On the Dating of One of Leo Tolstoy’s Letters to His Daughter Maria Tolstaya

The article deals with some aspects related to the dating, content, and interpretation of Leo Tolstoy’s letters to his middle daughter, Maria (1871–1906), who was a staunch supporter of her father’s religious and philosophical views. (For many years, she tried to build her life based on Tolstoy’s moral ideas.) In analyzing the 1890s Maria Tolstaya’s correspondence with Tolstoy, the author attempts to establish the conclusion that Tolstoy’s letter (dated late September 1895 in the Complete Works in 90 vols.) was actually written in early October 1894 and was a response to his daughter’s letter she sent him at the same time. The author applies the comparative method to justify this thesis. Tolstoy’s letter to Maria has ideological parallels and even textual overlaps with Tolstoy’s letter to Ivan Tregubov (3 October 1894). Also, there are other ideological and textual overlaps with dated 1894 sources. Additionally, the author reveals the content of Tolstoy’s letter to Maria, tracing the association of ideas contained in it with the basic provisions of Tolstoy’s religious and moral theory, with his understanding of the importance of chastity, spiritual evolution, and Divine love.