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SUMMARY: PART II
Reminiscences on L. N. Tolstoy from the Gusev archive

1. Sergej Nikolaevich Èverling

During the time of the described meetings with Tolstoy, Èverling, a recent graduate of Moscow University′s Faculty of Historical Philology, was pursuing post-graduate studies in philosphy in the same university. The account reproduced here was published in an English translation in 1923, as well as in an abbreviated Russian version in 1976. It is published here in its original language in full for the first time. Èverling is also one of the authors included in the 1997 collection Novye materialy L. N. Tolstogo i o Tolstom, where he reminisces about events from one of the same time periods (though unrelated to those mentioned here).

Èverling′s first encounter with Tolstoy took place during a cultural evening at Khamovniki on 1 February 1901. In spite of his youth and the presence of a number of other guests, he made a particular impression on his host with his penetrating questions on the irrelevance of contemporary scholarship to the real and pressing need for spiritual renewal among the populace, citing various Russian philosophers such as Sergej Trubetskoj, Vladimir Solov′ev and Nikolaj Fedorov. He was especially interested in Tolstoy′s views on his own professor, the celebrated N.Ya. Grot. Tolstoy′s own interest was sufficiently piqued that he proposed another meeting with the young academic under less crowded circumstances. He even loaned him some of the writings of A. A. Shpir to read in the meantime, on which the two could engage in a serious discussion the next time they met.

Before that could be arranged, however, the next month found Èverling back at Khamovniki at an even more lively party, one replete with the music of a gypsy troupe invited by a family member and later a piano performance by the celebrated pianist A. B. Gol′denveizer. Èverling describes Tolstoy′s ironic reply to a guest′s attempt to convince him of the merits of modern medical science, along with his remarks on Turgenev and Darwin. The host repeated his desire to discuss Shpir′s views with Èverling as soon as his books had been read.

This desire was fulfilled a month later, when Èverling paid a third visit to Khamovniki, this time accompanied by only one other person. In addition to Shpir, their conversation also touched upon the role of medical science and the possibility of revolution in Russia (which Tolstoy admitted, even though he strongly doubted that violent methods would lead to any significant social improvement).

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Èverling indicates in his introduction that his reminiscences are based on notes he made back in 1901, immediately after his visits to Khamovniki.

2. Ivan Alekseevich Vlasov

This contributor was one of Tolstoy′s serfs — more specifically, a ‘house serf’ [dvorovyj] who lived and worked in the manor house rather than tending his own plots of land. One of his duties was looking after the household inventory. At this period the young Vlasov was often bullied by Tolstoy′s estate foreman V. E. Zjabrev, who would often make unfounded threats, claiming that his master was wont to turn over unruly serfs to the army. After the official abolition of serfdom in 1861, Vlasov took up indoor household duties, and married the daughter of the late tutor to the Tolstoy family N. D. Bannikov.

The chronology of events described by Vlasov can be determined on the basis of several references — Zjabrev′s tenure as foreman (which ended in June 1858), the abolition of serf law (19 February 1861), and Tolstoy′s purchase of his house in Moscow (1882).

The account opens with a description of a typical workday at Yasnaya Polyana (some time prior to 1858). Tolstoy would eagerly participate in the farm labour, and sometimes call upon his administrative staff to get involved as well — including his foreman Zjabrev and steward Vlasov. The results of Tolstoy′s involvement, however, often left something to be desired: the peasants would have to rebuild the haystack when the master couldn′t do it right the first time.

Vlasov goes on to describe one of his early conversations with Tolstoy, whom Zjabrev had made him greatly afraid of. Tolstoy detected the fear but could not explain it to himself, nor was he yet able to get Vlasov to explain it. It was only years later, after Tolstoy had bought the house in Khamovniki, that Vlasov came to know his master well enough to tell him how he had been deceived by the foreman′s lies.

3. Aleksej Alekseevich Pastukhov

At the time of his first acquaintance with Tolstoy in May 1889 Pastukhov had dropped out his Academy of Arts programme; later he would work as a teacher of drawing and draughting in Tula and Belëv.

Their first meeting was a chance encounter on the streets of Tula, as the young arts student had just arrived from Petersburg to see his parents and Tolstoy was on a journey by foot from Moscow to Yasnaya Polyana. The next day Pastukhov and two friends accompanied Tolstoy on the last leg of his journey home.

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He especially remembered the conversation of the then prevalent problem of the so-called ‘Tolstoy colonies’, which Tolstoy himself did not approve of, considering that it was hardly possible to achieve a moral life simply by changing one′s outward circumstances.

Pastukhov made several visits to Yasnaya Polyana during the summer of 1889 (when Tolstoy was involved in intensive work on his Kreutzer Sonata and Father Sergius), and again in the summer of 1890, after a year of teaching in Belëv. He took part in the recopying of some of Tolstoy′s corrected manuscripts.

Pastukhov briefly describes some of his conversations with Tolstoy, as well as a number of the guests he had the occasion to meet at Yasnaya. He also mentions an encounter with Tolstoy in Belëv, where Tolstoy had come to see his sister in February 1890 (mistakenly attributed by the contributor to the winter of 1891).

After his marriage Pastukhov became caught up in family life and did not come to Yasnaya any more, although in the mid-1890s he did meet once with Tolstoy in Tula.

Pastukhov′s last meeting with Tolstoy took place at Yasnaya Polyana in the summer of 1909, when he took one of his pupils there at the latter′s request. At first his host was unable to recollect him, but as they began talking about the people they both knew, Tolstoy finally remembered, and remarked on “the good impression you made when you were here before”.

The writer concludes his account by relating an incident from the earlier period of his frequent encounters with Tolstoy. Once, when Pastukhov arrived at Yasnaya soaked from the rain, his host invited him into his study and gave him one of his own shirts to change into. Later, as they entered the dining room together, Tolstoy remarked to his household: “See, I′ve brought along a little Tolstoy!”

4. Vasilij Stepanovich Morozov (1)

Morozov, who as a child had been a pupil at the school Tolstoy had founded for the peasant children on his estate, has left behind a fair number of reminiscences. In this account he describes the fire which occurred at Yasnaya Polyana on 5 August 1890 and the measures taken by various people (including Tolstoy and Morozov himself) to aid the victims who had lost their homes — one of whom was Morozov′s own half-brother. The agony of the peasants at having lost everything they owned is described in detail in this contribution. Admittedly inspired by Tolstoy′s words about helping those in need, Morozov himself made a financial contribution at considerable expense to himself, not only to his half-brother, but to the other victims as well. The next day Morozov and his brother went around to nearby villages to solicit additional donations.

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He was then obliged to return to his home in Tula to take care of his own affairs.

A month later Morozov paid another visit to Yasnaya and learnt about the tremendous moral and financial support Tolstoy had been giving to the fire victims. Such generosity ran completely counter to the whole psychology of the Russian peasant. Morozov′s brother admitted to feelings of gratitude toward his benefactor, but this did not stop him from abusing Tolstoy′s invitation to take two trees he needed from the estate forest: after surreptitiously hauling out his tenth tree he was caught by a steward. Morozov was so disturbed by this that he was about to tell Tolstoy that “his kindness was only turning out thieves”. But upon meeting the master he had a change of heart, being struck by the sincere joy with which Tolstoy spoke about the help offered the victims by so many people, including Morozov himself.

Morozov, in the meantime, asked Tolstoy for any books he thought might be helpful, and the latter wasted no time in despatching a number of religious and philosophical works to Morozov′s Tula home.

5. Marija Kirillovna Kuznetsova

On the 6th of December 1888 the author, then only 18, entered the Tolstoys’ household employ as a maid and domestic tailor, arriving from Tula in the company of two of Tolstoy′s daughters. A significant part of her account is devoted to the description of Tolstoy′s errand of mercy (including his daughters Tat′jana and Marija as well as Kuznetsova) to aid the 1891 famine victims in Begichevka. After writing about the outward journey and their first day at Begichevka, Kuznetsova goes on to tell about how Tolstoy got caught in a snowstorm, the alarm among family members when he failed to return on time, and how local peasants braved the storm to bring them news that he had found safe overnight lodging.

Kuznetsova concludes by recounting three incidents relating to a later period of her employ: (a) about how a dressing-gown made for Tolstoy turned out to be too big for him; (b) about Tolstoy and his daughters going out to cut hay and inviting her to join them; (c) about the kindness Tolstoy expressed when, coming upon a fallen cyclist on the road, he brought him home and made sure he was given first aid.

6. Ksenija Nikolaevna Boratynskaja

This contributor′s ‘extended letter’ to Gusev recounts her visit to Yasnaya Polyana of 19—21 August to seek Tolstoy′s advice on a difficult decision she was facing in her personal life — between pursuing her chosen

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profession as a teacher or marrying the man she had fallen in love with (which she felt would mean giving up any hope of a professional career).

Her appointment with Tolstoy was delayed by a tragic accident on the estate at the very moment of her arrival: two peasant children had drowned in a pond. But the meeting did go ahead that evening. Tolstoy listened attentively to her story and suggested that her career as a mother might well take precedence over any duties she might have as a schoolteacher.

Meeting with him the next day, the two discussed, among other things, the question of promoting Tolstoy′s ideas in the schoolroom. Boratynskaja confided that while she did attempt to make his ideas known to her charges, she felt she did not have the right to insist upon them or push them to break with the Church. Her reply was of great interest to Tolstoy, who remarked on it to Vladimir Chertkov, who happened to be present. Boratynskaja confessed, however, that she had no idea what her host′s cryptic reply meant, nor Chertkov′s own responding gesture.

Her last encounter with Tolstoy was something of a surprise. On the final day of her visit, while preparing for her departure, she accepted Chertkov′s invitation to visit him at Teljatinki. While they were dining, Tolstoy himself unexpectedly showed up, saying he had come specifically to see Boratynskaja once more and tell her that he had changed his mind, that he had been wrong in advising her to give up her career in favour of marriage and family life.

The writer goes on to say that, in spite of Tolstoy′s change of view, she did decide to get married after all and led a happy, normal life until 1917. In the years following the revolution she lost her husband and several other relatives, but her children survived. She concludes her letter by saying how she is looking forward to meeting personally with Gusev.

7. Paul Boucher [Pavel Bushe]

Boucher, an amateur photographer, seized the chance to fulfil his ambition to capture Tolstoy on film upon hearing that the great writer would be returning to Yasnaya Polyana from Krekshino by train, with an overnight stop in Moscow at Khamovniki.

On the morning of 18 September 1909 he joined a press group (including a cinema photographer) heading for Krekshino.

Boucher′s first glimpse of Tolstoy from the Krekshino station platform was of a man seeming to hide himself momentarily in the bushes apart from his entourage (either to pick mushrooms or out of fear of having his picture taken). But once on the platform Tolstoy appeared happy to accomodate the photographers, both professional and amateur. Boucher

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managed not only to ride in the same coach as Tolstoy, but also to take part in the general conversation and even contribute to it.

When Tolstoy remarked that this was his first time being filmed by a cine-camera, Boucher reminded him that a brief filming had taken place during his eightieth-birthday celebrations at Yasnaya Polyana the year before. Boucher then tried to get Tolstoy to respond to a moral question that had been troubling him (about the practicality of the Golden Rule), but somehow he failed to phrase his question in such a way as to elicit a satisfactory response.

Boucher goes on to describe several episodes he observed at the railway terminal in Moscow, where Tolstoy was thronged by a crowd of well-wishers. He concludes with an eye-witness account of what was to be Tolstoy′s final departure from his Khamovniki home, on his way to the Kursk station.

8. Vasilij Stepanovich Morozov (2)

Morozov′s second account tells of Tolstoy′s journey to attend a court session at Novaja Kolpna. Morozov happened to run across him on his way there and was invited to meet him there after the trial. The writer described his first experience in a district court in some detail, both the courtroom itself and Tolstoy′s conduct therein. Disappointed over the lack of the parties′ progress in coming to an agreement, Tolstoy decided to leave before the trial was finished, and Morozov followed him out, engaging him in conversation as they walked together. One topic of discussion was Gusev′s exile to Siberia. After an unexpected meeting with some peasants (which included at least one who was inebriated), the conversation turned to the problem of drunkenness. Other subjects brought up were Tolstoy′s failed plans to attend a peace conference and Morozov′s favourite Tolstoy book Cycle of readings. Before they parted Morozov asked his former teacher whether he might bring a friend to see him.

A couple of days later Morozov and his friend paid Tolstoy a visit at Yasnaya; he describes the latter′s interest at hearing this young man′s tale of exile in the Belëv district for getting caught up in revolutionary activities.