51 Tolstoy / Molokan Letters 
Published in Russian & English

Read more about the the English version

51 surviving letters between Count Lev Tolstoy and Molokan martyr Fedor Aleksseevich Zheltov were discovered by scholars helping the Doukhobors research their history with Tolstoy. The letters dating from 1887 to 1909 discuss religion, beliefs and philosophy. 37 letters are from Zheltov to Tolstoy, and 14 from Tolstoy to Zheltov. Records show 28 letters from Tolstoy to Zheltov, but only 14 were found. 

Count Lev Tolstoy was a friend of the Molokans who corresponded with Zheltov.

Fedor A. Zheltov, a Molokan writer who corresponded with Tolstoy and was killed for his beliefs -- a martyr [stradalits].

     This is the first book to detail how well Tolstoy knew the Molokans. Tolstoy attended Molokan court trials, petitioned authorities to not persecute Molokans, attended and spoke at Molokan sobranie, and corresponded with Molokans. Zeltov often visited Tolstoy. Tolstoy offered to help Molokans move to Canada, as he had helped the Doukhobors.

The Zheltov's were serfs who became well educated leaders and prosperous. During serfdom, Fedor's father Aleksei lead and won a revolt which caused the Tsar to evict their landlord from Russia. After serfdom was abolished, Aleksei, now a here, was elected to public office and started a show factory and store. Young Fedor met then wrote to Tolstoy.      Shown are 21 sample letters, envelopes, and photos of Zheltov, their large factory and office building which still exists. A list of his 40 publications shows 18 articles in the Molokan journal Dukhovnie Kritianinin [Spiritual Christian], and 22 articles in 6 newspapers. The Zheltov shoe store in the Nizhnii Novgorod marketplace was a center for exchanging Molokan news and visiting. In 1938, F.A. Zheltov was arrested and shot dead by the Communists for his writings and beliefs. He is a Molokan martyr [stradalits].      This project is a cooperative effort between the State L.N.Tolstoy Museum, Moscow, and the Slavic Research Group at the University of Ottawa. The museum transcribed the hand writting into a typed manuscript which Canadian Slavic scholar John Woodsworth translated. The Highgate Road Social Science Research Station (The Station) is editing and publishing the English translation with more information about the history of Molokans at that time.

Actual letter from Tolstoy to Zheltov,  19 August 1895. (Click on Letter to Enlarge)

English: $20 (includes tax/shipping):      The Station    2601 Hilltop Drive, Apt. 217    Richmond, CA. 94806 Phones: 510-262-9189   E-mail: < etheldunn@sbcglobal.net >. For Russian version click here. For book review click here Russian  $15 (includes tax/ shipping).     Professor Andrew Donskov    Co-ordinator    Slavic Research Group     University of Ottawa     Ottawa, Ontario     Canada KIN 6N5 e-mail: SLAVICRE@uottawa.ca   Phone: (613) 562-5800.ext. 3749 or ext. 1007,  Fax: (613) 562-5160 or 5138.  (See the Russian version front cover (153K, large) and back cover (156K, large).