An exhibition about the people who “torn apart” Leo Tolstoy was opened in Moscow

Lev Nikolaevich’s handwritten entry in his diary dated September 24, 1910 sheds only half the light on this “mystery.” “From Ch. a letter of reproach[ми] and denunciations. They’re tearing me apart. Sometimes I think: get away from everyone.”

Experts explain: “H.” – this is Vladimir Chertkov, a book publisher, Tolstoy’s comrade-in-arms, his main follower, “spiritual executor” and, according to the definition of the writer’s son, “a dishonest friend.” We’ve sorted out the first one, who’s the second one? (Or rather, the second one).

This is Leo Tolstoy’s wife Sofya Andreevna, who quarreled with Chertkov (later we will examine this “conflict of interest”).

At the same time, the picture took shape as in a scene from the film “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, where Coward was “torn apart” by his partners Balbes and Experienced on the road, but they were not pulled in different directions, but kept in the path of a car rushing towards him. And just as the hero of Georgy Vitsin “wilted” in the finale, so the great writer fulfilled his intention to leave and left the family estate.

In the above quote, the word “they” may not mean two people close to Tolstoy, but Chertkov’s reproaches (re-read the entry carefully), but the “theatrical” move of the exhibition organizers is wonderful.

They dedicated half the hall of an ancient mansion on Prechistinka (one of the most literary-centric districts of Moscow) to Sofya Andreevna, showing visitors, among other things, things that belonged to her (for example, a fan and a teapot), a marriage certificate between spouses who had lived together for 48 years, family photos. And such a mournful document as the list of surviving and deceased children of the great couple.

The second half of the hall reflects the vigorous activity and the actual figure of Chertkov (who, as Sofya Andreevna was afraid, tried to “take away” the copyright to Tolstoy’s legacy from his wife and children in favor of the people).

Here are books by and about Tolstoy published by Chertkov, lists of classic works banned in the Russian Empire by secular and church censorship – and published by him in the West bypassing restrictions, a “work plan” for a future collected works. And again – a lot of archival photographs (the most telling one is Chertkov and Tolstoy playing chess), a portrait of Vladimir Grigorievich by Nesterov, and so on.

True, judging by the signatures to the manuscripts and the main historical papers (such as, say, the Will of 1910, approved by the Tula District Court, a notarized power of attorney addressed to S.T.), they are all copies.

To the “naive” question of the “MK” correspondent, why visitors cannot see the originals, Yuri Prokopchuk, head of the excursion and methodological service of the museum L.N. Tolstoy replied:

– If we are talking about handwritten materials, as a rule, copies are presented at exhibitions (nowadays they are made so well that you can’t tell them apart from the original), – I.V.). And originals require special storage conditions. They are in the manuscripts department: we have over three hundred thousand manuscripts of the writer himself, people from his circle and “Tolstyan” followers.

– Chertkov compiled a whole brochure, which is a list of Tolstoy’s texts prohibited by censorship. Were there really that many of them?

– The Free Word publishing house was founded by Vladimir Chertkov at the end of the 19th century (in London, where he was in exile – I.V.). In 1897, he was expelled abroad, settled in Britain and there published books banned in the Russian Empire. These works were very popular abroad, but sometimes penetrated into Russia. And much of what was prohibited by censorship before the relaxation caused by the revolution of 1905-1907 was distributed illegally: works were hectographed, lithographed, printed in other ways, or copied by hand.

– What exactly from the heritage was included in the “stop list”?

– His religious and philosophical texts: “Confession”, “What is my faith?”, “Connection and translation of the four Gospels” – everything that concerns issues of religion and Tolstoy’s denial of Christian dogmas.

This went against the ideas of the Russian Orthodox Church and, as a rule, was prohibited by both spiritual and secular censorship.

As for prose – if we take major works, the novel “Resurrection” was published for the first time in the magazine “Niva” with exceptions – only 25 chapters did not undergo changes, some chapters were removed completely (such as, for example, chapter 39 mockingly describing the sacrament of communion, – I.V.).

– But connoisseurs of creativity, if they wished, could familiarize themselves with the full version, released abroad and secretly brought to the Russian state?

– There were ways to find these publications, but they were inaccessible to the general reader.

– What is the essence of the dispute between Chertkov and Sofia Andreevna?

– Briefly, Leo Tolstoy considered it unfair to take royalties for his works. But he had a large family – and it had to be supported. (Chertkov adhered to idealized altruistic views on this matter, – I.V.)

Tolstoy could not completely renounce copyright and receive remuneration for publications. And he compromised by publishing an advertisement in newspapers in 1891 that anyone could print his texts written after 1881 without any royalties. (Thus, the earlier works provided income for the family.)

Subsequently, already realizing that his life was coming to an end, Tolstoy, after consulting with lawyers, signed a will: he completely renounced copyright and provided the opportunity to publish books to everyone. The executor of his will was the youngest daughter Alexandra Lvovna, and in the event of her death, the eldest daughter Tatyana Lvovna became the executor. The final text of the will was signed in July 1910.

Tolstoy entrusted Chertkov with sorting out the remaining manuscripts – Sofya Andreevna gave a significant part of them to the Historical Museum, some were kept by Vladimir Grigorievich, some were kept in Yasnaya Polyana.

– What was published after the death of the author of “War and Peace”?

– For example, the story “Hadji Murat”.

– In one of the display cases there is Chertkov’s “pension certificate” from Soviet times – it turns out that he remained in the USSR and was useful to the new government?

– He was already an elderly man and could apply for a pension like other citizens.

Chertkov was familiar with Bonch-Bruevich, Lunacharsky and other party leaders. The main project he carried out was the publication of the Complete Works of Leo Tolstoy in ninety volumes. To achieve the implementation of the project, Chertkov met with Lenin and Stalin. In 1928, the year of the centenary of the birth of Lev Nikolaevich, the first volumes began to be published. In 1936, Chertkov died – at that time 72 volumes had been prepared, and publication was completed only in 1958.

The fact that many draft editions, letters, and diaries of Leo Tolstoy are now available to us is Chertkov’s personal merit.