Tolstoy`s estate Museum in Khamovniki is located in the center of Moscow. Lev Tolstoy bought the estate in Khamovniki in 1882 from the collegiate Secretary Arnautov. He was 54 years old at the time. Anna Karenina and War and peace have already been written. His contemporaries have already recognized him as a great Russian writer. The Tolstoy family lived in Khamovniki for 20 years.
Leo Tolstoy lived with his family in Khamovniki from 1882 to 1901. They went to Yasnaya Polyana for the summer and returned to Moscow in the fall. The writer had to live in the city, as he worked a lot in the archives, collected various materials for his works. He also wanted to give older children a University education. Ten of the Tolstoy`s thirteen children lived with Them in a Moscow estate. In 1901, Leo Tolstoy decides to return to Yasnaya Polyana. Since then, he lives in his estate all year round, and does not return to Moscow, although this house remained in his possession until his death in 1911.
The house that the writer bought in 1882 was built at the beginning of the 19th century. At the time of purchase, there was no electricity, running water,or Sewerage. Around the house were perfume and weaving factories and a brewery, as well as dormitories for workers. However, there was another Olsufiev estate nearby, with whom the Tolstoy family was friends.
After buying the house, Tolstoy rebuilt its layout for his needs. In total, the house had 16 rooms and 10 stoves. On the ground floor there is a large dining room, a bedroom of Lev and Sofia Tolstoy. Next to the children`s room and the corner room where the children lived. A separate room on the second floor was occupied by Tatyana Lvovna, the Tolstoy`s eldest daughter. She was a portrait artist. Most of the second floor is occupied by a living room. Here they received guests. The Tolstoy family often visited Repin, Chekhov, Solovyov, Rachmaninoff, Chaliapin, and many other famous people.
After the death of Leo Tolstoy, the estate in Khamovniki was sold to the Moscow city Council,which immediately began creating a Museum dedicated to Tolstoy. In 1920, under Soviet rule, it was nationalized. By personal order of Lenin, restoration was started here. Many of the writer`s personal belongings were returned here from Yasnaya Polyana. The interiors are completely preserved as they were during the life of the Tolstoy family in Khamovniki.
The interior of Leo Tolstoy`s office is recreated very accurately. Here you can find a massive furniture. Tolstoy worked on his works from about 10 am to 3 PM. During these years, he wrote: Father Sergius, the Death of Ivan Ilyich, the Kreutzer Sonata, the Resurrection, the Living corpse, and others. Here he began working on his religious treatises (the Kingdom of God is within us, About life, So what should we do, Answer to the Synod). For them, in 1901, he was excommunicated from the Church.
There is a large garden next to the house. It is enclosed by a fence, and on one side of it adjoined the wall of the brewery. All the trees in the garden have been preserved from the time when the Tolstoy family lived here. They played croquet in the front yard and skated in the winter. Sofya Andreyevna was planting a lot of flowers. These flowerbeds have been preserved to this day.
