Tolstoy-101 Years Ago Today

Tolstoy, age 82, with his wife, Sophia, about 6 weeks before his attempt to fulfill his last dream was cut short by his death. I can't help but hear Sophia talking in this picture "you're not going anywhere, old man" ... but he didn't listen.

On this date 101 years ago, November 20th, 1910, Leo Tolstoy, one of the world's greatest novelist died.

Tolstoy with his grandchildren, about a year before his death. He and his wife had 13 children, 5 of whom died during childhood.

It seems that at age 82 Tolstoy attempted to take up the path as a wandering ascetic, something he had been wanting to do for years. So he abandoned his wife and his wealth and traveled to the Astaporo train station in the cold Russian weather where he fell ill with pneumonia and died a short while later. He had been writing and talking about his death in the few days before he left home. I can't help but ask myself, "did the adventure cause the death, or did the death cause the adventure?"

There is a 2009 film, The Last Station, which is about Tolstoy's last year and is based on the novel by Jay Parini.

Leo Tolstoy at age 20. The intensity was already there.