On September 9, 2014, Google honored the 186-й день рожде́ния [186th birthday] of the great Лев Толсто́й [Leo Tolstoy] with an enchanting doodle illustrated by Рома́н Мура́дов [Roman Muradov]! Mиллиóны людéй [millions of people] around the world had the pleasure of seeing it on Google’s homepage. Худóжник [the artist] reflected on the challenge of capturing Tolstoy’s гéний [genius]:
“I hardly need to say that making a tribute to Leo Tolstoy was a daunting task. No set of images can sum up a body of work so astonishing in scope, complexity, and vigor — its memorable scenes come to life with seeming effortlessness, fully realized in the immortal lines and between them” (WashingtonPost.com).
But who was Tolstoy beyond his вели́кие произведе́ния [great works]? A граф [count] by birth, he renounced his aristocratic life, dressed as a крестья́нин [peasant], and worked the land alongside мужики́ [serfs]. His search for духо́вной и́стины [spiritual truth] led him to reject wealth, status, and even his own novels! Even so, his шеде́вры[masterpieces] offer profound insights into челове́ческую приро́ду [human nature] and о́бщество [society], making them compelling reads, осо́бенно [especially] in their original Russian. Contrary to some beliefs, Tolstoy was never awarded Нóбелевскую прéмию [the Nobel Prize], despite multiple nominations.
Here’s your chance to enjoy the doodle again, along with timeless quotes from his шедéвры [masterpieces]:
«Война́ и мир» [War and Peace]
Published in 1869, this эпопе́я [epic novel] delves into the lives of multiple дворя́нских семей [noble families] during Наполео́новские во́йны [the Napoleonic Wars], exploring such themes as су́дьба [fate], исто́рия [history], and вну́треннее преображе́ние [personal transformation]. Reading it in Russian allows one to fully appreciate сло́жное повествова́ние [intricate narrative] and the depth of глубину геро́ев [the depth of characters] through Tolstoy’s masterful use of language and psychological insight.
“Знать мы мо́жем то́лько то, что ничего́ не зна́ем. И э́то вы́сшая сте́пень челове́ческой прему́дрости».
“We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom.”
«А́нна Каре́нина» [Anna Karenina]
First appearing in 1878, this трагéдия любви́ и изме́ны [tragedy of love and betrayal] examines the complexities of росси́йское о́бщество [Russian society] through the doomed affair глáвной герои́ни [of its titular character]. The novel’s знаменита́я пе́рвая стро́ка [famous opening line] about сча́стье и несча́стье [happiness and unhappiness] remains однóй из сáмых цити́руемых [one of the most quoted] in world literature:
“Все счастли́вые се́мьи похо́жи друг на дру́га, ка́ждая несчастли́вая семья́ несча́стлива по-сво́ему.”
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
«Смерть Ива́на Ильича́» [The Death of Ivan Ilyich]
Published in 1886, this пове́сть [novella] confronts the existential anguish of a man grappling with сме́ртность [mortality] and пустота́ его́ существова́ния [the emptiness of his existence]. With непрекло́нный реализм [uncompromising realism], Tolstoy forces the reader to reflect on смысл жи́зни [the meaning of life] and страх сме́рти [fear of death].
“Проше́дшая исто́рия жи́зни Ива́на Ильича́ была́ са́мая проста́я и обыкнове́нная и са́мая ужа́сная.”
“Ivan Ilych’s life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible.”
Tolstoy’s works continue to вдохновля́ть [inspire] readers across the world. Which of his books is вáша любимая [your favorite]?
