Project "Sofia Tolstaya's Collection of Photographs"

Municipal  Gymnasium

Sofia Tolstaya’s
Collection of Photographs

Project is made by

Kovalskaya  Angelina,

                                                                            a student of 10 Form

                                                                            Teacher: Kirillova R.P.

                                  Uzlovaya, Tula region

                                                   2012

We can be surprised, but the most photos of  Leo Tolstoy were made by Sofia Andreyevna  Tolstaya,  the writer′s wife.

S. A. Tolstaya learned to take photos in her youth when she lived in her parents´ s house. When she was 16 her father got acguainted with a young photographer, student Kukuli, a Greek by nationality. Sofia Andreyevna took a keen interest in photography which was making its first steps in Russia at that time. Kukuli taught her to photograph and gave her his own camera.

On Sofia′s photos we see Tolstoy in his house or in the garden, among his relatives and friends. We see him in the communion with Russian nature.

When we look at these portraits and landscapes we find ever new details in them and come to better understanding the writer′s personality and work, his great life.

Leo Tolstoy and Yasnaya Polyana.

These words conquer the heart of every Russian.

Yasnaya Polyana is not far from Tula. It′s  the birthplace  of  the  outstanding writer. L. N. Tolstoy spent his childhood, lived and worked there for 60 years.

Picturesque landscapes have inspired him. Living in his patrimony L. Tolstoy wrote a lot of famous wonderful books. He loved his estate and wrote: « I can′t imagine Russia without Yasnaya Polyana».

No wonder, L. Tolstoy and Yasnaya Polyana attracted the attention of artists, composers, scientists. Turgenev, Fet, Chekhov, Kramskoy, Repin, Pasternak, Mechnikov were captivated by unforgettable views and the writer′s personality.

A lot of portraits, photos, art pictures tell us about Tolstoy`s  friendship  with his contemporaries.

Sofia Tolstaya`s photos can be called an original chronicle of the last 20 years of Leo Tolstoy`s life. She was the only person who took the great writer with Repin, Chekhov, Taneyev.

S. Tolstaya`s  photoes  are  great treasure.  They  had  been  reproduced many times in books and magazines and are well known.

Nowadays Yasnaya Polyana is a world-known Memorial state Museum. It is one of  the  most interesting literary places  in Russia.

I am proud of the fact, that I live not far from Yasnaya Polyana and Leo Tolstoy was my countryman.