Torn between his duties and needs, Leo Tolstoy, one of Russia’s greatest authors, abandoned his aristocratic lifestyle. Later in his life, he put on threadbare sandals and set off on a pilgrimage. Its outcome illustrates the intimate link between spiritual fulfillment and simplicity.
Leo Tolstoy: Count, Soldier, Author
Count Leo Tolstoy was born in 1828 near Tula, Russia. He traced his ancestry to a legendary man named Indris, who migrated to the Ukraine in the 1300s. Indris converted to Orthodox Christianity, and the faith remained part and parcel of his descendants’ lives.Tolstoy’s parents died when he was very young, and relatives raised him with their own children. At age 16, he went to Kazan University to study law but was disappointed with the quality of education he received. His teachers thought him unwilling to learn, so he left in the middle of his studies, returned home, and began living the leisurely life of a typical aristocrat.
