Tolstoyism

By the time he is well into his 50s, Leo Tolstoy is constantly in touch with learned men and philosophers and his celebrity status and public opposition to the status quo is attracting a constant stream of nihilists, revolutionaries and admirers. A meeting that has a huge impact on the rest of his life is with Vladimir Chertkov. It occurs in Moscow in 1883. The success of War and Peace and Anna Karenina has put Tolstoy in the spotlight but Chertkov exploits that by encouraging him to concentrate on his moral teachings, distributing his writings and organising his devotees into communities that abstain from tobacco and alcohol, pool property and goods, practise chastity and vegetarianism, and live by the principles of love, truth and peace.

Within a couple of years Tolstoy and Chertkov establish a publishing company, The Intermediary, to produce and sell inexpensive books for the masses. The company publishes work by other writers but the focus is spreading the moral messages of Leo Tolstoy. Millions are sold. Chertkov continues to work tirelessly on translating and distributing Tolstoy’s work from the UK after he is forced into exile in 1897. On his return after a decade he buys land from Sasha Tolstoy near Yasnaya Polyana and builds a house big enough for his family and a big group of Tolstoyans. For a time he is expelled from the district for subversive activities but he and Tolstoy meet regularly elsewhere and stay closely in touch through letters as they have throughout their relationship.

To some degree Chertkov becomes the high priest of Tolstoy’s own tenets, moulding his thoughts as he sees fit and chastising him for conflicting behaviour. Even when Tolstoy learns to ride a bike when he is well into his 60s, Chertkov questions whether this behaviour matches his Christian ideals.

Temptations of the flesh
The marriage suffers
The essays