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Tolstoy -on-a-page |
| 1828 | 8/28 (OS) Lev Nikolaevich born at Yasnaia Poliana, 4th son of Count Nikolai Ilich Tolstoy |
| 1830 | Mother dies |
| 1837 | Family moves to Moscow,; father dies |
| 1841 | Moves to Kazan & aunt Tatyana's; (main model for Sonya in W&P) |
| 1844 | Enrolls Kazan U, Dept. of Oriental languages. Fails in exams. |
| 1845 | Transfers to Law dept. Wild student life |
| 1847 | Drops out; briefly hospitalized with VD; returns to Yasnaia Poliana (now he owns it) |
| 1848 | Wine, women & song in Moscow; gambles heavily |
| 1849 | Law School at Petersburg U--passes 2 exams. Heavy gambling debts. Rerturns to Yasnaia Poliana & opens school for serf children. Develops interest in pedagogy |
| 1850 | Interst in music; plays piano; explores composing |
| 1851 | First literary effort: "A History of yesterday"--unpublished during his lifetime. Begins Childhood; partial transl. of Sterne's Sentimental Journey; Gives up lit & joins as volunteer his brother in the Caucasus |
| 1852 | Childhood published in journal The Contemporary--immediate success |
| 1853 | "The Raid" (against Chechens) published in The Contemporary |
| 1854 | Boyhood published. Crimean war starts. Tolstoy sent to serve on Danube and Sevastopol (in the Crimea) |
| 1855 | Two "Sevastopol Sketches" and "The Woodfelling" (Caucasus setting) published. Returns to Petersburg at end of war & hangs out with literati |
| 1856 | Leaves army. Publishes several short stories, including "Two Hussars" |
| 1857 | 6-month travel to Europe (Paris, Switzerland). WEorks on short stories, including "Lucerne". Youth published |
| 1858 | Family life |
| 1859 | "Family Happiness" published. Temporarily gives up literature for teaching and pedagogy |
| 1860 | Studies German educational system on site, travels in France, Italy, England |
| 1862 | Starts pedagogical magazine Iasnaia Poliana. Works as Marshall of the Peace after liberating serfs. Courts and marries Sophia Behrs |
| 1863 | The Cossacks published. Strats work on War and Peace |
| 1869 | Completes W&P, published first serially and over the years in several volumes. |
| 1870 | Acute depression, studies Greek and drama |
| 1872 | "A prisoner of the Caucasus" published |
| 1873 | Travels to new estate in Bashkiria. Starts Anna Karenina, which appears in installments in 1875- |
| 1878 | Anna Karenina appears in book form. begins work on a book on the Decembrists--never completed. Cultivates interest in religion |
| 1879 | Begins to write A Confession and articles on religion |
| 1882 | Finishes A Confession--banned in Russia. begins "Death of Ivan Ilych" and "What Then Must Be?"--completed in 1886 |
| 1885 | Writes popular stories "What Do men Live By?" and "Where There Is Love God Is." Becomes a vegetarian |
| 1886 | Writes The Power of Darkness, a play that is banned in Russia, but performed in Paris in 1888. Publishes "The Death of Ivan Ilych" and "How Much land Does a Man Need?" |
| 1888 | Birth of last (13th) child. Increasing family friction; Tolstoy's wife vs his chief disciple Chertkov. |
| 1889 | Completes The Kreutzer Sonata and begins Resurrection; pursues interest in taxes/land and estate matters |
| 1891 | Renounces copyrights. Famine relief |
| 1894 | Writes essays on religion, introduction to Maupassant |
| 1898 | Published Resurrection and Father Sergius to benefit famine victims; works on What is Art? and Hadji Murad (reminisces about Caucasian wars) |
| 1899 | Aids emigration of Dukhobor sectarians to Canada |
| 1901 | Excommunicated from orthodox church; illness, convalescence in Crimea where he meets Chekhov, Gorlky and other younger writers |
| 1904 | Finishes Hadji Murad, published posthumously; more family fights |
| 1905 | writes "Alyosha Gorshok" and other stories; introduction to Chekhov's "The Darling" |
| 1906 | Death of favorite daughter and disciple |
| 1907 | Writes to Russian prime minister advocating solution to land problem |
| 1908 | Writes "I Cannot Be Silent" against capital punishment. publisher arrested; Tolstoy's secretary also arrested and deported |
| 1909 | Wife threatens suicide; relationship bad; arguments over possessions, copyright, & Chertkov |
| 1910 | Leaves home; dies of pneumonia at Astapovo RR station at age 82 on Nov 7 |