Leo Nikolaivich Tolstoy was born on August 28, 1828 to Princess Marie Volkonsky and Count Nicolas Tolstoy. He was raised at the Volkonsky manor, Yasnaya Polyana, 120 miles south of Moscow - he was to spend the majority of his adult life here. Leo was the fourth and last son of the family; they also had one daughter. Tolstoy's parents both died early in his life, and the children were raised by their aunts. According to Tolstoy, one of those aunts, Tatiana Yergolsky, "had the greatest influence on [his] life" because she taught him "the moral joy of love."
All four Tolstoy sons attended the University of Kazan. An irregular student, Tolstoy studied law, but he was more attracted by high...
