Abstract:

The important direction of the Tolstoys’ social activity was a defence of people who suffered for their religious beliefs. Leo Tolstoy helped Christian sect of Molocans in his Samara estate in 1870-es. S.A. Tolstaya protected Jewess Ida Fainermann in 1871. The writer saved some members of a sect, which refused to serve in the army in 1890-es. The members of the Christian sect of Molocans in Samara were separated from the children because of their religious beliefs and Leo Tolstoy struggled for their rights in 1897—1898. The writer’s social activity helped to create economic and political conditions for resettlement of dukhobors. The writer’s eldest son took part in the arrangement of dukhobors’ resettlement to Canada in 1899. Spiritual ties connect descendants of dukhobors’ who left Russia and the writer’s family more than 100 years ago.

Keywords: religious tolerance; social activity; L. Tolstoy and his family; Molocans; members of a sect; dukhobors; church; religious beliefs; power; Tolstoy’s religious-philosophical works; originality of the dukhobors’ culture