—From Tolstoy’s Calendar of Wisdom, November 7 entry.
Leo Tolstoy died on November 7, 1910. The ten days before were a national drama in Russia, reported so fully that they became the first modern media event in Russian history. At the age of 82, Tolstoy had left his home in the middle of the night, telling no one where he was going. The result is one of the great stories of the 20th century.
This website tells the story. It serves as a companion site to the volume The Death of Tolstoy: Russia on the Eve, Astapovo Station, 1910 , relating some of the material from the book, but also supplementing it with additional background reading and visuals. It will continue to grow over the coming months, but there is already quite a bit of material here, so please explore. For more information on Tolstoy and his death, also see the Tolstoy Studies Journal, which has offered some assistance for this site.
A memorial postcard issued after Tolstoy’s death.