Count Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy was born on September 9, 1828, in hisancestral estate Yasnaya Polyana, South of Moscow, Russia. He was thefourth of five children in a wealthy family of Russian landed Gentry.His parents died when he was a child, and he was brought up by hiselder brothers and relatives.

Leo Tolstoy studied languages and law at Kazan University for threeyears. He was dissatisfied with the school and left Kazan without adegree, returned to his estate and educated himself independently. In1848 he moved to the capital, St. Petersburg, and there passed twotests for a law degree. He was abruptly called to return to his estatenear Moscow, where he inherited 4000 acres of land and 350 serfs. ThereTolstoy built a school for his serfs, and acted as a teacher. Hebriefly went to a Medical School in Moscow, but lost a fortune ingambling, and was pulled out by his brother. He took military training,became an Army officer, and moved to the Caucasus, where he lived asimple life for three years with Cossacs. There he wrote his firstnovel - "Childhood" (1852), it became a success. With writing "Boyhood"(1854) and "Youth" (1857) he concluded the autobiographical trilogy. Inthe Crimean War (1854-55) Tolstoy served as artillery commander in theBattle of Sevastopol, and was decorated for his courage. Between thebattles he wrote three stories titled "Sevastopol Sketches", that wonhim wide attention, and a complement from the Czar Aleksandr II.

After the war, Tolstoy returned to St. Petersburg, where he enjoyed thefriendship ofIvan Turgenev,Nikolai A. Nekrasov,Ivan Goncharov, and other writers. On histrips to Europe, he had discussions with Gertsen in London, andattended Darwin's lectures. In Brussels he had meetings withphilosophers Prudhon and Lelewel. Tolstoy undertook a research ofschools in Europe, and later he built and organized over 20 schools forpoor people in Russia. At that time the secret police begansurveillance, and searched his home. In 1862 he married Sofia AndreevnaBers, and fathered 13 children with his wife. Four of their babiesdied, and the couple raised the remaining nine children. His wife wasalso his literary secretary, and also contributed to his best works,"War and Peace" (1863-69) and "Anna Karenina" (1873-77). In his"Confession" (1879) Tolstoy revealed his own version of Christianity,blended with socialism, that won him many followers. Tolstoyancommunities sprang up in America and Europe, and he assisted theRussian non-Orthodox Christians (Dukhobors) in migrating to USA andCanada. He split from aristocratic class and developed an asceticlifestyle, becoming a vegetarian, and a farmer. He sponsored andorganized free meals for the poor. He transfered his copyright on allof his writings after 1880 to public domain. In his later age Tolstoywas pursuing the path of a wandering ascetic. He corresponded withMohandas K. Gandhi, who was directly influenced by Tolstoy's "The Kingdom of Godis Within You" (1894), which was praised by many nonviolent movements.

In 1900 Tolstoy criticized the Tsar's government in a series ofpublications, calling for separation of Chuch and State.Tsar Nicholas IIretaliated through the Church, by expulsion of Tolstoy from OrthodoxCristianity as a "heretic". He fell ill, and suffered from a severedepression; he was suicidal and even had to eliminate all hunting gunsfrom his home, because of his suicidal mode. He was treated by thefamous doctor Dahl, and was visited by composerSergei Rachmaninoff and bassoFeodor Chaliapin Sr., who performed for Tolstoy on many occasions. Later he went toconvalesce in Yalta, in Crimea, where he spent time withAnton Chekhov andMaxim Gorky. Tolstoy was an obvious candidate for the Nobel Prize inLiterature, but was initially omitted by the Nobel Committee for hisviews. The omission caused a strong response from a group of Swedishwriters and artists. They sent an address to Tolstoy, but the writeranswered by declining any future prize nomination.

In 1902 Tolstoy wrote a letter to the Tsar, calling for social justice,to prevent a civil war, and in 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War,Tolstoy wrote a condemnation of war. The Tsar replied by increasingpolice surveillance on Tolstoy. In November of 1910 he left his estate,probably taking the path of a wandering ascetic, which he had beenpursuing for decades. He left home without explanations and took atrain, in which he caught pneumonia, and died at a remote station ofAstapovo. He was laid to rest in his estate of Yasnaya Polyana, whichwas made a Tolstoy National Museum.

His youngest daughter, namedAlexandra Tolstoy, was the director of the TolstoyMuseum, and was arrested by the Communists five times. She emigratedfrom Russia to the United States, where she founded the TolstoyFoundation. She helped many prominent Russian intellectuals, such asVladimir Nabokov andSergei Rachmaninoff among many others.