Sophia Tolstoy
Encyclopedia
Countess Sophia Andreyevna Tolstaya (née
Behrs) , was the wife of Russian novelist and thinker Leo Tolstoy
.
Andrey Evstafievich Behrs (1808-1868), and his wife Liubov Alexandrovna Behrs, née Islavinoy (1826-1886). She was first introduced to Leo Tolstoy
in 1862, when she was 18 years old. At 34, Tolstoy was 16 years her senior. On 17 September 1862 the couple became formally engaged after Tolstoy gave Sophia a written proposal of marriage, marrying a week later in Moscow
. At the time of their marriage, Leo Tolstoy was already well-known as a novelist after the publication of The Cossacks
. On the eve of their marriage, Tolstoy gave Sophia his diaries
detailing his sexual relations with female serf
s. In Anna Karenina
, 34 year old Constantine Levin, a semi-autobiographical character behaves similarly, asking his 19 year old fiancée Kitty to read his diaries and learn of his past transgressions.
The diary included the fact that he had fathered a child by a woman who remained on the Yasnaya Polyana estate. In Anne Edward's Sonya, she describes Sophia as having a deep fear that Tolstoy would somehow re-enter a relationship with the woman.
The Tolstoys had 13 children, eight of whom survived childhood. The family was prosperous, owing to Tolstoy's efficient management of his estates and to the sales of his works, making it possible to provide adequately for the family.
Tolstaya was a devoted help to her husband in his literary work. She acted as copyist of War and Peace
, copying the manuscript seven times from beginning to end. In 1887, Tolstaya took up the relatively new art of photography
. She took over a thousand photographs that documented her life, including with Tolstoy, and the decline of pre-Soviet Tsarist Russia. She was also a diarist and documented her life with Leo Tolstoy in a series of diaries which were published in English translation in the 1980s. Tolstaya wrote her memoirs as well, which she titled My Life.
After many years of an increasingly troubled marriage—the couple argued over Tolstoy's desire to give away all his private property -- Leo left Sophia abruptly in 1910, aged 82, with his doctor, Dushan Makovicki (Dušan Makovický), and daughter Alexandra Tolstaya. Tolstoy died 10 days later in a railway station, whilst Sophia was kept away from him (as depicted in the film, The Last Station
). Following the death of her husband, Sophia continued to live in Yasnaya Polyana and survived the Russian Revolution in relative peace. She died in 1919.
With the belated increase in interest on the biography of Sophia Tolstaya raised and some new works on her biography which are based on the memoires of the writers wife were published:
in the 2009 biographical film, The Last Station
, based on the 1990 biographical novel of the same name by Jay Parini
, while the role of her husband Leo Tolstoy
was portrayed by Christopher Plummer
. Both actors were nominated for Academy Awards in their respective categories. Her life was also serialised in August 2010 by BBC's Radio 4, 'A Simple Life'.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Behrs) , was the wife of Russian novelist and thinker Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
.
Biography
Sophia was one of 3 daughters of the physicianPhysician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
Andrey Evstafievich Behrs (1808-1868), and his wife Liubov Alexandrovna Behrs, née Islavinoy (1826-1886). She was first introduced to Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
in 1862, when she was 18 years old. At 34, Tolstoy was 16 years her senior. On 17 September 1862 the couple became formally engaged after Tolstoy gave Sophia a written proposal of marriage, marrying a week later in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. At the time of their marriage, Leo Tolstoy was already well-known as a novelist after the publication of The Cossacks
The Cossacks (novel)
The Cossacks is a short novel by Leo Tolstoy, published in 1863 in the popular literary magazine The Russian Messenger. The Nobel prize-winning Russian writer Ivan Bunin gave the work great praise, calling it one of the finest in the Russian language....
. On the eve of their marriage, Tolstoy gave Sophia his diaries
Diaries
As a proper noun, Diaries, the plural of diary, can refer to:*Diaries: 1971-1976, an 1981 documentary by Ed Pincus*Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years, a 2006 book by Michael Palin...
detailing his sexual relations with female serf
SERF
A spin exchange relaxation-free magnetometer is a type of magnetometer developed at Princeton University in the early 2000s. SERF magnetometers measure magnetic fields by using lasers to detect the interaction between alkali metal atoms in a vapor and the magnetic field.The name for the technique...
s. In Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina is a novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, published in serial installments from 1873 to 1877 in the periodical The Russian Messenger...
, 34 year old Constantine Levin, a semi-autobiographical character behaves similarly, asking his 19 year old fiancée Kitty to read his diaries and learn of his past transgressions.
The diary included the fact that he had fathered a child by a woman who remained on the Yasnaya Polyana estate. In Anne Edward's Sonya, she describes Sophia as having a deep fear that Tolstoy would somehow re-enter a relationship with the woman.
Tolstaya was a devoted help to her husband in his literary work. She acted as copyist of War and Peace
War and Peace
War and Peace is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in 1869. The work is epic in scale and is regarded as one of the most important works of world literature...
, copying the manuscript seven times from beginning to end. In 1887, Tolstaya took up the relatively new art of photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
. She took over a thousand photographs that documented her life, including with Tolstoy, and the decline of pre-Soviet Tsarist Russia. She was also a diarist and documented her life with Leo Tolstoy in a series of diaries which were published in English translation in the 1980s. Tolstaya wrote her memoirs as well, which she titled My Life.
After many years of an increasingly troubled marriage—the couple argued over Tolstoy's desire to give away all his private property -- Leo left Sophia abruptly in 1910, aged 82, with his doctor, Dushan Makovicki (Dušan Makovický), and daughter Alexandra Tolstaya. Tolstoy died 10 days later in a railway station, whilst Sophia was kept away from him (as depicted in the film, The Last Station
The Last Station
The Last Station is a 2009 biographical drama film directed by Michael Hoffman. It is an adaptation of the 1990 biographical novel of the same name by Jay Parini about the final months of Leo Tolstoy's life. The film stars Christopher Plummer as Tolstoy and Helen Mirren as his wife Sophia Tolstaya...
). Following the death of her husband, Sophia continued to live in Yasnaya Polyana and survived the Russian Revolution in relative peace. She died in 1919.
With the belated increase in interest on the biography of Sophia Tolstaya raised and some new works on her biography which are based on the memoires of the writers wife were published:
- Ursula Keller/Natalja Sharandak: Sofja Andrejewna Tolstaja: Ein Leben an der Seite Tolstojs. Frankfurt/Main, Germany 2009
- Nina Niktina: Sofja Tolstaja. Moskow 2010
- Alexandra Popoff. Sophia Tolstoya. A Biography. Free Press 2010
Works
- Autobiography of Sophie Andreevna Tolstoi online at archive.org
- The memoirs of Sofia Tolstoy, which she titled "My Life" – at University of Ottawa Press
- Who's to blame (russ.: Чья вина?), Oktyabr 1994/10, 6-59. German Translation: Eine Frage der Schuld, Zürich 2008. http://www.randomhouse.de/book/edition.jsp?edi=233737
- Song without Words (russ.: Песня без слов), unpublished in Russia. German Translation: Lied ohne Worte, Zürich 2010. http://www.randomhouse.de/book/edition.jsp?edi=324802
- Cathy Porter (tr), The Diaries of Sophia Tolstoy (London, HarperCollins, 2010).
In popular culture
She was portrayed by Helen MirrenHelen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
in the 2009 biographical film, The Last Station
The Last Station
The Last Station is a 2009 biographical drama film directed by Michael Hoffman. It is an adaptation of the 1990 biographical novel of the same name by Jay Parini about the final months of Leo Tolstoy's life. The film stars Christopher Plummer as Tolstoy and Helen Mirren as his wife Sophia Tolstaya...
, based on the 1990 biographical novel of the same name by Jay Parini
Jay Parini
Jay Parini is an American writer and academic. He is known for novels and poetry, biography and criticism.He was born in Pittston, Pennsylvania, and brought up in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Lafayette College in 1970 and was awarded a doctorate by the University of St. Andrews in 1975...
, while the role of her husband Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
was portrayed by Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
. Both actors were nominated for Academy Awards in their respective categories. Her life was also serialised in August 2010 by BBC's Radio 4, 'A Simple Life'.
External links
- Sophia Tolstoy, A Biography by Alexandra Popoff