Tsvetaeva reads Tolstoy. Leo Tolstoy in Marina Tsvetaeva’s reading and creative consciousness

Abstract

The article discusses Tsvetaeva’s reception of L. Tolstoy’s prose, as detailed in her letters and diaries as well as literary works ( The Tale of Sonechka [ Povest o Sonechke ] etc.). According to the author, Tsvetaeva’s attitude to Tolstoy’s characters was extremely personal and highly emotionally charged (which often interfered with her ability to judge them objectively), blurring the borders between the reality of her personal life and the fictional world of Tolstoy’s novels. For example, examining Tsvetaeva’s reception of Tolstoy’s three major female characters (Natasha Rostova, Princess Maria Bolkonskaya, and Anna Karenina), Kertman points out that Tsvetaeva would respond to them differently at different points in life but would always draw parallels with her personal circumstances. Therefore, the world of Tolstoy’s characters was vitally important for Tsvetaeva and, despite the prejudice in her evaluation of his fiction and philosophy (or perhaps because of it), Tolstoy’s works make a deeply personal and emotional impression on Tsvetaeva, establishing themselves as her all-time reading favourites.