Society and culture: The photo exhibition “The Light of Yasnaya Polyana” presented at the State Duma

December 15-19, 2014 at the State Duma of the Federal Assembly (Moscow) is running the photo exhibition “The Light of Yasnaya Polyana”. The exhibition “The Light of Yasnaya Polyana” – is a photo chronicle of the history of Tolstoy’s manor. 

The exhibition features photographs, made during the life of Leo Nikolayevich, depicted Yasnaya Polyana landscapes, interiors of the house of Tolstoy, the family and guests of the writer, the period of the formation of the museum, a difficult military phase, as well as contemporary life of Yasnaya Polyana.

In life of Yasnaya Polyana without Tolstoy there were happy and heavy periods. In 1941, the museum has experienced a six-occupation by German troops. Two weeks before the beginning of 110 boxes with exhibits from the House of Tolstoy train were evacuated to Moscow and then to Tomsk. After the retreat of the Germans and a fire in December 1941, restoration work began. The first restoration was completed by May 1942. In May 1945, the exhibits returned to their former places.

Today, the uniqueness of this place is in the authenticity of all the constituent elements of the manor complex. Disposition of the estate, architecture, landscape, interiors are carefully preserved by 1910 - the last year of the writer's life. Yasnaya Polyana is a living museum, where life did not stop.