Sevastopol(1855-1856)

As a young man, Leo Tolstoy served in the Caucasus for several years and, during the Crimean War of 1853-1856, he participated in the defense of Sevastopol for almost a year. He depicted this difficult time and all the horrors of war in his ‘Sevastopol Sketches’, essentially becoming, in his own right, Russia’s first war correspondent.

The stories were read with interest throughout Russia and were noticed by Emperor Alexander II, who ordered the talented officer to be protected. Critics considered the stories "breathing with true life" and captivating with the "psychological depth of their internal monologues".

Translated by Louise & Aylmer Maude, Publisher Archibald Constable, 1905