Difference between revisions of "Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy" - New World Encyclopedia
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'''Aleksey Tolstoy''' ([[Russian language|Russian]]: ''Алексей Константинович Толстой''; {{OldStyleDate|September 5|1817|August 24}} – {{OldStyleDate|October 10]|1875|September 28}}) was a [[Russia]]n [[poet]], [[novelist]] and [[dramatist]]. | '''Aleksey Tolstoy''' ([[Russian language|Russian]]: ''Алексей Константинович Толстой''; {{OldStyleDate|September 5|1817|August 24}} – {{OldStyleDate|October 10]|1875|September 28}}) was a [[Russia]]n [[poet]], [[novelist]] and [[dramatist]]. | ||
| − | Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy was born in [[Saint Petersburg]] to the famed family of [[Tolstoy|Count Tolstoy]]. | + | Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy was born in [[Saint Petersburg]] to the famed family of [[Tolstoy|Count Tolstoy]]. His mother A.A. Perovskaya married elderly widower count K.P. Tolstoy in 1816. The marriage was not a success - soon they oppenly brock up. Six weeks old, he was taken by his mather and his uncle from mather's side, A.A. Perovskiy, to the uncle's estate, were he was raised until he was eight years old, they all came back to Saint Petersburg. Soon, with the help of his uncle's connections, he was introduced to the eight years old prince, future emperor Alexander II, and became his weekend playmate among other kids of noble background. This relationship would last throughout Tolstoy's entire life. In future empress Mariya Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II, would pay high tribute to the his talent. |
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| + | In 1826 Tolstoy with his mother and uncle travel in Europe - one of the common habbits of Russian wealthy noble families. In Germany he visited elderly Geote, and sitted on his laps. Italy produced a great impression on the boy with her arts. With every town they visited he became more and more interested in arts. | ||
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| + | Upon recieving good home schooling, in the mid 30th he became one of the "archive boys" at Moscow Archive of Foreign Affairs Department. As "archive student", he graduated from the [[University of Moscow]] in 1836, and was assigned to the Russian diplomatic mission in Germany. Same year his uncle died living him as a heir of great fortune. | ||
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| + | Aleksey spent most of his life at court, serving first as the Master of Ceremonies, later as Grand Master of Royal Hunting, visiting Europe on many occasions. In 1855 during Cremean War | ||
| + | he tried to organize his own millitia, which didn't work out. Insted he joined Royal Rifle Regiment, but never sow military operations. He barely survived a severe case of typhus that cut down a large part of his regiment. | ||
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| + | In 1861 he retired from service to dedicate more time to writing poetry. | ||
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| + | In the mid 60th his used to be robust health - he was famous for unbending horseshoes - took an ill turn. He spends alot of his time in various resorts of Europe. | ||
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| + | In his personal life he was a rare example of the person who struggled hard to avaid all possible honours and "overcome" help of those who offered various possibilities to move up his career. He wanted to be "only" artist. For this reason one of his first large poems "Ioann Damaskin", about court poet, was partially autobiographical. in spite of close frienship with emperor, he couldn't be just one of the courtiers. | ||
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He wrote admirable ballads, a historical novel, some licentious verse, and satires published under the [[pen name]] of Kozma Prutkov. But his lasting contribution to the Russian literature was a trilogy of historical dramas, modelled after [[Alexander Pushkin|Pushkin]]'s ''Boris Godunov''. | He wrote admirable ballads, a historical novel, some licentious verse, and satires published under the [[pen name]] of Kozma Prutkov. But his lasting contribution to the Russian literature was a trilogy of historical dramas, modelled after [[Alexander Pushkin|Pushkin]]'s ''Boris Godunov''. | ||
| + | [[Image:Brullov_AKTolstoy.jpg|right|thumb|Aleksey Tolstoy]] | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*[http://www.litera.ru/stixiya/authors/tolstoj.html Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy. Poems] (in Russian) | *[http://www.litera.ru/stixiya/authors/tolstoj.html Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy. Poems] (in Russian) | ||
Revision as of 03:57, 14 December 2006
Aleksey Tolstoy (Russian: Алексей Константинович Толстой; September 5 [O.S. August 24] 1817 – October 10] [O.S. September 28] 1875) was a Russian poet, novelist and dramatist.
Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy was born in Saint Petersburg to the famed family of Count Tolstoy. His mother A.A. Perovskaya married elderly widower count K.P. Tolstoy in 1816. The marriage was not a success - soon they oppenly brock up. Six weeks old, he was taken by his mather and his uncle from mather's side, A.A. Perovskiy, to the uncle's estate, were he was raised until he was eight years old, they all came back to Saint Petersburg. Soon, with the help of his uncle's connections, he was introduced to the eight years old prince, future emperor Alexander II, and became his weekend playmate among other kids of noble background. This relationship would last throughout Tolstoy's entire life. In future empress Mariya Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II, would pay high tribute to the his talent.
In 1826 Tolstoy with his mother and uncle travel in Europe - one of the common habbits of Russian wealthy noble families. In Germany he visited elderly Geote, and sitted on his laps. Italy produced a great impression on the boy with her arts. With every town they visited he became more and more interested in arts.
Upon recieving good home schooling, in the mid 30th he became one of the "archive boys" at Moscow Archive of Foreign Affairs Department. As "archive student", he graduated from the University of Moscow in 1836, and was assigned to the Russian diplomatic mission in Germany. Same year his uncle died living him as a heir of great fortune.
Aleksey spent most of his life at court, serving first as the Master of Ceremonies, later as Grand Master of Royal Hunting, visiting Europe on many occasions. In 1855 during Cremean War he tried to organize his own millitia, which didn't work out. Insted he joined Royal Rifle Regiment, but never sow military operations. He barely survived a severe case of typhus that cut down a large part of his regiment.
In 1861 he retired from service to dedicate more time to writing poetry.
In the mid 60th his used to be robust health - he was famous for unbending horseshoes - took an ill turn. He spends alot of his time in various resorts of Europe.
In his personal life he was a rare example of the person who struggled hard to avaid all possible honours and "overcome" help of those who offered various possibilities to move up his career. He wanted to be "only" artist. For this reason one of his first large poems "Ioann Damaskin", about court poet, was partially autobiographical. in spite of close frienship with emperor, he couldn't be just one of the courtiers.
He wrote admirable ballads, a historical novel, some licentious verse, and satires published under the pen name of Kozma Prutkov. But his lasting contribution to the Russian literature was a trilogy of historical dramas, modelled after Pushkin's Boris Godunov.
External links
- Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy. Poems (in Russian)
- Love’s Ebb and Flow - a poem by Tolstoy translated into English by Alice Stone Blackwell.
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