The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy (71 page)

 

20th (St Petersburg)
. I have arrived in St Petersburg and asked the ministers for a meeting.

 

22nd
. I was received by the Minister of Justice, and gave him my complaint about Lev Nik.'s manuscripts, which I had sent to the Senate.* Shcheglovitov seems well disposed towards me and my campaign.

 

23rd
. Today I visited the Minister of Internal Affairs, Makarov, about the cinematographic lampoon against me, and he promised to ban it throughout Russia. We still have to write to Poland, Finland and the Caucasus.*

 

24th
. I wrote registered letters to Zein, Skalon and Count Vorontsov-Dashkov about the cinematograph, and dined at home with the Kuzminskys, saw Lyova, then left for Yasnaya Polyana. My sister Tanya saw me off.

25th (Yasnaya Polyana)
. I was happy to get home. Makovitsky was here.

 

28th
. Painful memories of Lev Nikolaevich's flight two years ago today; I got up with an aching heart. After dinner I read Chirikov's
‘Banishment', then sewed under the lamp—the first lamp in our house, which my Lyovochka lovingly bought for me.

 

1st November
. A photographer arrived this morning from Pathé. I didn't leave the house.

 

7th
. The anniversary of Lev Nikolaevich's death. All sorts of visitors to the house and grave all morning—police, cinematographers, journalists, the general public. Andryusha came, and Seryozha arrived shortly afterwards. This afternoon when the visitors had all left, I went to the grave with Andryusha. Seryozha went on his own. Dushan Makovitsky came for the evening.

 

9th
. I read a great many articles about Lev Nikol. in the newspapers, and a spiteful note by Chertkov in
Speech
.*

 

10th
. I went to the grave as soon as I got up. Whenever I am there on my own I weep and talk to Lyovochka and pray. I scattered crumbs to the birds, and a flock of them flew up and chirped cheerfully at me. I went back and wrote a lot of
My Life
, and this evening I played both pianos and read a French article about Rod.* We read many articles about Lev Nik., and Yulia cut them out and pasted them in the book.

 

19th
. I rose early and went to the grave, where I chatted there to some peasants I had never met before, who were carrying logs. Then I wrote all day. An unpleasant article about the manuscripts in the
Russian Gazette
.

 

12th December
. Today a young priest I didn't know held a funeral service—at his own request—over Lev Nikolaevich's grave, then performed a requiem mass in his bedroom. He left this evening. An energetic, intelligent man, just 27. Bulgakov, Yulia, Verochka and I attended the service, and Nurse and Semyon the cook came for the requiem.*

 

13th
. I started on some difficult work today, copying and editing all Lyovochka's letters to me. That's a job I won't finish in a hurry. I shall relive the whole of my married life as I read them. It will be very hard at times.

 

22nd
. I wrote an article for
Russian Word
in reply to Pankratov's lying article about the priest's visit.* I also wrote to my sister Tanya, and to the editors of the Clan publishing house about the
Illustrated Anthology on War and Peace
, which has been banned by the censors.*

 

24th
. I stood for a long time at the grave in spiritual communion with my husband. This evening I copied and read aloud to Yulia and Bulgakov the letters he wrote from the Samara steppes in 1871.

 

25th
. Went to L.N.'s grave as soon as I got up, taking fresh flowers and seeds for the birds. Taras was there. On the way back I met the village policeman and the guard—not a pleasant experience. I spent the day with outsiders—Yulia, Bulgakov, Saltanov. This evening an Englishwoman travelling around Russia on foot arrived with some Jew. I copied some of L.N.'s letters and one from N.N. Strakhov, which I sent to
Contemporary World
.

 

31st
. I worked on the letters a little this morning, and Andryusha and Katya came for dinner. We spent a pleasant day together, and saw in the New Year in a nice friendly fashion. Makovitsky also paid a brief visit.

8th March—huge Women's Day demonstrations under the auspices of the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, in Moscow, St Petersburg and other cities. May—armistice signed with Turkey. Divisions emerge within anti-Turkish coalition over spoils, and Tsar Nicholas urged by many in his government to take Straits of Constantinople
.

26th February—Sasha Tolstaya buys Yasnaya Polyana from her mother and brothers for 40,000 rubles, which Sofia divides between her thirty-eight dependants. 26th March—over two-thirds of Yasnaya Polyana's land, including forests, is transferred to the peasants (according to the conditions of Tolstoy's will), while Sofia retains the rest of the estate, including the house and orchard. She starts work on an edition of Tolstoy's diaries. More excerpts from
My Life
published
.

 

7th January
. Sasha and Varvara Mikhailovna came; we drank tea, talked and parted on friendly terms. I collected some books to be bound, wrote to
Russian Word
and the
Sun of Russia
, and spent the rest of the day copying my late husband's letters.

 

20th
. I had a visit from my son Andryusha, still unwell, and Ilya; I lent him 6,000 rubles and he cheered up immediately. But will it last? The visitors arrived and looked around the house. I did more copying.

 

31st
. I am reading nothing but French books. I have never read Zola's
Fécondité
and am curious to do so. More unpleasantness with Sasha; she wants to gain possession of the property and the Yasnaya Polyana library. What will this strange—to say the least—girl think up next? More threats and blackmail!

 

8th February
. Dreadfully upset by news in the papers about the Senate's decision on the manuscripts; it seems they'll refuse again, the cowards!*

 

13th
. I copy Lev Nik.'s letters, and my heart suffers at our gradually dwindling happiness. My daughter Sasha visited briefly—a stranger,
alas! This evening I played a Mozart quintet and symphony as a duet with Varya.

 

24th
. Various people arrived early this morning to look at the study—Academician Sreznevsky, a dentist, and a member of the Tolstoy Museum. We visited the grave with Biryukov, and took flowers, and were surrounded by a flock of hungry birds. I spent the rest of the day embroidering underwear, and gave Biryukov a lot of material for his biography of Lev Nik.

 

25th
. Biryukov has left. I did some embroidery and numbered L.N.'s letters.*

 

26th
. Went to Tula this morning to discuss the buying and selling of Yasnaya Polyana.* I was joined by Ilya and Sonya, Andryusha, Misha, Sasha (in another hotel), Vaka Filosofov and many friends. Painful business discussion, visit to the notary, exhaustion. The streets are rivers and the sun is shining, but the countryside is still plunged in grim winter.

 

3rd [March]
. Printed photographs all day. Ilya visited. He keeps coming up with plans to make enough to live on, and has none of his Yasnaya Polyana money left. He took my memoirs to use them to write his reminiscences of his father.

 

10th
. Yulia and I left by express train for the Crimea, via Tula, to stay with my daughter Tanya. We were given a lovely large compartment just for the two of us.

 

11th (Yalta)
. We arrived in Yalta by automobile at 5.30 in the evening, after various adventures with a burst tyre and so on. The Sukhotins welcomed us warmly, especially little Tanechka. It's a pity my room is downstairs and theirs is on the 4th floor.

 

14th
. Tanya, Tanechka and I visited my mother's grave, high on a hill with a view of the sea and mountains. Painful memories of Mother's suffering and death, followed by the murder of her son Vyacheslav, still in deep mourning at the time.

 

22nd
. I went to Gaspra with Yulia. Everything was so lovely, even memories of Lev Nikol.'s illness, because we, his
family
, looked after him with love, and he was
mine
, not Chertkov's!

 

28th
. We sailed to Sevastopol, where we went for a walk to the Malakhov burial mound, and this evening we returned home by train. I had a pleasant journey with the Sukhotins in a spacious international carriage. The weather was fine, and we were very comfortable.

 

30th (Yasnaya Polyana)
. This morning we said goodbye to the Sukhotins, who are staying in Oryol. My heart ached at the parting, but it was good to get home. Dear Bulgakov was happy to see us, and the servants seemed so too. I went to L.N.'s grave and decorated it with Crimean flowers.

 

3rd April
. Endless bustle all day. The surveyor Korotnyov came to discuss the boundaries of my property at Yasnaya Polyana. Ganeev called about the workmen who are digging the ditch and the dam. Some people arrived from Belobrodov regarding my sons' payment for the trees.* I printed photographs of Lev Nik. and visited the grave, and this evening I read Andreev's ‘He'. Rubbish.

 

4th
. Most upset this morning by Sasha's article in the newspapers about her right to the manuscripts.* Yet more vileness. She says
I
refused to go to a court of arbitration, when it was
she
who refused to go.

 

20th
. I wandered about Yasnaya Polyana for a long time, then sat down on the bench in the fir plantation where Lev Nik. used to sit, and where I once lay down and sobbed for hours, without noticing the rain or damp. I cried today too and prayed. Then I went back and worked on L.N.'s letters to me.

 

1st May (Moscow)
. I dined with Seryozha and spent the evening with him. On the train I read Pascal.

 

3rd
. I went to the warehouses, paid Stupin for storing our furniture, and collected the books from the late Kokoryov's warehouse on the embankment across the Moscow River. I dined with the Maslovs.

 

4th
. Finished my business and left for St Petersburg.

 

7th (St Petersburg)
. Spent a very pleasant day with Lyova, Dora and their delightful children. Yesterday the Chief Procurator of the Senate,
Dobrovolsky, called on the Kuzminskys and me, and promised that my case would be successful in the Senate. This evening I left for Moscow.

 

12th June
. A German baron visited. He has travelled the world and was terribly talkative. I spent the morning with him, then talked to Gruzinsky about the publication of the letters. I sawed dead wood, chopped and mowed. A fine day. This evening Gruzinsky played the piano.

 

14th
. I copied Lev Nikol.'s letters to me, then wrote to Lyova, to a Frenchman about aristocratic families in Europe, to Krapivna about the Circassian guard,* and to Shenshin about books.

 

17th
. My son Andryusha came, I'm always glad to see him, although I disapprove of much of what he does, and grieve for him. The police came after hearing of Konyshev's threats to beat the bailiff to death. So unpleasant! It's raining again. I am writing to the newspapers about our badly behaved visitors.*

 

25th
. My son Ilya arrived last night. A great many visitors today—11 men on bicycles from St Petersburg, an American from New York, and a husband and wife from Siberia. Then Bulygin came to give advice on the construction of the dam. A lovely hot day! I sketched mushrooms.

 

27th
. Bulgakov and I went to visit Seryozha in Nikolskoe. We travelled from Cherni by cab, and I greatly enjoyed our drive through the fields and country lanes. We spent a quiet family evening chatting together. I love Nikolskoe, and always remember my youth when I go there.

 

28th
. My son Seryozha's birthday—he is 50 already. I congratulated him and gave him 100 golden rubles. Old Countess Zubova was there too, a dear old woman. Varya Nagornova then came with Ada, and their arrival was followed by such a heavy shower that we didn't expect to see my daughter Tanya and her husband—but shortly afterwards they too arrived. We had a very happy day. Bulgakov sang all evening, and Seryozha played the piano beautifully.

 

29th
. The Sukhotins left at 12, followed by Varya. We went for a walk, then visited the orphanage—30 boys and three teachers. The boys performed a bad play and sang badly for us—earlier they had been playing ball. What sad little city starvelings they are.

 

12th July
. A great many visitors. Later this evening 15 young people came—cadets, young girls and so on. After dinner I went to visit Sasha with Verochka. She has a lovely little place.* I am glad we are now on good terms.

 

20th
. I helped Bulgakov with his work on the library, showed the rooms to 30 waiters from vegetarian canteens in Moscow and read about suicide and spiritualism.

 

29th
. Osman the Circassian guard is wretched. They have refused to allow him and his brother to go home to their native country. The poor old man was sobbing and in a state of despair—I wanted to cry too.

 

30th
. My son Lyova has come, to my great joy. He wants to stay with us for a while.

 

11th August
. I picked flowers, walked to the grave and decorated it, talking loudly to my dead Lyovochka. We haven't been completely separated—I always feel his presence here in Yasnaya. He is
not
happy and at peace, and I pray for his soul. Sasha was here, I'm happy to say, and explained a great deal to me.

 

24th
. Sonya Bibikova brought a priest's daughter here, who I have taken as my companion; she is very sympathetic.

 

26th
. I worked on my
Autobiography
, then played Weber sonatas for a long time. Lyova, Bulgakov and I had a long conversation about war, the social order and so on.

 

28th
. Lev Nik.'s birthday. The Gorbunovs came, and Sasha, Dima Chertkov, Boulanger, all the Yasnaya peasants and various Telyatinki types all went to the grave. The peasants sang ‘Eternal Memory' and everyone prostrated themselves three times. I dined with Zvegintseva and Princess Cherkasskaya, who were with an officer I didn't know. I am reading La Bruyère. I have finished a rough draft of my
Autobiography
.

 

1st September
. Some peasant victims of a fire in Telyatinki arrived and I gave them just 10 rubles. This evening I read a woman's interesting memoirs of Guy de Maupassant.

 

4th (Moscow)
. Attended to business this morning; took an announcement to the newspapers, paid Levenson 1,000 rubles for the book, petitioned the administrators about Skosyryov, the Zaseka stationmaster.

 

14th
. Worked on my
Autobiography
until almost two in the morning, then read Landau's
Moses
.*

 

15th
. Read my
Autobiography
to Bulgakov, Medvedev and Saltanov. A telegram from some Germans about the translation of Lev Nik.'s letters to me. Was visited this morning by six intellectuals.

 

6th October
. Nina Tikhonovna, my new companion, has arrived. She read L.N.'s letters and various articles to me.

 

16th
. Copied and corrected my
Autobiography
all morning, coached the bailiff's little girl, then copied and corrected again till 2 in the morning. I'm pining without my children or any news from them.

 

18th
. Went to the grave with some chrysanthemums and leaves. Had a talk with Taras about the vexing problem of the peasants and how to allot the firewood—to each soul or to each stove. I urged the latter, and this was finally agreed. I pruned some bushes, corrected the proofs of my article on Lev Nik.'s four visits to Optyna Pustyn and copied. Sad and lonely!

 

4th [November]
. Prince Nakashidze came this morning with his 9-year-old nephew, a typical little Georgian, and Dosev, who I received coldly after the letter he wrote while L.N. was alive, about his desire to leave. I finished looking through the
Letters
, then sorted some Georgian newspaper cuttings.

 

7th
. The third anniversary of Lev Nikolaevich's death. I spent the day well. I went to the grave as soon as I got up—there were already various visitors there. Then about a hundred people came to the house, mostly young people. My four sons came, Seryozha, Ilya, Andryusha and Misha, then two ladies, the daughter of N.I. Storozhenko and her
friend. Seryozha played the piano, Bulgakov sang, good discussions. Andryusha and Misha have now left.

 

8th
. Everyone left this morning—Seryozha, Ilya and the two ladies. I have hired a new Circassian, after successfully petitioning for our Osman to return to his own country. I did some sewing, and this evening I copied various writers' autographs and dedications to Lev Nik—ch from foreign books.

 

10th
. I did a great deal of typing today, and am still busy with my
Autobiography
. Seryozha took it away to make corrections.

 

12th
. Sasha came and talked to the peasants about their affairs. She had dinner and is staying the night here.

 

18th
. I coached the little girl, and spent the rest of the day copying my
Autobiography
on the typewriter, making corrections as I went along. Solemnly said goodbye to the Circassians, and took visitors around Lev Nik.'s rooms.