Count Lev "Leo" Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a famous writer, poet and philosopher from Russia. The most prominent member of the aristocratic Tolstoy family, he is known for his masterpieces, such as War and Peace and Anna Karenina.
As a philosopher, his work "The Kingdom of God is Within You" is known to have influenced people like the Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.
Biography[]
In 1910, the elderly Tolstoy got into a disagreement with his family members and ran away from home, his family estate in near Kuntsevo. Carrying a bag filled with his family Bible and some tools, he set off, and eventually spent a night sleeping in a haystack. In the morning, he was awakened by being hit by a slingshot from an English-speaking boy who had also run away from his family - Indiana Jones. The two traveled on the road together, eventually overcoming their dislike for each other. Introducing himself as Lev, Tolstoy mended Jones' worn out shoes, and showed him his family Bible. Jones showed Tolstoy his precious belongings: his baseball mitt and his baseball cards. Back on the road, Jones tried to share his apple with Tolstoy, but the old man took a huge bite, much to the boy's dismay, and their attempts at friendship turned sour.[2]
Further down the road, they reached a small village, where Jones was unable to get food, while Tolstoy was treated like royalty by the peasants, and fed him at the inn. Unable to enjoy his meal while Jones stood outside in a sudden downpour, Tolstoy had his new friend brought in for dinner. The next day, the pair were eating again at the inn, when two Russian horsemen arrived - to take Tolstoy back to his family, who were worried about him. Tolstoy refused to go, and Jones supported his friend, and they escaped from the cavalrymen.[2]
Out in the countryside, Tolstoy imparted his wisdom to Jones, and in return, Jones taught Tolstoy how to play baseball, using his walking stick as a bat. After the game, the friends crossed through the woods and hitched a ride with some Gypsies. At the Gypsy camp, Tolstoy entertained the crowd with his storytelling. After the story, the camp broke out into dancing and music, which was interrupted by the arrival of a troop of Cossacks, who violently broke up the camp. Tolstoy got seriously injured in their escape.[2]
As it began to rain, Jones managed to get Tolstoy into a church and summoned the help of the priest and his novitiate. When Tolstoy recovered consciousness, he angrily fled the church because he hated how the church turned people away from God, and went back into the rain. Collapsing again in the mud, he was found by Jones, who cried out, and some villagers found them and brought them indoors.[2]
Leo Tolstoy meets the Jones family.
Both Tolstoy and Jones were starting to weaken from their travels, but were too proud to choose to return to their families. Eventually reaching a train station, they realized that it would probably be better to give up on trying to run away to New Jersey. Together, they decided to get Tolstoy back to home. Back at Tolstoy's estate, they recovered while messengers were sent to the Akhmatov estate to bring Jones' father and mother to pick him up.[2]
When they arrived, Professor Jones was astounded to find out that his son was staying with one of the greatest writers alive, and was speechless in front of Tolstoy. After the Jones family left, Tolstoy sat in his study and reviewed his new treasure: Indiana's baseball card collection, for which he had traded his bible.[2]
Leo Tolstoy later died in November 20.[1]
Legacy[]
While staying in Paris in 1916 Indiana received a letter from his father that suggested him to reread the Russians, beginning with Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.[3]
Behind the scenes[]
Michael Gough portrayed Leo Tolstoy in Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father.[2] He is perhaps most famous for his role of Alfred Pennyworth in the 1989 movie Batman and its sequels.
Appearances[]
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – "Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father" → Travels with Father (First appearance)
- The Mata Hari Affair (Mentioned only)
- The Rule of Russia (Mentioned only)
Sources[]
- Seeking Truth - The Life of Leo Tolstoy (Non-fiction source)
- Unquiet Voices - Russian Writers and the State (Non-fiction source)
- Interactive Timeline
- Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide
The Real Indiana Jones: Fear & Humility on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
