L. N. Tolstoy and the Agrarian Question in Russia at the Beginning of the 20th Century

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Khristenko, D. N. “L. N. Tolstoy and the Agrarian Question in Russia at the Beginning of the 20th Century.” Dva veka russkoi klassiki, vol. 8, no. 2, 2026, pp. 320–341. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22455/2686-7494-2026-8-2-320-341
Abstract:
The aim of this work is to examine Tolstoy’s views on land ownership in his dialogue with the authorities, particularly with P. A. Stolypin. Tolstoy’s literary works, journalistic appeals, and clear moral position reveal his understanding of Stolypin’s actions as aimed at maintaining the institutional authority of state power. The work’s novelty lies in its careful consideration of certain historical facts that literary scholars have overlooked when analyzing Tolstoy’s appeals and his dispute with Stolypin, and in its understanding of the role of the Russian classic and the power of his voice, which Russian historians underestimate. The author demonstrates Tolstoy’s activity as an “advocate” for the Russian agricultural people: the writer considered private land ownership unacceptable. The article analyzes Tolstoy’s letters to Stolypin, the minister’s views on the theoretical peasant farmer, and his conservative political stance, which clashed with the peasants’ views, as vividly demonstrated by the elections to the First and Second State Dumas and the ensuing political struggle. The article emphasizes that Tolstoy did not seek controversy, but rather sought to point out to Stolypin the need for an end to the escalation of the internal conflict.
Keywords: L. N. Tolstoy, P. A. Stolypin, agrarian question, land ownership, peasants, elections, State Duma, Henry George
Author: Dmitrii N. Khristenko
Information about the author:
Dmitrii N. Khristenko, PhD in History, Russian State Agrarian University — Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Timiryazevskaya St., 49, 127434 Moscow, Russia.

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6221-8991

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Received: January 19, 2026
Approved after reviewing: March 30, 2026
Published: June 25, 2026
Issue: 2026 Volume 8 No. 2
Department: Russian Literature of the 18th–19th Centuries
Pages: 320-341
DOI: Visit Website
EDN:
https://elibrary.ru/WYFLEE
UDK: 821.161.1.09"19"
Publication Type: Research Article

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