Sophia Tolstaya: photo and biography

A remarkable woman was Sophia Tolstaya, the wife of Leo Tolstoy. Her biography is closely connected with the life and work of her great spouse. This woman sacrificed secular society and habitual urban life in order to be with him. After the death of the writer, it was Sofia Sofya Andreevna Tolstaya who was publishing his heritage. The biography of this woman will be discussed in detail in the article.

On September 23, 1862, Tolstoy married. Maiden name Sophia Andreyevna Tolstoy - Bers. At that time, the girl was 18 years old, and Lev Nikolaevich - 34. The couple lived together for a very long time - 48 years. They were separated by the death of Count Tolstoy. However, this marriage can not be called cloudlessly happy and easy. Sofya Tolstaya gave birth to 13 children to Lev Nikolaevich. She published the lifetime collection of Tolstoy's works, as well as the posthumous edition of the letters of the great author. Leo Nikolayevich, in the last letter, addressed to his wife after a quarrel, admitted that, despite everything, he loves her, but she can not live with her. After that he went on his last journey to the station. "Astapovo".

Was Sofya Andreevna a bad wife?

As during the life of her husband, and after the death of Leo Nikolayevich Sofya Andreevna was accused of failing to understand her husband, to share his ideas. She supposedly was too mundane and very far from the philosophical views of Tolstoy. Lev Nikolaevich himself accused her of this. In fact, this was the main reason for their differences, overshadowing at least the last 20 years of married life. However, she can not be called a bad wife. This is evidenced by the biography of Sophia Tolstoy. She devoted her entire life to the birth and upbringing of children, to solving economic and peasant problems, caring for the home and preserving her husband's creative heritage. For the sake of this, she had to forget about secular life, and about dresses.

Tolstoy's friendship with the Bers family

Count Tolstoy before meeting with his wife has already managed to make a pedagogical and military career. In addition, he became a famous writer. Tolstoy was familiar with the Bersov family even before serving in the Caucasus and traveling in Europe in the 1850s. Sofya is the second daughter of Andrei Bers, a doctor who worked in the Moscow palace office, and Lyubov Bers, his wife (the maiden name is Islavina). In total, the family had three daughters, as well as two sons. Bersy lived in Moscow, but rarely visited the Tula estate of the Islavins, located in the village of Ivica, where it was very close to Yasnaya Polyana. Lyubov Alexandrovna was friends with Maria, the sister of Lev Nikolaevich. And Constantine, her brother, was a friend of the count himself. Tolstoy first saw Sophia and her sisters as children. They spent time together in Moscow, and in Yasnaya Polyana, sang, played the piano, and even once performed an opera performance.

Education

The future wife of Tolstoy, Sophia Bers (Tolstaya), received an excellent home education. Since childhood, her mother has instilled in her children a taste for literature. Then she graduated from Moscow University, receiving a diploma home teacher. It is known that Sophia Bears wrote small stories. She wrote them from her youth. In addition, Sophia kept a diary, which was later recognized as one of the best examples of the memoir genre.

How did Sofya Andreevna charm Tolstoy?

Tolstoy, who returned to Moscow, discovered an adult charming girl instead of a little girl, which he remembered Sophia Burs. Families once again became friends and began to visit each other. The Berses noticed Lev Nikolaevich's interest in his daughter, but they believed that Tolstoy would be wedded to the eldest, Elizabeth. It is known that at one time he himself doubted, but in August 1862, after another day that Leo Tolstoy spent with the family, he made the final decision. The girl won him with clarity and simplicity of judgments, her directness. They parted for a few days, and then the count himself went to Ivica. Here the Berses staged a ball. Sophia danced on it so that Tolstoy cast aside the last doubts.

Reading Tolstoy's diary

On September 16, Leo Tolstoy asked for the hands of Sophia Burs, sending a letter to the girl in advance, in order to make sure her consent. Tolstoy, wishing to be honest with his future wife, gave Sofya read his diary. Bers learned about the stormy past of Leo Nikolayevich, about gambling, about a lot of novels, including the connection with Aksinya, a peasant girl who was waiting for the child's count. This shocked the future wife of Tolstoy, but she hid her feelings as she could. Nevertheless Sophia will carry through the rest of her life the memory of these revelations.

Wedding and the first years of marriage

A week after the engagement, a wedding was played. The count wanted to marry his bride as soon as possible. As it seemed to Tolstoy, he finally found the one he had been dreaming about since childhood. Leo Nikolayevich, who lost his mother early, often listened to stories about her. He wanted the future wife to be the same loving, faithful, sharing his views as an assistant and mother, simple and at the same time able to appreciate the gift of her husband and the beauty of literature. This is what Sofia Bers, an 18-year-old girl, who refused beautiful outfits, social gatherings, city life to be next to her husband, to live in his country estate, appeared to him. She took care of the farm, accustomed gradually to rural life, so unlike the old.

Family world of the Tolstoys

Sofya Andreevna created a special family world. The Tolstoys had their own traditions. It was felt most during family holidays, it was felt also on Christmas, Trinity, Easter. All these holidays were loved in Yasnaya Polyana. They were prepared in advance and always solemnly celebrated. The family went to the St. Nicholas Church for a liturgy. She was two kilometers south of the estate. Every year at Christmas, put a Christmas tree, decorated it with gilded nuts, cut out figures of animals from cardboard, etc. In addition, Yasnaya Polyana held a masquerade. It was attended by Sofya Andreevna, Lev Nikolaevich, their children, as well as guests, peasant children, courtyards. Ankovsky pie and turkey were invariably served for a festive dinner.

The recipe for the pie was brought from her family. He was handed over to Bersam by Professor Anke, a doctor and a friend of the family. In summer the life of the Tolstoy revived. There were bathing in the river. Funnel, playing in towns and tennis, hiking for mushrooms, picnics, home performances, musical evenings. We often had dinner in the yard, drinking tea on the veranda. A lot of guests invariably came to Tolstoy, and all of them had a place to spend the night. Sophia Andreevna could feed everyone and give her attention. According to A. Fet, the countess combined two important qualities - "poetry of nature" and "practical instinct."

In 1887, the daughter of Anna was born in the family of Ilya Lvovich, the son of Sophia. She became the first granddaughter of Sofya Andreevna and Lev Nikolaevich. Since that time the large Tolstoy family has been increasing every year. The grandchildren became the most welcome guests in Yasnaya Polyana.

The first manifestation of character

In 1863 Sophia Tolstaya gave birth to the first-born Seryozha. Then Tolstoy began to write his great novel "War and Peace." His wife, despite a difficult pregnancy, not only was engaged in household chores, but also found time and energy to help her husband work - she wrote down drafts in a kind of chalk.

After the birth of Sergei, Sofia Andreevna first manifested her character. She was not able to feed her son herself, so she demanded a nurse, although Tolstoy was categorically against it. He said that in this case the children of this woman will remain without milk. In all other respects, Sofya Tolstaya followed the rules established by her husband. She solved the problems of peasants who lived in the surrounding villages, treated them. Sophia Tolstaya brought up all the children and taught at home. Of the thirteen at an early age, five died, and the death of each of them left a trace in the soul of this woman.

Insults accumulate

Almost cloudless passed the first 20 years, but the claims gradually accumulated. Tolstoy in 1877 finished "Anna Karenina." He felt dissatisfaction with life. This greatly offended and upset her husband. After all, Sofya Andreevna Tolstaya sacrificed everything for him, and in return - discontent with the life, which she arranged for him so diligently.

Moral searches Leo Nikolayevich took shape in the commandments, according to which his family should now live. Count urged, among other things, a mere existence, a refusal to smoke, alcohol, meat. He wore peasant clothes, he made shoes and clothes for children, wives and himself. Leo Nikolayevich even wanted to give up property in favor of the villagers. Zhenya had a hard time dissuading him from this act.

Sofya Andreevna Tolstaya could not reconcile herself to the fact that Lev Nikolaevich, feeling his guilt before humanity, did not feel it before her. He was ready to give the peasants all they had gained for many years. And the Count expected from his wife that she would completely share both material and spiritual life, the philosophical views of Leo Nikolayevich. Tolstoy, first seriously quarreling with his wife, left the house. After his return, he did not trust Sophia Andreyevna with her manuscripts. The duty to rewrite drafts now fell on daughters, and Leo Tolstoy's wife, Tolstaya Sofya Andreevna, was very jealous of them.

The story with Alexander Taneyev

The death of Vanya, the last child born in 1888, knocked down the wife of the great writer. This boy did not live up to 7 years. At first, the common grief brought the couple together, but not for long. The gap dividing them, misunderstanding, mutual insults prompted Sofya Andreyevna to find solace on the side. Fat got carried away by music. She often went to Moscow, where she took lessons from Alexander Taneyev. Neither for Tolstoy, nor for Taneyev himself was the secret of Sophia's romantic feelings for the latter, but the relationship between them remained friendly. Nevertheless, Lev Nikolaevich, angry and jealous, could not forgive his wife this "half-change."

Fatal quarrel

Mutual grievances and suspicions in recent years have grown into a manic obsession. Tolstaya began to reread diaries of her husband, trying to find in them something bad about her. Leo Nikolayevich scolded her for being too suspicious. A fatal quarrel occurred between the spouses on the night of October 27 to October 28, 1910. The Count gathered his belongings and left, leaving a farewell letter to Sofya Andreyevna. He reported that he loved her, but could not do otherwise. After reading the note, as homely, Sofya Andreevna rushed to drown herself. Tolstoy miraculously pulled out of the pond.

The disease and death of Tolstoy

After a while, information was received that Lev Nikolaevich, having caught a cold, was dying at the Astapovo station from pneumonia. His children and Sophia Nikolaevna, whom he did not want to see even then, came to him at the station warden's house. Before the very death of the writer, the last meeting of the couple took place. Leo Nikolayevich died on November 7, 1910.

The life of Sophia Andreyevna after her husband's death

Sophia Tolstaya, the wife of Leo Tolstoy, survived her husband for nine years. She published his diaries. Tolstoy's leaving and his death had a hard effect on her. She could not forget that she did not see her husband in consciousness before his death.

In recent years, Sofya Andreevna lived in Yasnaya Polyana, rearranging the legacy of her husband. Tolstaya in the last years of her life described books and objects in cupboards and rooms. In the bedroom of her husband and his office Sofya Andreevna left the atmosphere of the last day of his life, conducted the first excursions through these rooms.

She died November 4, 1919 from pneumonia, surviving to 75 years. Not far from the estate, on the Kochakovskoe cemetery, was buried Sophia Tolstaya. Photo of the graves of this woman and Tatyana Andreevna Kuzminskaya, her sister, is presented above.