The history of the failed marriage of brother Tolstoy will be told in Kazan

The 120th anniversary of the story “After the Ball” will be celebrated at the scene in Tatarstan

The State Museum of Leo Tolstoy in Khamovniki is under restoration. His temporary exhibitions are featured in two exhibitions at the Tolstoy Literary Museum on Prechistenka and the Tolstoy Center on Pyatnitskaya in Moscow. An exhibition “After the Ball” by Leo Tolstoy: 120 years since the writing of the story has been prepared in Kazan.

It was organized by the State Museum of L.N. Tolstoy together with the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan in its branch – the Museum of E.A. Boratynsky. And the exhibition is dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the writing of the story “After the Ball” by Leo Tolstoy. Why was it decided to present it in Kazan? But because it was there that the events that inspired Tolstoy to write the story took place.

It is based on real events that happened in Kazan with the brother of Lev Nikolayevich – Sergei Nikolayevich Tolstoy. He was in love with Varvara Andreevna Koreysh, the daughter of the military commander Andrei Petrovich Koreysh. By the way, the exhibition presents photographs of Sergei Nikolaevich, the Tolstoy brothers, and a photo of Varvara Koreish (married Khvoshchinskaya).

On the eve of the day when Sergei Nikolayevich intended to propose, he saw how the father of his fiancee was leading the punishment of a soldier with gauntlets, and refused marriage. The hero of the story “After the Ball” also could not visit the colonel’s house after what he saw.

In the museum of E.A. Boratynsky, draft manuscripts of the work are presented, where Tolstoy selects the title for the story, as well as book editions of different years with the publication of the story “After the Ball” from the funds of the State Museum of L.N. Tolstoy. You will also see a portrait of the young Tolstoy during his studies at Kazan University, documents related to his student days.

In the story “After the Ball”, the picture of a magnificent ball in a noble assembly is replaced by a scene of severe punishment of a defenseless soldier. To the roar of drums, he is driven along the parade ground through the ranks. This contrast is also captured in the illustrations of artists Boris Kustodiev, Evgeny Lansere, Vasily Gilbert, Nikolai Piskarev, Sergei Adamovich and others. All of them are presented at the exhibition. Items from the 1840s from the collection of the private educational project “Museum in the palm of your hand” will complement the story of the era described by Leo Tolstoy.