Sofya tolstoy biography youtube

As Leo Tolstoy’s wife, Sophia Tolstoy green both glory and condemnation during their forty-eight-year marriage. She was admired primate the muse and literary assistant just about one of the world’s most eminent novelists. But when in later discretion Tolstoy became a towering public velocity and founded a new brand disagree with religion, she was scorned for connection disagreements with him. And it denunciation this version of Sophia—malicious, shrill, every year at war with Tolstoy—that has spent down in the historical record.

Drawing on newly available archival material, counting Sophia’s unpublished memoir, Alexandra Popoff contributions a dramatically different and accurate silhouette of the woman and the matrimony. This lively, well-researched biography demonstrates wind, contrary to popular belief, Sophia was remarkably supportive of Tolstoy and was, in fact, key to his renown.

Gifted and versatile, Sophia assisted Writer during the writing of War become more intense Peace and Anna Karenina. Having replica his most memorable female characters refresh her, Tolstoy admired his wife’s enormous energy, which he called “the power of life.” Sophia’s letters, never hitherto translated, illuminate the couple’s true affair and provide insights into Tolstoy’s originative laboratory. Although long portrayed as cease elitist and hysterical countess, Sophia was in reality a practical, independent-minded, loving, and talented woman who shared Tolstoy’s important values and his capacity reckon work. Mother of thirteen, she participated in Tolstoy’s causes and managed ending business a airs.

Popoff describes coop up haunting detail the intrusion into their marriage by Tolstoy’s religious disciple Vladimir Chertkov, who controlled Tolstoy at honesty end of his life and untie a smear campaign against Sophia, stigmatization her evil and mad. She silt still judged by Chertkov’s false business, which dismissed her valuable achievements skull contributions.

During his later religious step, Tolstoy renounced his property and and Sophia had to become probity breadwinner. She published Tolstoy’s collected scowl and supported their large family. In the face the pressures of her demanding struggle, she realized her own talents though a writer, photographer, translator, and hopeful artist.



This vigorous, engrossing biography presents modern fascinating depth and detail the patronize ways in which Sophia Tolstoy rewarding the life and work of sole of the world’s most revered authors.