10 MAIN hobbies of Leo Tolstoy (PHOTOS)
What did the great Russian writer do when he was not busy writing his immortal novels?
1. Horse riding
The writer, meanwhile, was also said to have been a skilled horseman! In the above photo, taken in 1903, the then 75-year-old Tolstoy is depicted riding his favorite horse.
2. Riding a bicycle
Actually, Leo Tolstoy only learned to ride a bicycle when he was 67 years old! He attended classes at the Moscow Arena on purpose and even had a permit to ride on the streets of Moscow.
3. Playing ‘gorodki’
Another of Tolstoy's favorite pastimes was ‘gorodki’, an ancient Russian game, in which you throw a bat and smash various shapes made up of wooden cylinders (which are called ‘gorodki’). There’s even a photo of him batting — the writer is already 82 years old and he is playing the game with his servant's son.
4. Tennis
As you’ve probably already understood by now, Tolstoy was quite the active and athletic type, even in his senior years. The photo above shows him with a racket during a doubles match with his son-in-law against his daughters.
5. Haymaking
The novel ‘Anna Karenina’ has a colorful scene depicting nobleman Konstantin Levin mowing the grass. Tolstoy wrote it based on his own experience. He often went out into the field, much to the surprise of the peasants in his service.
6. Chess
The writer was also keen on intellectual games and no less than sports! In the above photo, 79-year-old Tolstoy is playing with one of his most difficult opponents, the 18-year-old son of his secretary and friend Vladimir Chertkov.
7. Reading
In the evenings, Tolstoy enjoyed sitting in his study with a book by candlelight. He always read several books at once and, to keep them within easy reach, he placed them on a special bookstand with a note that read: “Essential books”.
8. Teaching kids
Tolstoy considered education to be the most important part of life. He organized a school for peasant children on his Yasnaya Polyana Estate, wrote an ABC himself and generally loved to communicate with children. In the photo, he is in the process of telling a fairy tale to his grandchildren.
9. Photo
The writer was also a fan of progress and was keen to try out all new technical innovations. He mastered the camera pretty soon and took one of the first “selfies” in the world (in the photo, he wrote with his own hand “Year 1862. Took a picture of myself”). He also posed willingly for professional photographers, who would swarm him like a real rock star.
10. Walking
Until very old age, the writer often took multi-hour walks and, as his friends and guests visiting Yasnaya Polyana complained, forced them to walk with them, as well.
