Primary sourceLetter9 April 1908
Tolstoy's Audio Letter to N. V. Davydov
Leo Tolstoy · 9 April 1908
A rare 1908 recording of Tolstoy dictating a letter asking about the details of execution by hanging.
Tolstoy's own recorded dictation of a letter, revealing his personal campaign against the death penalty.
About this source
What it is
This is an audio recording from 9 April 1908 of Leo Tolstoy dictating a letter to N. V. Davydov from his home at Yasnaya Polyana. In it, Tolstoy thanks Davydov for his committee work and then asks for detailed information about capital punishment, including how a gallows is built, how the executioner dresses, and who is present.
Why it matters
Tolstoy was a strong opponent of capital punishment in his later years. This recording shows him researching the subject directly, likely for his writing or activism against the death penalty, and gives us his actual spoken words rather than a transcription made by someone else.
Look closer
- Why might Tolstoy want such specific, grim details about executions?
- What does this letter suggest about how Tolstoy used his connections to gather information?
- How does hearing this in his own voice change how you understand his opposition to the death penalty?
This letter 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.
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