Skip to main content

Primary sourceArtifact1908

Tolstoy Addresses Peasant Children of Yasnaya Polyana School

Leo Tolstoy · 1908

A 1908 recording of Tolstoy speaking to the peasant children who attended his school at Yasnaya Polyana.

Tolstoy's own voice addressing the peasant children he personally taught at his school.

Leo Tolstoy, address to schoolchildren at Yasnaya Polyana, 1908.

About this source

What it is

This 1908 audio recording captures Leo Tolstoy speaking directly to peasant children, students of the school he ran at his estate, Yasnaya Polyana.

Why it matters

Tolstoy was deeply involved in educating peasant children, believing strongly in simple, moral education for ordinary people. This recording shows that side of his life, beyond his fame as a novelist, and lets us hear how he spoke to the children he taught.

Look closer

  • What might Tolstoy have wanted peasant children specifically to hear from him?
  • Why do you think this recording was made and preserved?
  • What does this reveal about Tolstoy's values regarding education and class?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Leo Tolstoy on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Leo Tolstoy now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.