The best works of Tolstoy for children. Leo Tolstoy: stories for children. The most famous books of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy

Years of life: 09.09.1828 to 11.20.1910

Great Russian writer. Graph. Enlightener, publicist, religious thinker, whose authoritative opinion provoked the emergence of a new religious and moral trend - Tolstoyism.

Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy was born on September 9 (August 28), 1828 in the Krapivensky district of the Tula province, on the hereditary estate of his mother - Yasnaya Polyana. Leo was the fourth child in a large noble family. His mother, nee Princess Volkonskaya, died when Tolstoy was not yet two years old. She took up raising orphaned children distant relative T.A. Ergolskaya. In 1837, the family moved to Moscow, settling on Plyushchikha, because the eldest son had to prepare to enter the university, but his father suddenly died, leaving affairs (including some litigation related to the family's property) unfinished, and three younger ones children again settled in Yasnaya Polyana under the supervision of Ergolskaya and her paternal aunt, Countess A.M. Osten-Saken, who was appointed guardian of the children. Here Lev Nikolayevich remained until 1840, when Countess Osten-Saken died and the children moved to Kazan, to a new guardian - father's sister PI Yushkova.

Tolstoy's education went first under the guidance of the rude French tutor Saint-Thomas. At the age of 15, Tolstoy became a student at Kazan University, one of the leading universities of that time.

Leaving the university, Tolstoy lived in Yasnaya Polyana since the spring of 1847. In 1851, realizing the aimlessness of his existence and deeply despising himself, he went to the Caucasus to active army... In Crimea, Tolstoy was captured by new impressions and literary plans... There he began to work on his first novel, Childhood. Adolescence. Youth". His literary debut immediately brought real recognition to Tolstoy.

In 1854 Tolstoy was assigned to the Danube Army in Bucharest. Boring staff life soon forced him to transfer to the Crimean army, to the besieged Sevastopol, where he commanded a battery on the 4th bastion, showing a rare personal courage (awarded the order St. Anna and medals). In the Crimea, Tolstoy was captured by new impressions and literary plans, here he began to write a series of "Sevastopol stories", which were soon published and had great success.

In November 1855, Tolstoy arrived in St. Petersburg and immediately entered the "Contemporary" circle (N. A. Nekrasov, I. S. Turgenev, A. N. Ostrovsky, I. A. Goncharov, etc.), where he was greeted as " great hope Russian literature ".

In the fall of 1856, Tolstoy, having retired, left for Yasnaya Polyana, and at the beginning of 1857 - abroad. He visited France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, returned to Moscow in the fall, then to Yasnaya Polyana. In 1859 Tolstoy opened a school for peasant children in the village, helped to set up more than 20 schools in the vicinity of Yasnaya Polyana, and this occupation so fascinated Tolstoy that in 1860 he went abroad a second time to get acquainted with European schools.

In 1862 Tolstoy married Sofya Andreevna Bers. During the first 10-12 years after marriage, he creates War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Being a widely known, recognized and beloved writer for these works, Leo Tolstoy himself did not attach fundamental importance to them. His philosophical system was more important to him.

Leo Tolstoy was the founder of the Tolstoy movement, one of the fundamental theses of which is the Gospel "non-resistance to evil by force." Around this topic in the Russian émigré community in 1925, still unabated controversies flared up, in which many Russian philosophers of that time took part.

In late autumn 1910, at night, secretly from his family, 82-year-old Tolstoy, accompanied only by his personal doctor D.P. Makovitsky, left Yasnaya Polyana. The road turned out to be unbearable for him: on the way, Tolstoy fell ill and had to get off the train at the small railway station Astapovo (now Lev Tolstoy, Lipetsk region). Here, at the station master's house, he spent the last seven days of his life. On November 7 (20), Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy died.

Information about works:

V former manor « Yasnaya Polyana»Now there is a museum dedicated to the life and work of Leo Tolstoy. In addition to this museum, the main exposition about his life and work can be seen in State Museum L.N. Tolstoy, in former house Lopukhin-Stanitskaya (Moscow, Prechistenka 11). Its branches also: at the Lev Tolstoy station (former Astapovo station), the memorial museum-estate of Leo Tolstoy "Khamovniki" (Lev Tolstoy street, 21), showroom on Pyatnitskaya.

Many writers and critics were surprised that it was not Leo Tolstoy who received the first Nobel Prize in Literature, because then he was already famous not only in Russia, but also abroad. Many publications were published throughout Europe. But what Tolstoy replied with the following address: “Dear and respected fellows! I was very pleased that the Nobel Prize was not awarded to me. First, it saved me from a big difficulty - to dispose of this money, which, like any money, in my opinion, can only bring evil; and secondly, it gave me the honor and great pleasure to receive an expression of sympathy from so many people, although unknown to me, but still deeply respected by me. Accept, dear brothers, the expression of my sincere thanks and better feelings. Lev Tolstoy".
But that's the story Nobel Prize in the life of the writer is not over. In 1905, Tolstoy's new work "The Great Sin" was published. This, now almost forgotten, acutely publicistic book told about the hard lot of the Russian peasantry. In the Academy of Sciences of Russia the idea arose to nominate Leo Tolstoy for the Nobel Prize. Learning about this, Leo Tolstoy sent a letter to the Finnish writer and translator Arvid Jarnefelt. In it, Tolstoy asked his acquaintance through his Swedish colleagues "to try to make sure that I was not awarded this prize," because, "if this happened, it would be very unpleasant for me to refuse." Jarnefelt carried out this delicate assignment and the prize was awarded to the Italian poet Giosué Carducci.

Lev Nikolaevich was, among other things, musically gifted. He loved music, felt it subtly, played music himself. So, in his youth, he picked up a waltz on the piano, which Alexander Goldenweiser later recorded by ear on one of the evenings in Yasnaya Polyana. Now this waltz in F major is often performed at events associated with Tolstoy, both in the piano version and in orchestration for small strings.

Bibliography

Stories:
List of stories -

Educational literature and didactic aids:
ABC (1872)
New ABC (1875)
Arithmetic (1875)
The first Russian book to read (1875)
The second Russian book for reading (1875)
The third Russian book to read (1875)
The fourth Russian reading book (1875)

Plays:
Infected Family (1864)
Nihilist (1866)
The Power of Darkness (1886)
Dramatic adaptation of the legend of Haggai (1886)
The first distiller, or How the devil deserved a edge (1886)
(1890)
Peter Khlebnik (1894)
Living Corpse (1900)
And the light shines in the dark (1900)
From her all the qualities (1910)

Religious and philosophical works:
, 1880-1881
, 1882
The kingdom of God is within you - treatise, 1890-1893

Screen adaptations of works, theatrical performances

"Resurrection" (English Resurrection, 1909, UK). 12-minute silent film based on the novel of the same name(filmed during the writer's lifetime).
"The Power of Darkness" (1909, Russia). Silent movie.
Anna Karenina (1910, Germany). Silent movie.
Anna Karenina (1911, Russia). Silent movie. Dir. - Maurice Meter
"Living Corpse" (1911, Russia). Silent movie.
"War and Peace" (1913, Russia). Silent movie.
Anna Karenina (1914, Russia). Silent movie. Dir. - V. Gardin
Anna Karenina (1915, USA). Silent movie.
"The Power of Darkness" (1915, Russia). Silent movie.
"War and Peace" (1915, Russia). Silent movie. Dir. - Y. Protazanov, V. Gardin
Natasha Rostova (1915, Russia). Silent movie. Producer - A. Khanzhonkov. Cast - V. Polonsky, I. Mozzhukhin
The Living Corpse (1916). Silent movie.
Anna Karenina (1918, Hungary). Silent movie.
"The Power of Darkness" (1918, Russia). Silent movie.
The Living Corpse (1918). Silent movie.
"Father Sergius" (1918, RSFSR). Silent motion picture film by Yakov Protazanov, in starring Ivan Mozzhukhin
Anna Karenina (1919, Germany). Silent movie.
"Polikushka" (1919, USSR). Silent movie.
"Love" (1927, USA. Based on the novel "Anna Karenina"). Silent movie. Greta Garbo as Anna
"Living Corpse" (1929, USSR). Cast - V. Pudovkin
Anna Karenina (1935, USA). Sound film. Greta Garbo as Anna
Anna Karenina (1948, Great Britain). Vivien Leigh as Anna
"War and Peace" (War & Peace, 1956, USA, Italy). Audrey Hepburn as Natasha Rostova
"Agi Murad il diavolo bianco" (1959, Italy, Yugoslavia). Steve Reeves as Hadji Murat
“People, too” (1959, USSR, after a fragment of “War and Peace”). Dir. G. Danelia, starring V. Sanaev, L. Durov
"Resurrection" (1960, USSR). Dir. - M. Schweitzer
Anna Karenina (1961, USA). Sean Connery as Vronsky
"Cossacks" (1961, USSR). Dir. - V. Pronin
Anna Karenina (1967, USSR). Tatiana Samoilova as Anna
"War and Peace" (1968, USSR). Dir. - S. Bondarchuk
"Living Corpse" (1968, USSR). In ch. roles - A. Batalov
"War and Peace" (War & Peace, 1972, UK). TV series. Anthony Hopkins as Pierre
"Father Sergius" (1978, USSR). Feature Film Igor Talankin, starring Sergei Bondarchuk
"Caucasian story" (1978, USSR, based on the story "Cossacks"). In ch. roles - V. Konkin
"Money" (1983, France-Switzerland, based on the story "Fake Coupon"). Dir. - Robert Bresson
"Two Hussars" (1984, USSR). Dir. - Vyacheslav Krishtofovich
Anna Karenina (1985, USA). Jacqueline Bisset as Anna
« Simple death"(1985, USSR, based on the story" The Death of Ivan Ilyich "). Dir. - A. Kaidanovsky
The Kreutzer Sonata (1987, USSR). Cast - Oleg Yankovsky
"For what?" (Za co ?, 1996, Poland / Russia). Dir. - Jerzy Kavalerowicz
Anna Karenina (1997, USA). Sophie Marceau as Anna, Sean Bean as Vronsky
Anna Karenina (2007, Russia). Tatiana Drubich as Anna
For more details see: List of screen versions of "Anna Karenina" 1910-2007.
"War and Peace" (2007, Germany, Russia, Poland, France, Italy). TV series. Alessio Boni as Andrei Bolkonsky.

This is a large-scale work telling about the life of a Russian noble society in years Patriotic War, includes many plot lines... Here you can find and love stories, and battle scenes, and morally difficult situations, and several human types that time. The work is very multifaceted, it contains several ideas characteristic of Tolstoy, and all are written out with amazing accuracy.

It is known that the work on the work lasted about 6 years, and its initial volume was not 4, but 6 volumes. Leo Tolstoy used a huge number of sources to make the events look authentic. He read the works of Russian and French historians, private for the period from 1805 to 1812. However, Tolstoy himself regarded his work with a certain degree of skepticism. So, he wrote in his diary: "People love me for those trifles -" War and Peace ", etc., which seem very important to them."

Researchers have counted 559 heroes in the novel War and Peace.

"Anna Karenina" - a tragic love story

Not everyone has read this famous novel, but everyone knows its tragic ending. The name of Anna Karenina has already become a household name in conversations about unhappy love. Meanwhile, Tolstoy shows in the novel not so much the tragedy of events, as, for example, in Shakespeare's, psychological tragedy. This novel is dedicated not pure and sublime love, which does not care about all the conventions, but the breaking psyche secular woman, suddenly turned out to be abandoned by all because of the "indecent" connection.

Tolstoy's work is popular because it is relevant at any time. Instead of the reasoning of earlier authors about enthusiastic and bright feelings it shows the underside of blinding love and the consequences of relationships that are dictated by passion, not reason.

One of the heroes of the novel "Anna Karenina", Konstantin Levin, is an autobiographical character. Tolstoy put his thoughts and ideas into his mouth.

"Childhood. Adolescence. Youth "- an autobiographical trilogy

Three stories, united by one hero, are partly based on the memories of Tolstoy himself. These are kind of a growing boy. Despite the good upbringing and care from the elders, the hero is faced with problems typical of his age.

As a child, he experiences his first love, prepares with fear for, for the first time he faces injustice. A teenage hero, growing up, learns betrayal, and also finds new friends and experiences a breakdown of old stereotypes. In the story "Youth" the hero faces social problems, acquires the first mature judgments, enters the university and thinks about his future destiny.

Information sheet:

Leo Tolstoy's wonderful cute fairy tales make an indelible impression on children. Little readers and listeners make unusual discoveries for themselves about wildlife, which are given to them in a fabulous form. At the same time, they are interesting to read and easy to understand. For better perception, some of the previously written author's tales were later released in processing.

Who is Leo Tolstoy?

It was famous writer of its time and remains so to this day. He had an excellent education, he knew foreign languages, was fond of classical music... He traveled a lot in Europe, served in the Caucasus.

His books have always been published in large editions. Great novels and novellas, short stories and fables - the list of publications amazes with the richness of the author's literary talent. He wrote about love, war, heroism and patriotism. He personally took part in military battles. I saw a lot of grief and complete self-denial of soldiers and officers. He often spoke with bitterness not only about the material, but also about the spiritual poverty of the peasantry. And quite unexpected against the background of his epic and social works were wonderful creations for children.

Why did you start writing for children?

Count Tolstoy did a lot of charity work. On his estate, he opened a school for peasants for free. The desire to write for children arose when the first few poor children came to school. To open them the world, simple language to teach what is now called natural history, Tolstoy and began to write fairy tales.

Why do people love a writer these days?

It turned out so well that even now, children of a completely different generation are happy to perceive the works of the count of the 19th century, learn love and kindness for the world around them and animals. As in all literature, in fairy tales Leo Tolstoy was also talented and loved by his readers.

Perhaps such a headline will confuse some parents, they say, is she crazy, to stuff little child such complex works, as much as Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. But no, it didn’t come down :) More than a century ago, the famous Russian writer Lev Tolstoy wrote stories for peasant children, whom he taught to read and write in his Yasnaya Polyana estate. In those days, there were practically no children's books, because Tolstoy himself wrote many simple and understandable stories for children, which to this day have not lost their relevance and significance. From an early age, they develop a sense of goodness and justice, teach them to treat the world around them with love and respect. Therefore, I simply could not help but acquire at least a couple of books by this wonderful writer for my three-year-old son.

I adore Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy, not only his works, but also his whole philosophy and outlook on life. He was incredibly wise and moral. His views and attitude towards life resonate very much with the way I understand our being. Of course, I am far from such awareness, but Lev Nikolaevich inspires me! And his works breathe an incredible lively atmosphere, they are simply magnificent!

That is why I decided to start introducing Tolstoy's books from childhood. Moreover, Lev Nikolaevich wrote quite a few children's stories, fables and fairy tales, the adapted texts of which will also help the child to successfully join the magical world Russian classical literature.

"Little Stories"

First of all, I bought such a wonderful book.

It is called "Little Stories". The name speaks for itself. The main part of the book is made up of just short stories. About goodness, about justice, about honesty, about work, about friendship, about love, and other qualities that characterize high personality person. Reading stories like this little child, you are letting him know the right things. What qualities in life are respected and valued, and what only disfigure a person. For example, here is one such short story.

Most of the stories are even shorter, literally a couple of sentences, but they have a lot of wisdom! Leo Tolstoy's talent to invest deep meaning v simple words priceless and unique. And it is undoubtedly possible to acquaint children with his books from the earliest years. In our case, it is three years.

But even for older kids, this book will do. It has 183 pages and 65 works. There are also longer ones, like "Filipok", for example, which can be read from about five years old.

So, the book "Little Stories" will not be superfluous in the children's library. Of course, it is better to read such stories with the mother, so that she comments and discusses with the child what the author wanted to say. Moreover, this book has a convenient format, good quality thick sheets and hard cover, and sooo soulful pictures, real, conveying the atmosphere of that time. I'm really very glad that I bought this book :)

"The Lion and the Dog"

I am quite aware that it is simple but insane dramatic work, too early for three years. But I just really wanted it to be in our home library... I myself read "The Lion and the Dog" before school, it was just that this book was in the house, and I took it in my hands and read it. Words cannot convey what pain and compassion this story caused in my little heart... I was very worried. I believe that this book will not leave anyone indifferent. She awakens compassion, teaches to empathize and sympathize with other people's pain.

There are cheaper versions of this book, but I chose this one - from the Rech publishing house. I am very impressed with illustrations in this style. It was as if an artist made strokes with his brush right in the book.

The drawings are very laconic, they only show basic sketches, but from this they become clearer to the child, and most importantly, in an amazing way, they allow them to feel literally every page deeper.

The book brought by the courier just struck me! She turned out to be bigger size than I imagined: the format is larger than A4; the quality is just excellent, in general, a real decoration of the children's library! Well, and the story itself, I think, at 4.5 years old we will try to read it. I'll see if my son is ready to perceive this work, if not, then we will wait, but sooner or later the hour of this book will undoubtedly come =)

Leo Tolstoy was not only a great writer known throughout the world, but also an outstanding teacher and philosopher. His books will enable us to familiarize ourselves with his works of art written for enlightenment, education and upbringing of children. They contain works for initial reading, mainly from two large cycles of Tolstoy - "Russian books for reading" and "People's stories".

Books are ideal for family reading, since the great Russian writer and thinker addressed his tales, fables and parables not only to children, but also to himself a wide range of readers different ages teaching moral lessons kindness, hard work and spirituality.

Download Leo Tolstoy's books for children

Below on the links you can download several children's collections, the author of which is Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. Among them there are fairy tales and fables and epics, in general, several dozen of the most famous and best works Leo Tolstoy for children.

A selection of other children's books by Leo Tolstoy

Lion and dog

In London, wild animals were shown and for viewing they took money or dogs and cats to feed wild animals.

One person wanted to look at the animals: he grabbed a dog on the street and brought it to the menagerie. They let him look, and they took the little dog and threw it into the cage to the lion to eat.

The dog tucked its tail between its legs and snuggled into the corner of the cage. The lion went up to her and sniffed her.

The little dog lay on its back, raised its paws and began to wave its tail.

The lion touched her with his paw and turned her over.

The dog jumped up and stood in front of the lion on its hind legs.

The lion looked at the dog, turned his head from side to side and did not touch it.

When the owner threw the meat to the lion, the lion tore off a piece and left it to the dog.

In the evening, when the lion went to bed, the dog lay down beside him and put its head on his paw.

Since then, the dog lived in the same cage with the lion, the lion did not touch it, ate food, slept with it, and sometimes played with it.

Once the master came to the menagerie and recognized his dog; he said that the dog was his own and asked the owner of the menagerie to give it to him. The owner wanted to give it away, but as soon as they began to call the dog to take it out of the cage, the lion bristled and growled.

This is how the lion and the dog lived whole year in one cage.

A year later, the dog fell ill and died. The lion stopped eating, and smelled everything, licked the dog and touched it with his paw.

When he realized that she was dead, he suddenly jumped up, bristled, began to lash himself with his tail on the sides, rushed to the wall of the cage and began to gnaw at the bolts and the floor.

All day he fought, tossed about in the cage and roared, then lay down beside the dead dog and fell silent. The owner wanted to carry away the dead dog, but the lion would not let anyone near it.

The owner thought that the lion would forget his grief if he was given another dog, and let a live dog into his cage; but the lion at once tore it to pieces. Then he hugged the dead dog with his paws and lay there for five days.

On the sixth day, the lion died.

Kitten

There were brother and sister - Vasya and Katya; and they had a cat. In the spring, the cat disappeared. The children looked for her everywhere, but could not find it.

Once they were playing near the barn and heard someone meowing in thin voices overhead. Vasya climbed the stairs under the roof of the barn. And Katya stood and kept asking:

- Found? Found?

But Vasya did not answer her. Finally Vasya shouted to her:

- Found! Our cat ... and she has kittens; so wonderful; come here soon.

Katya ran home, got milk and brought it to the cat.

There were five kittens. When they grew up a little and began to crawl out from under the corner where they hatched, the children chose one kitten for themselves, gray with white paws, and brought it into the house. The mother distributed all the other kittens, and left this to the children. The children fed him, played with him and put him to bed with them.

Once the children went to play on the road and took a kitten with them.

The wind stirred the straw along the road, and the kitten played with the straw, and the children rejoiced at him. Then they found sorrel near the road, went to collect it and forgot about the kitten.

Suddenly they heard someone shouting loudly: "Back, back!" - and they saw that the hunter was galloping, and in front of him two dogs saw a kitten and wanted to grab him. And the stupid kitten, instead of running, sat down on the ground, hunched his back and looked at the dogs.

Katya was frightened by the dogs, screamed and ran away from them. And Vasya, with all his heart, set off to the kitten and at the same time with the dogs ran up to him.

The dogs wanted to grab the kitten, but Vasya fell on his stomach on the kitten and closed him from the dogs.

The hunter jumped up and drove the dogs away, and Vasya brought the kitten home and no longer took him to the field with him.

Hares

Forest hares feed on tree bark at night, field hares - on winter crops and grass, bean animals - on grain grains in the threshing floor. During the night, hares make a deep, visible trail in the snow. Before hares, hunters are people, dogs, wolves, foxes, crows, and eagles. If the hare walked simply and straight, then in the morning it would now be found on the trail and caught; but the hare is cowardly, and cowardice saves him.

The hare walks at night through fields and forests without fear and makes straight tracks; but as soon as morning comes, his enemies wake up: the hare begins to hear now the barking of dogs, now the screeching of sledges, now the voices of peasants, now the crackling of a wolf through the forest and begins to rush from side to side in fear. It will gallop forward, will be scared of something - and will run back on its trail. If he hears something else, he will jump to the side with full swing and gallop away from the previous track. Again something knocks - again the hare will turn back and again jump to the side. When it gets light, he will lie down.

In the morning, the hunters begin to disassemble the hare's trail, get confused by double tracks and distant jumps and are surprised at the hare's cunning. And the hare did not even think to be cunning. He is only afraid of everything.

Bulka

I had a face. Her name was Bulka. She was all black, only the tips of her front paws were white.

In all faces, the lower jaw is longer than the upper one and the upper teeth extend beyond the lower ones; but Bulka's lower jaw protruded so much forward that a finger could be placed between the lower and upper teeth. Bulka's face is wide; eyes are large, black and shiny; and the teeth and fangs were white always sticking out. He looked like a black man. Bulka was meek and did not bite, but he was very strong and tenacious. When he used to cling to something, he would grit his teeth and hang like a rag, and he, like a tick, cannot be torn off in any way.

Once he was allowed on a bear, and he grabbed the bear's ear and hung like a leech. The bear beat him with his paws, pressed him to himself, threw him from side to side, but could not tear him off and fell on his head to crush Bulka; but Bulka held on to it until then, until it was poured with cold water.

I took him as a puppy and fed him myself. When I went to serve in the Caucasus, I did not want to take him and left him on the sly, and ordered him to be locked up. At the first station, I was already about to sit down in the other checkpoint, when I suddenly saw that something black and shiny was rolling along the road. It was Bulka in his brass collar. He flew at full speed to the station. He rushed to me, licked my hand and stretched out in the shadows under the cart. His tongue protruded over a whole palm. He then pulled it back, swallowing saliva, then again thrust it out on the whole palm. He was in a hurry, could not keep up to breathe, his sides were jumping. He turned from side to side and tapped his tail on the ground.

I found out later that after me he broke through the frame and jumped out of the window and straight ahead, in my wake, galloped along the road and galloped about twenty miles in the heat.

How wolves teach their children

I was walking along the road and heard a scream behind me. Shouted the shepherd boy. He ran across the field and pointed at someone.

I looked and saw - two wolves were running across the field: one seasoned, the other young. The young man carried a slaughtered lamb on his back, and held his leg with his teeth. The hardened wolf ran behind.

When I saw the wolves, I ran after them with the shepherd, and we began to shout. Men with dogs came running to our cry.

As soon as the old wolf saw the dogs and the people, he ran to the young one, snatched the lamb from him, threw it on his back, and both wolves ran faster and disappeared from sight.

Then the boy began to tell how it was: a large wolf jumped out of the ravine, grabbed the lamb, slaughtered it and carried it.

A wolf cub ran out to meet him and rushed to the lamb. The old one gave the young wolf to carry the lamb, and he himself ran lightly beside him.

Only when trouble came did the old one leave the teaching and took the lamb himself.