The Tolstoy Library

In which a visit from the spirited and somewhat disagreeable Princess Kornakoff reveals contrasting views on child-rearing and the delicate sensibilities of youth within the drawing-room of an old fam...

27 Feb 7min

In which a child, inspired by a desire to honour his Grandmamma, embarks on the earnest task of composing verses for her name-day, wrestling with the peculiar challenges of rhyme and sentiment. Yet, a...

26 Feb 11min

In which the tender recollections of childhood are gently unfolded through the loving presence of a mother and the innocent soul of a young child, wrapped in dreams and prayers filled with hope and af...

26 Feb 6min

In which a family prepares to depart their home amid the bustling activity of servants and animals, with the narrator quietly observing the tender and sorrowful farewells that are given and received. ...

25 Feb 10min

In which the faithful Natalia Savishna emerges as a figure of devoted care and self-sacrifice, her life entwined with the fortunes of her young charge amidst the strictures of serfdom, embodying stead...

25 Feb 8min

In which the quiet darkness lends a solemn air to Grisha's devout prayers and humble preparations for rest, revealing a depth of faith and sorrow that moves the young narrator to a rare stillness of h...

24 Feb 6min

In which the gentle evening hours find a young boy wrestling with his blue-painted imaginings, while the distant murmur of grown-up discussions and the tender strains of piano music evoke a world both...

24 Feb 7min

In which the figure of the father is sketched with a mixture of admiration and gentle critique, revealing a gentleman of a bygone era, marked by charm, pride, and a restless pursuit of pleasure and re...

23 Feb 5min