Museum-estate of Leo Tolstoy in Khamovniki

The House-Museum of Leo Tolstoy is located in the Central District of Moscow. Khamovniki – a former weaving district founded in the 17th century. Today it is one of the densely populated places in the capital, and the old estate of the Tolstoy family – a kind of oasis, blooming and green, which miraculously survived among high-rise buildings.

History of the House-Museum

In 1881, the writer moved with his wife and children from Yasnaya Polyana to Moscow, and a year later he bought the estate in Khamovniki from I.A. Arnautov, who at that time served as a collegiate secretary. A family friend lived next door – Count Vasily Olsufiev. It was he who advised the Tolstoys to settle in a neighboring house. In the fence between the two gardens, the neighbors set up a gate. They quite often went to visit each other, and in the evenings went out together to Sparrow Hills to admire Moscow from there.

The eldest son Sergei entered Moscow University, and the 17-year-old daughter Tatyana grew up, and it's time to bring her out. Therefore, every winter Lev and Sofya Tolstoy, together with their children, came to Khamovniki, and returned to Yasnaya Polyana in the summer.

There was enough space for all the children in the wide courtyard of an old Moscow estate. Games and children's entertainment were often arranged here. In winter, right in front of the house, a huge skating rink was flooded.

The estate was always noisy. Here one could hear not only children's laughter, but also the sounds of weaving factories close to the estate. Every morning there was a beep, the workers, talking loudly, moved towards the checkpoint. All this did not prevent the writer from working. The situation in Khamovniki did not irritate Tolstoy in the least. On the contrary, he was sure that this was real life.

About a hundred of his works were written in the Moscow estate, including the most famous ones:

•    "Death of Ivan Ilyich"
     "Kreutzer Sonata";
     the novel "Resurrection".

The guests of the cozy house in Khamovniki were M. Gorky, A. Chekhov, S. Rakhmaninov, A. Scriabin, F. Chaliapin and other artists, writers, composers.

What to see

The furnishings of the Tolstoy's carved wooden house include approximately 6,000 items. These are genuine items that belonged to the writer's family. All museum exhibits have been preserved.

The unique atmosphere of Moscow of the century before last has been recreated inside the estate. In the hallway on the ground floor, you can see a tiled stove, touch the chests made of ash, in which the household used to store shoes.

The second floor was built at the direction of the writer, immediately after the purchase of the house. There is a front staircase. As in the life of the Tolstoys, it is covered with a carpet.

The furnishings have been preserved in all rooms, including in the study of the great classic. An old washbasin, a faience jug: the writer used these and other items every day.

According to the reviews of visitors to the house-museum, the spirit of the times has been preserved in the estate, thanks to which you can easily feel like in the era of the 19th century.