This road was named after famous Russian writerLeo Tolstoy.
Tolstoy Marg linksBarakhamba Road and Maharaja Ranjit Singh Marg intersection, toSansad Marg intersection. Inside Connaught Place, the road connects to other important roads like Jantar Mantar Road,Janpath, Atul Grove Road, and Kasturba Gandhi Marg.[1] Tolstoy Marg houses many commercial offices and offices of some Public Sector Enterprises as well.
Tolstoy Marg is usually the focal point of protest marches and other political rallies in the city.[2] Political rallies towardsRamlila Maidan in Delhi, often passes through Tolstoy Marg.[3]
Tolstoy Marg was constructed during the British era, whenRobert Tor Russell was designing theConnaught Place. In those days it was named asKeeling Road, after Hugh Keeling, who was the Chief Engineer of Delhi.[4][5]
During thePartition of India in 1947, several Muslim families who were residents of Keeling Road, had moved toPakistan,[6][7] and likewise people coming to India from Pakistan had made Keeling road their new home.[8]
Prominent leaderDeshbandhu Gupta also used to live in a big house on Keeling Road.[9] He was a resident of "5, Keeling Road".[10]
When the headquarters ofCommunist Party of India were shifted from Bombay to New Delhi in 1951, they were first housed on "4, Keeling Road".[11][12]
In 1962, to meet the increasing need of commercial space in Central part of Delhi,Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had decided to extend Connaught Place Commercial Area up to the Keeling Road. It was done under "Delhi Master Plan 1962".[13]
During Soviet era, Information Department of the USSR Embassy in India, was situated nearby on 25, Barakhamba Road of New Delhi.[14] Soviet AirlinesAeroflot had an office on Tolstoy Marg,[15] which is currently shifted to nearby Barakhamba Road.[16]
On the sidewalk of a road where Tolstoy Marg meets Janpath, there stands a black colored bronze statue of Leo Tolstoy, that was installed here in 1994.[17] This statue was constructed inUSSR in 1989.[18][19] However it was only after theDissolution of the Soviet Union, that the statue was finally installed on the Tolstoy Marg. This statue was inaugurated by Russian Prime MinisterViktor Chernomyrdin in 1994 during his visit to India.[17]This statue faces a heritage building "Freemasons Hall" which is situated opposite side, on the Janpath Road, and this building was constructed in the year 1936.[20][21]
The Tolstoy Statue on this road often witnesses the gathering of the fans of Russian Literature, Leo Tolstoy, andMahatma Gandhi.[22]
Presently a building called Tolstoy House is also situated on this road.[23][24]
^Who's Who 1950(PDF). New Delhi: Parliament of India. 15 May 1950. p. 36. Retrieved24 April 2024.
^Dubey, Radhe (2006).Kahani Ek Naye Mazmoon Ki (Story of a New Idea. Hindi). B-131, Sadatpur, Po. Gokalpuri, New Delhi - 110094: Lok Prakashan Griha. p. 28.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
^Delhi Master Plan 1962(PDF). Delhi Development Authority (DDA). 1 September 1962. p. 10. Retrieved24 April 2024.
^Syomin, GA, ed. (26 February 1981)."Address of Publisher Section".Soviet Review.XVIII (10). 25, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi: Information Department of USSR Embassy in India.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
