This 1908 image of Big Leo is one of my faves. 114 years ago 11/1910, Leo Tolstoy—the author who gave us two major Russian classic War & Peace—died at Astapovo, a small, remote train station in the heart of Russia.
Pneumonia was the official cause. His death came just weeks after Tolstoy, then 82 years old, made a rather dramatic decision. He left his wife, his comfortable estate, and his wealth, then traveled 26 hours to Sharmardino, where Tolstoy’s sister Marya lived, and where he planned to spend the remainder of his life in a small, rented hut. (Elif Batuman has more on this.) But then he pushed on, boarding a train to the Caucasus. And it proved to be more than his already weakened constitution could handle. Rather amazingly, the footage above brings you back to Tolstoy’s final days, from a 1969 #BBC series Civilisation:
Tolstoy Lifestyle https://www.openculture.com/2015/03/leo-tolstoys-17-rules-of-life.html