Bosnia stamp year 2003 Anniversary of the Birth of Leo Tolstoy MNH stamp
Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) was a Russian writer, philosopher, and social thinker, best known for his epic novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina. He is considered one of the greatest novelists of all time, known for his deep psychological insight, philosophical reflections, and realistic portrayal of Russian society.
Key Works:
- War and Peace (1869) – A massive historical novel set during the Napoleonic Wars, blending fiction with real historical events. It explores themes of fate, free will, and the nature of war.
- Anna Karenina (1877) – A tragic love story about Anna, a woman trapped in a loveless marriage, and her doomed affair with Count Vronsky, contrasted with the peaceful rural life of Levin, a character often seen as Tolstoy’s alter ego.
- The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886) – A philosophical novella about the existential crisis of a dying man, examining the meaning of life and death.
- Resurrection (1899) – A novel critiquing the corruption of the Russian legal and social system, reflecting Tolstoy’s later spiritual beliefs.
Philosophy and Later Life:
- In the 1880s, Tolstoy underwent a spiritual crisis and developed his own form of Christian anarchism, rejecting organized religion, wealth, and violence.
- He advocated for nonviolence, simple living, and moral purity, influencing figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr..
- His rejection of the Russian Orthodox Church led to his excommunication in 1901.
