’evich Gogol’ (writer) — see Letter Nº 16, Note 102. This is a reference to the censorship committee’s (and part of Russian society’s) rejection of his work Vybrannye mesta iz perepiski s druz’jami [Selected passages from correspondence with friends] (1847). LNT’s views on this work shifted 180º over time. In his youth, after reading Gogol’s letters he described them in his diary as ‘terrible rubbish’. But in a letter to Pavel Birjukov in 1887 he admitted: “Lately I’ve taken an interest again in Gogol’s correspondence with his friends. What an amazing piece!” (PSS 64: 99). The following year LNT published excerpts from Gogol’s work through his Posrednik publishing house.

496 The reference is to Vasilij Ivanovich Alekseev’s support of LNT’s desire to petition Tsar Alexander III to commute the death sentence issued to the assassins of his father Aleksander II in 1881 (cf. also Vladimir Solov’ëv’s lecture described in Letter Nº 61, Note 29). SAT overheard Alekseev’s remarks and angrily voiced her disapproval of them.

497 The reference here is to LNT’s A translation and harmony of the four Gospels [Soedinenie i perevod chetyrëkh Evangelij], on which he was working in 1880–81.

498 Sentence left unfinished.

499 During her stay in St. Petersburg, SAT met with Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev — Senior Procurator of the Holy Synod (see Letter Nº 94, Note 238) — in person, regarding approval for the publication of LNT’s religious-philosophical writings in Volume XII of his Complete Collected Works. Following his promise to communicate his decision to her presently, in December 1885 he wrote her: “In view of your zeal regarding the project you mention, I don’t want to leave you without an answer. Right off I ordered the proof sheets from the Synod office and read them. They will be considered by the Synod, but I can tell you frankly, just to avoid any confusion, that there is no hope of them being passed for publication. Everything that is passed is considered to be approved, and there is no way these pages can be approved. I already explained my thoughts in person to you, and now, after reading the sheets, I confirm them openly. And I urge you: do not persist, and if such rejection seem an evil to you, do not resist this evil” (Letters to L. N. Tolstoy, pp. 350–51).

500 This article was included in Volume XII with a change in title by the censors: Thoughts resulting from the census [Mysli, vyzvannye perepis’ju].

501 the Tolstojs — in this case, the family of LNT’s sister Marija Nikolaevna Tolstaja.

502 Ol’ga Dmitrievna Zajkovskaja (friend of SAT’s) — see Letter Nº 99, Note 273.

503 The letter by Mikhail Aleksandrovich Stakhovich (see Letter Nº 101, Note 287) has not been preserved.

504 Letter Nº 125 of 19 December 1885.

505 A reference to SAT’s letter to their daughter Tanja, in which she complains of insomnia, under the pressure of so many concerns in her life. She adds: “Tell Papà that I read his letter — he wanted me to, but there’s nothing I can say to him in reply. Indeed, does he desire a completely sincere answer?” She also expresses her concern that LNT’s urging of vegetarianism might be harming his own health and the health of their children.

506 Varvara Valer’janovna (Varen’ka) Nagornova (LNT’s niece) — see Letter Nº 6, Note 43.

507 Vladimir Vladimirovich Treskin (Il’ja’s friend) — see Letter Nº 116, Note 417.

508 Letter Nº 124 of 15–18 December 1885.

509 Vjacheslav Mikhajlovich Gribovskij (1867–1924) — jurist, literator, who first contacted LNT while still a gymnasium pupil, with questions on moral and religious themes.

510 A reference to the Olsuf’evs’ Nikol’skoe-Obol’janovo estate.

511 Elizaveta Valer’janovna (Liza) Obolenskij (LNT’s niece) and her husband Leonid Dmitrievich Obolenskij — see Letter Nº 40, Note 259.

512 the Yar — a popular restaurant (1826–1925) in Kuznetsky Most Street, known for its gypsy choir, and frequented over the years by a number of prominent writers (e.g. Pushkin, Chekhov, Gorky and LNT). A second restaurant by that name, on the St. Petersburg Chaussée, ran from 1909 to 1913. A current incarnation is to be found at this same location (the street now named Leningradskij Prospekt).

513 Isaak Borisovich Fejnerman — see Letter Nº 115, Note 411. The whereabouts of his letter are unknown.

514 Tat’jana L’vovna (Tanja) Tolstaja and her cousin Vera Sergeevna Tolstaja — see Letter Nº 102, Note 297.

515 Lev L’vovich (Lëlja) Tolstoj had accompanied LNT to Nikol’skoe-Obol’janovo.

516 Letter Nº 128 of 24 December 1885.

517 Sergej L’vovich (Serëzha) Tolstoj, Vladimir Vladimirovich Treskin and Elizaveta Adamovna (Liza) Olsuf’eva.

518 SAT had written a letter to her son Lev (Lëlja) describing a public reading of some of LNT’s stories at Moscow University. Part of this description is as follows: “The auditorium was filled to overflowing. When they read How much land does a man need?, the applause was so unanimous and went on for such a long time that the emcee kept ringing his bell again and again, but couldn’t stop them. That [story], apparently, appealed to them most of all. […] I’m writing all this, as I think Papà will be interested; do read him this letter” (quoted by SAT in Letters to L. N. Tolstoy, p. 363).

519 Nikolaj Il’ich Storozhenko (1836–1906) — professor of literature at Moscow University.

520 Adelaida Dmitrievna Ivanova (née Urusova) — see Letter Nº 94, Note 236

521 Sergej Leonidovich Urusov (1872–1948) — son to Leonid Dmitrievich Urusov; later a State Councillor (1916).

522 On 4 April 1886 LNT had set out on foot from Moscow to Yasnaya Polyana in the company of Nikolaj Nikolaevich (Kolichka) Ge Jr (see Letter Nº 115, Note 406) and Mikhail Aleksandrovich Stakhovich (see Letter Nº 101, Note 287). For a description of the trek, see My Life, IV.73.

523 Letter Nº 130 of 7 April 1886, plus 3 other letters dated 5, 6 and 8 April.

524 Nikolaj Nikolaevich (Kolichka) Ge Jr.

525 Again, this is in reference to the trek by LNT and his companions from Moscow to Yasnaya Polyana (see Letter Nº 130, Note 522).

526 On 8 April SAT wrote her husband that “Volume XII has been passed by the censors. It will come out on Thursday. I’m very pleased” (Letters to L. N. Tolstoy, p. 363).

527 Mikhail Fomich Krjukov — a servant.

528 LNT used these notes as a basis for his story Nikolai Palkin [Nikolaj Palkin].

529 The Odessa girl — Elizaveta Vladimirovna Viner (married name: Dzhunkovskaja; 1862–1928). In a letter of 29–30 April 1886 (not included here) LNT wrote to his wife: “Yesterday an Odessa girl arrived with Fejnerman. She arrived here a week ago and is staying with Prokofij Vlasov in the country. I can’t understand her for the life of me and shan’t even try. On the contrary, I shall try to get her out of here, since all these outsiders are a great burden. […] I hope she leaves soon. In the meantime, I shall try to ignore her. If you were here, you would understand her better [than I] and could advise me” (PSS 83: 564). See also My Life, IV.76.

530 A reference to LNT’s story The story of Yemilyan and the empty drum [Rabochij Emel’jan i pustoj baraban].

531 Ivan Mikhajlovich Klobskij (also spelt: Klopskij; 1852–1898) — a student at St. Petersburg University; a Tolstoyan.

532 A letter dated 29–30 April 1886 (PSS 83: 563–65).

533 Vladimir Ivanovich Skrytnov — a correspondent of LNT’s. The portrait he was seeking was of St-François de Sales (1567–1622). This saint is mentioned by LNT in The Kingdom of God is within you [Tsarstvo Bozhie vnutri vas] and For every day [Na kazhdyj den’].

534 Mikhail Mikhajlovich Panov (1836–1894) — artist-photographer, who produced phototypes of twelve of Nikolaj Nikolaevich Ge’s (Sr) illustrations for LNT’s story What men live by [Chem ljudi zhivy].

535 Anatolij Ivanovich Mamontov (printshop owner) — see Letter Nº 116, Note 419.

536 The Tolstoys’ son Aleksej L’vovich (Alësha) died on 18 January 1886 and was buried in the Nikolo-Arkhangel’sk cemetery near Moscow. In 1932 his remains were transferred to the Tolstoy family cemetery at Kochaki. See also Letter Nº 62, Note 31.

537 Anna Konstantinovna Diterikhs (1859–1927) and Ol’ga Nikolaevna Ozmidova (married name: Spengler; 1865–?) stopped over at Yasnaya Polyana on 2 May 1886, along with Pavel Ivanovich Birjukov (see Letter Nº 120, Note 453), on their way to Vladimir Grigor’evich Chertkov’s estate for the summer. Anna Diterikhs was soon to marry Chertkov.

538 In a subsequent letter to her husband dated 5 May (not included here), SAT countered: “Your attitude that there is no way to help is hopeless. To bring about a change in society your thoughts and books are important, but are insignificant as an example and direction in the lives of us sinners, little people that we are. Love is all the more needed amongst humanity — it is, I would say, more important than anything else” (Letters to L. N. Tolstoy, p. 369).

539 A letter dated 1 May 1886, not included here, expressing concern over the possible effect of Diterikhs’ and Ozmidova’s visit on Chertkov’s mother.

540 Vladimir Fëdorovich Orlov (teacher) — see Letter Nº 71, Note 101.

541 A reference to Elizaveta Valer’janovna (Liza) Obolenskaja and her husband Leonid Dmitrievich Obolenskij.

542 Marija Gavrilovna Savina (née Podramentseva; 1854–1915) — an actress of the Aleksandrinskij Theatre in St. Petersburg. She was asking LNT for copies of his play The power of darkness [Vlast’ t’my] and permission to stage a charitable benefit performance of it. The play, however, was blocked by the censorship board.

543 In his telegram of 3 January 1887, LNT asked his wife to find variants of the drama.

544 Ivan Dmitrievich Sytin (1851–1934) — printer and publisher, who published LNT’s books through Posrednik.

545 Ivan Ivanovich Petrov (1861–1892) — assistant to Sytin who worked particularly with Posrednik.

546 Aleksandra Konstantinovna Sizova (?–1908) — a children’s writer.

547 Podsolnechnaja — a railway station close to the Olsuf’evs’ Nikol’skoe-Obol’janovo estate.

548 Probably a reference to Prince Sergej Semënovich Urusov (see Letter Nº 40, Note 258).

549 Aleksandr Andreevich (Sasha) Behrs (see Letter Nº 4, Note 13) was about to get married for the second time, to Anna Aleksandrovna Mitrofanova, daughter of the director of the Dvorjanskij Bank in Orël. For more on their wedding, see My Life, IV.100.

550 Vera Aleksandrovna Shidlovskaja.

551 Prince Sergej Semënovich Urusov, Ekaterina Petrovna Ermolova, philosopher Lev Mikhajlovich Lopatin (1855–1920).

552 Evgenij Mikhajlovich Feoktistov (press supervisor) — see Letter Nº 114, Note 402.

553 SAT’s letter of 6 January 1887 (not included here), informing her husband that the reading of LNT’s play The Power of Darkness [Vlast’ t’my’] at her Moscow home was a great success.

554 Letter Nº 134 of 3–4 January 1887.

555 Letters from Il’ja Efimovich Repin, Vladimir Grigor’evich Chertkov, Isaak Borisovich Fejnerman and others.

556 Maksim Maksimovich Kovalevskij (1851–1916) — Moscow University professor of constitutional law.

557 Ivan Vasil’evich Tatarinov (1862–1903) — regional Nobility representative for Novotorzhok; a friend of Sergej L’vovich Tolstoj’s.

558 A reference to LNT’s story Walk in the light while ye have light [Khodite v svete, poka est’ svet].

559 Mikhail Vladimirovich Vsevolozhskij (1860–1909) and his sister Sof’ja Vladimirovna Vsevolozhskaja (1859–1923), who married Ivan Vasil’evich Tatarinov. The Tolstoys’ daughter Tanja was about to pay a visit to their Talozhnja estate in Tver’ Gubernia.

560 Again referring to Letter Nº 134 of 3–4 January, which finally arrived.

561 Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Stakhovich’s letter was dated 28 December 1886, and was concerning LNT’s drama The Power of Darkness.

562 The reference here is to a review of The power of darkness published in Novoe vremja on 5 January 1887 by Aleksej Sergeevich Suvorin (1834–1912) — a prominent journalist, playwright and theatre critic in St. Petersburg, also the owner and editor of Novoe vremja. His review was entitled “Po povodu dramy grafa Tolstogo” [On Count Tolstoy’s drama].

563 Manège (exhibition hall) — see Letter Nº 74, Note 113.

564 Mikhail Ada-mov-ich Olsuf’ev (1860–1918) — regional nobility representative — and his brother Dmitrij Adamovich Olsuf’ev (1862–1937) — a member of the Horse Guard, later a deputy of the State Council.

565 Esfir’ Borisovna Fejnerman (second married name: Varshavskaja) — wife to Isaak Borisovich Fejnerman.

566 Tat’jana Andreevna (Tanja) Kuzminskaja (SAT’s sister). Her letter of 7 January 1887 from St. Petersburg is only partly preserved. An excerpt follows: “The other day Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Stakhovich Sr read Lëvochka’s play at the Obolenskijs’ [Princess Aleksandra Andreevna Obolenskaja (sister to D. A. D’jakov and wife to Prince Andrej Vasil’evich Obolenskij)]. [Dmitrij Alekseevich] D’jakov introduced him and I listened; there were a lot of people there (all scholars). Well, it was such a delight, that I had never read anything like that before… Obolenskaja was jumping up and down in her seat with excitement. All the scholars could be heard simply exclaiming ‘Ah, ah! What [force of] language, what artistry!’, and Stakhovich’s reading was a delight [to listen to]. ¶Sasha [my husband] was out hunting and didn’t hear it, but Stakhovich has promised to read it [again] at our place. Well, what can I say more, it was so good, so powerful, so true, and never mind the [characters’] coarse morals, that was my [overall] impression” (Manuscript Division, State L. N. Tolstoy Museum).

567 Aleksandra Andreevna (Alexandrine) Tolstaja (LNT’s great aunt).

568 Lev Ivanovich Polivanov (headmaster) — see Letter Nº 82, Note 176.

569 Arkadij Dmitrievich Stolypin (LNT’s wartime chum) — see Letter Nº 42, Note 269.

570 A subsequent annotation on this point by SAT reads: “My brother Sasha married his second wife while his first, née Princess [Matrona Dmitrievna (Patti)] Èristova, was still living, and she herself had married [Sergej Aleksandrovich] Pisarev” (Letters to L. N. Tolstoy, p. 385). On Èristova and Pisarev, see Letter Nº 99, Note 8.

571 Grigorij Sergeevich (Grisha) Tolstoj (LNT’s nephew) — see Letter Nº 6, Note 44.

572 Suwałki — a Polish town near the Russian border.

573 A reference to the children of Dmitrij Dmitrievich (Mitasha) Obolenskij (see Letter Nº 13, Note 79).

574 The children of Mikhail Dmitrievich Sverbeev (see Letter Nº 81, Note 170).

575 The children of Varvara Valer’janovna Nagornova (LNT’s niece) and her husband Nikolaj Mikhajlovich Nagornov (see Letter Nº 54, Note 348).

576 Sof’ja Dmitrievna (Sonja) Samarina — daughter to regional nobility representative Dmitrij Fëdorovich Samarin (1831–1901) and Varvara Petrovna Samarina (née Ermolova).

577 Elizaveta Dmitrievna Kazenbek (née Obolenskaja).

578 Elizaveta Fëdorovna Beklemisheva — daughter to Fëdor Andreevich Beklemishev (?–1906) and Dar’ja Aleksandrovna Beklemisheva (née Koshelëva).

579 Marija Konstantinovna Rachinskaja (1865–1900) — the future wife (as of 1895) of the Tolstoys’ son Sergej L’vovich (Serëzha) Tolstoj.

580 Pëtr Andreevich (Petja) Behrs (SAT’s brother).

581 Elizaveta Valer’janovna (Liza) Obolenskaja (LNT’s niece).

582 Nikolaj Jakovlevich Grot (1852–1889) — philosopher, chairman of the Psychological Society. On 14 April 1887 SAT attended his public lecture on philosophy entitled “On spirit and matter”.

583 SAT took her children Marija, Andrej and Mikhail to an exhibit of Itinerant artists (see Letter Nº 117, Note 423).

584 Vladimir Èduardovich Den (1867–1933) — first a student at Moscow University (1885–90) and later a professor of economic geography; married to Natal’ja Nikolaevna Filosofova (1872–1926), sister to Sof’ja Nikolaevna Tolstaja.

585 Prince Dmitrij Alekseevich Khilkov (1858–1914) — a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Guard, married (common-law) to Tsetsilija Vladimirovna Viner (1860–1922), sister to Elizaveta Vladimirovna Viner (see Letter Nº 132, Note 529). In 1898 Khilkov became involved in the Doukhobors’ emigration to Canada (see Woodsworth 1999: 121–64, 199–204).

586 Ivan Ivanovich Popov (1860–1925) — a statistician in Voronezh Gubernia; he was arrested on political grounds in October 1886 and in November 1887 was exiled to Petropavlovsk near Omsk (see PSS 63: 370). The whereabouts of LNT’s letter are unknown.

587 last summer — a reference (most probably) to the physical labour in the field the children were engaged in, along with the peasant workers, during the summer of 1886.

588 A reference to a pharmacy belonging to Vladimir Karlovich Ferrejn (1834–1918).

589 Letter Nº 137 of 11 April 1887.

590 Pelageja Fëdorovna Suvorova — the Tolstoys’ laundress.

591 Sof’ja Vasil’evna (Sonja) Suvorova (married name: Larionova) — daughter to Pelageja Fëdorovna Suvorova and Vasilij Vasil’evich Suvorov.

592 Arkadij Vasil’evich Alëkhin (1854–1908) — a Tolstoyan who founded agricultural communes but subsequently became disenchanted with LNT’s teachings.

593 At the time LNT was working on Chapter 35 of his treatise On life [O zhizni].

594 Sergej Dmitrievich Sytin (1863?–1915) — an alcoholic brother to Ivan Dmitrievich Sytin (see Letter Nº 134, Note 544).

595 Marija Aleksandrovna Shmidt (1844–1911) — a friend and kindred thinker to LNT; a former schoolmistress in a Tula diocesan school.

596 Daniil Davydovich Kozlov (1848–1918) — a peasant and former pupil at LNT’s Yasnaya Polyana school.

597 Konstantin Nikolaevich Zjabrev (peasant) — see Letter Nº 63, Note 36.

598 Aleksej Antipovich Potekhin (1829–1908) — author of stories of peasant life. His story “The sick woman” was originally published in Vestnik Evropy (1876, Nº 2), and then republished as a separate edition by Posrednik in 1887.

599 Pëtr Dmitrievich (Tsyganok) Novikov — a Yasnaya Polyana peasant carpenter; his nickname Tsyganok means ‘little gypsy’.

600 In the original letter, LNT uses the name of Tit — i.e. Tit Ivanovich Polin (a.k.a. Pelagejushkin; 1867–1932), one of the Tolstoys’ servants — as a symbol of his ‘least literate peasant’.

601 The letter from Vladimir Grigor’evich Chertkov was dated 9 April 1887 (see PSS 86:45–46).

602 In the Manuscript Division of the State L. N. Tolstoy Museum there are three letters from Birjukov addressed to LNT dated April 1887, dealing mostly with the Posrednik publishing house.

603 Fëdor Pavlovich Simon (1861–after 1916) — a student at the Forestry Institute who was attracted to LNT’s ideas.

604 The words I hope are given in English in the original letter (in all three instances in this paragraph).

605 Grot’s lecture — see Letter Nº 137, Note 583.

606 When Solov’ëv spoke — see Letter Nº 61, Note 12.

607 Letter Nº 138 of 13 April 1887.

608 Mikhail Vasil’evich Bulygin (1864–1943) — a former officer of the Guard, who shared LNT’s views; he owned the Khatunka farmstead 15 versts from Yasnaya Polyana.

609 Osip Petrovich Gerasimov (1863–1920) — writer, tutor to the Tolstoys’ children; later Minister of Education (1905–08 and 1917).

610 Aleksandr Nikolaevich Jagn (1818?–1900) — a doctor from Saratov Gubernia who sent LNT his article Naprasnye bedstvija i stradanija ljudej [People’s unnecessary poverty and suffering].

611 Vladimir Alekseevich Timashev-Bering (1854–1905) — a notary; a writer of stories and poetry; son of a former Moscow police chief and deputy governor Aleksej Aleksandrovich Timashev-Bering (1812–1872).

612 See Letter Nº 137, Note 583.

613 A reference to the family of LNT’s brother Sergej Nikolaevich Tolstoj.

614 Vera Sergeevna Tolstaja (Sergej’s daughter) — see Letter Nº 102, Note 7.

615 Mar’ja Mikhajlovna (Masha) Tolstaja (née Shishkina; 1832–1919) — a gypsy woman who married Sergej Nikolaevich in 1867.

616 Sof’ja Nikolaevna (Sonja) Filosofova (1867–1934) — fiancée to the Tolstoys’ son Il’ja L’vovich, whom she would marry in 1888.

617 Mikhail Nikolaevich Orlov (1866–1907) — a jurist; a friend to Il’ja L’vovich Tolstoj; here together with Natal’ja Nikolaevna (Nata) Filosofova (1872–1926) — younger sister to Sof’ja Nikolaevna Filosofova.

618 Sof’ja Alekseevna Filosofova (née Pisareva; 1847–1901) — mother to Sof’ja and Natal’ja Nikolaevna Filosofova.

619 Count Aleksej Alekseevich (Alësha) Bobrinskij (1864–1909) — nephew to Sof’ja Alekseevna Filosofova.

620 Nikolaj Alekseevich Filosofov (1838–1895) — vice-president of the Academy of Arts; husband to Sof’ja Alekseevna Filosofova.

621 Mikhail Fomich Krjukov (a servant).

622 Vasilij Sevast’janovich Makarychev — see Letter Nº 103, Note 304.

623 See Letter Nº 138, Note 593.

624 Filip Rodionovich Egorov (coachman) — see Letter Nº 73, Note 110.

625 On their way from St. Petersburg to Vladimir’s mother’s estate in Voronezh Gubernia, Vladimir Grigor’evich Chertkov and his wife Anna Konstantinovna Chertkova made a stopover in Moscow and had lunch with SAT at her home.

626 In a letter to her husband dated 27 April 1887 (not included here), SAT wrote: “God knows why you left, and I felt so sorry for you!” (Letters to L. N. Tolstoy, p. 409).

627 Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1850–1937) — at the time, a professor of philosophy at the University of Prague, later the founding President of Czechoslovakia (1918–35). He was a guest at Yasnaya Polyana 27–29 April 1887, on the recommendation of Nikolaj Nikolaevich Strakhov (see Letter Nº 47, Note 303).

628 A reference to an experience of LNT’s during an overnight stop at Arzamas on his way to Penza Gubernia in 1869. On 4 September 1869 he wrote in a letter to SAT (not included here): “The other day while I was spending the night at Arzamas, something unusual happened to me. It was around 2 a.m., I was frightfully tired, I wanted to sleep, and nothing was aching. But all of a sudden I was overcome by such a feeling of longing, fear and terror as I had never experienced before…” (PSS 83: 168). It was an extreme fear of death, which LNT later described in his story Notes of a madman [Zapiski sumasshedshego] — see PSS 26.

629 The Kuzminskij family (of SAT’s sister Tat’jana Andreevna Kuzminskaja) would be soon arriving to spend the summer (as usual) in the Yasnaya Polyana annexe.

630 SAT’s letters dated 28 and 29 April 1887 (not included here) concerning the illness of their youngest son Mikhail (Misha).

631 On 17 April LNT, along with Nikolaj Nikolaevich (Kolichka) Ge Jr and a close friend, Aleksandr Nikiforovich Dunaev (1850–1920), began a trek on foot from Moscow to Yasnaya Polyana. For more details, see My Life, IV.130.

632 LNT used notes from his earlier trek as a basis for his story Nikolai Palkin [Nikolaj Palkin] (see Letter Nº 131).

633 I hope — Again, these two words appear in English.

634 See Letter Nº 59, Note 14.

635 SAT’s aunt Vera Aleksandrovna Shidlovskaja (see Letter Nº 123, Note 487) with her two daughters: Ol’ga Vjacheslavovna Shidlovskaja (married name: Severtseva; see Letter Nº 30, Note 4) and Marija Vjacheslavovna (Masha) Sverbeeva (née Shidlovskaja; see Letter Nº 81, Note 4).

636 Ekaterina Petrovna Ermolova — see Letter Nº 106, Note 329.

637 Mikhail Adamovich Olsuf’ev and Dmitrij Adamovich Olsuf’ev — see Letter Nº 135, Note 564.

638 Aleksandr Sergeevich Buturlin (1845–1916) — a doctor; a revolutionary member of the ‘People’s Will’ party, who served three years (1883–1886) in exile in Simbirsk Gubernia.

639 Konstantin Aleksandrovich (Kostja) Islavin (SAT’s uncle) — see Letter Nº 47, Note 301.

640 Vasilij Dmitrievich Polenov (1844–1927) — prominent Russian realist landscape painter. The specific reference here is to his 1888 painting Khristos i greshnitsa [Christ and the sinner], which was shown for the first time at the XVI Itinerant artists’ exhibit held at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture from 17 April to 8 May 1888.

641 Ivan L’vovich (Vanechka) Tolstoj (1888–1895) — the Tolstoys’ youngest son (and the dearest to his mother’s heart), born 31 March 1888.

642 Mamontov’s bill — for printing LNT’s drama The power of darkness [Vlast’ t’my] in the printshop of Anatolij Ivanovich Mamontov (see Letter Nº 116, Note 419).

643 Mikhail L’vovich (Misha) Tolstoj — the Tolstoys’ seventh surviving child (born 1879).

644 Lev L’vovich (Lëva) Tolstoj had just arrived in Moscow that very day from Yasnaya Polyana.

645 A letter dated 19 April 1888 (not included here), in which SAT complained of illness after giving birth to Vanechka.

646 The whereabouts of Pavel Ivanovich Birjukov’s letter are unknown.

647 Il’ja L’vovich Tolstoj with his new bride (as of 28 February 1888) Sof’ja Nikolaevna (Sonja) Tolstaja (née Filosofova).

648 Tit Borisovich Borisov (1828–1888) — a Yasnaya Polyana peasant.

649 Aleksandra L’vovna (Sasha) Tolstaja and baby Ivan L’vovich (Vanechka) Tolstoj — the Tolstoys’ two youngest children at the time.

650 Mikhail, Konstantin — no further details available.

651 Varvara Ivanovna Maslova (1839–1905) — a Moscow acquaintance of the Tolstoys’.

652 Anna Sergeevna Gubkina (1857–1922) — tutor to Marija L’vovna (Masha) Tolstaja.

653 Nikolaj Leonidovich (Kolja) Obolenskij (1872–1934) and Boris Nikolaevich (Borja) Nagornov (1877–1899) — grandsons to LNT’s sister Marija Nikolaevna Tolstaja.

654 In a letter dated 5 May (not included here) LNT replied: “The whitewashing of the house is a rather difficult task, [we want] to avoid breaking or getting the paint on the furniture. Yesterday, for example, we caught the painters sleeping on our beds and chased them out. I’ll try not to mess up anything and get the work done soon” (Letters of Count L. N. Tolstoy to his wife, p. 329).