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Lev Tolstoy

Lev Tolstoy

Writer · Died November 20, 1910, aged 82 · Yasnaya Polyana, Tula Governorate, Russian Empire [now Tula Oblast, Russia]

Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (1828–1910), usually referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time. He received nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature every year from 1902 to 1906 and for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901, 1902, and 1909. Born to an aristocratic Russian family in 1828, Tolstoy is best known for the novels War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1878), often cited as pinnacles of realist fiction. He first achieved literary acclaim in his twenties with his semi-autobiographical trilogy, Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth (1852–1856), and Sevastopol Sketches (1855), based upon his experiences in the Crimean War. His fiction includes dozens of short stories and several novellas such as The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886), Family Happiness (1859), and Hadji Murad (1912). He also wrote plays and numerous philosophical essays. In the 1870s Tolstoy experienced a profound moral crisis, followed by what he regarded as an equally profound spiritual awakening, as outlined in his non-fiction work A Confession (1882). His literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus, centering on the Sermon on the Mount, caused him to become a fervent Christian anarchist and pacifist. His ideas on nonviolent resistance, expressed in such works as The Kingdom of God Is Within You (1894), had a profound impact on such pivotal 20th-century figures as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. He also became a dedicated advocate of Georgism, the economic philosophy of Henry George, which he incorporated into his writing, particularly Resurrection (1899). Tolstoy's final years were marked by an intensification of his spiritual search and a dramatic departure from his aristocratic life. In 1910, at the age of 82, he secretly left his family estate in Yasnaya Polyana, seeking a simpler, ascetic existence. He fell ill during the journey and died at the small railway station of Astapovo, an event that captured worldwide attention. Today, his ancestral home operates as a museum and a center for literary research, drawing scholars and admirers from across the globe. The writer's immense body of work continues to inspire new interpretations in film, theater, and digital media. Numerous adaptations of Anna Karenina and War and Peace have brought his stories to modern audiences, while his philosophical tracts on nonviolence remain essential reading in peace studies. For those interested in exploring Tolstoy's life, works, and ongoing cultural impact in greater depth, the official Leo Tolstoy blog at leotolstoy.blog offers curated articles, and historical insights. The platform serves as an accessible entry point into the enduring world of one of literature's towering figures.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 9, 1828
Died
November 20, 1910 (aged 82)
From
Yasnaya Polyana, Tula Governorate, Russian Empire [now Tula Oblast, Russia]
Works as
Writer
Titles
26 on MovieCove · 159 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 34% in 30 days

What are Lev Tolstoy's films like?

Across their 22 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
30%
Morality
20%
Survival
15%
Self
14%
Power
11%
Society
6%
Ideas
5%
Romantic love11 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal4 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass5 titles, browse their movies with this themeWar3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFate3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 16

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 8

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 5 · Intense 12

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 6 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 6

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 1 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 14

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
20
Tense
18
Romantic
6
Contemplative
4
Dread
3
Other
12

How their films linger

Haunting11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic13
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Lev Tolstoy's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Lev Tolstoy's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

159 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • War and Peace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Book

  • The Death of Ivan Ilyich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Book

  • Masha i Medvedi(2025)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Family Happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Book

  • Семейное cчастье (Semeynoe schaste) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Book

  • The Death of Ivan Ilyich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Book

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Novel

  • Volver a Caer(2023)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows

  • Guerra e pace (Teatro) - Prima parte (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Novel

  • Guerra e pace (Teatro) - Seconda parte (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Novel

  • Resurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Novel

  • Anna Karenina. The Intimate Diary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Story

  • Dark as the Night. Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Characters

  • Anna Karenina. Vronsky's Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Novel

  • Anna Karenina(2017)

    Show 8 episodes · Novel

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows

  • Winter Thaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Novel

  • The Woman Who Left(2016)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • War & Peace(2016)

    Show 6 episodes · Book

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 5 episodes · Novel

  • Anna Karenina(2013)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Anna Karenina(2012)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Boxing Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Story

  • 2 Jacks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Story

  • Resurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 2 episodes · Novel

  • Greed Eats the Soul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Original Story

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Novel

  • The Kreutzer Sonata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Novel

  • A Day in the Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Original Story

  • War and Peace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 4 episodes · Creator · Novel

  • Chouga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Novel

  • Frozen Land(2005)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Resurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Novel

  • Ivans xtc.(2000)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Anna Karenina(2000)

    Show 4 episodes · Novel

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Anna Karenina(1997)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Why? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Author

  • Prisoner of the Mountains (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Story

  • Flammen der Liebe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Novel

  • Beautiful Stranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Novel

  • War and Peace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Book

  • Night Sun(1990)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Story of a Horse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Novel

  • The Light Shines in the Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Original Story

  • Kreutzer Sonata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Book

  • The Kreutzer Sonata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Novel

  • The Living Corpse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Author

  • The Old Alphabet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Novel

  • Anna Karenina(1985)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • A Simple Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Novel

  • Albert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Novel

  • L'Argent(1983)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Swans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Book

  • ჰაჯი მურატი (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 3 episodes · Novel

  • أشياء ضد القانون (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Novel

  • The Living Corpse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Story

  • The Jump (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Short Story

  • Cinema in Russia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Archive footage

  • The Power of Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Author

  • Father Sergius (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Composer · Novel

  • Caucasian Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Story

  • Martin the Cobbler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Short Story

  • Anna Karenina(1977)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Green, Bygone... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Short Story

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Novel

  • Caucasian Prisoner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Novel

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Novel

  • Lemmi and the Bookworms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Story

  • Childhood. Boyhood. Youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Story

  • War & Peace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 20 episodes · Novel

  • St. Michael Had a Rooster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Novel

  • Family Happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Book

  • Dalal Al-Masria (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Novel

  • The Living Corpse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Theatre Play

  • Scarabea – How Much Land Does a Man Need? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Novel

  • War and Peace(1965)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Novel

  • War and Peace, Part IV: Pierre Bezukhov(1967)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • War and Peace, Part III: The Year 1812(1967)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • War and Peace, Part II: Natasha Rostova(1965)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • War and Peace, Part I: Andrei Bolkonsky(1965)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Iván Iljics halála (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Novel

  • The Power of Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Original Story

  • Posle bala (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Short Story

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Novel

  • The Cossacks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Novel

  • Resurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Novel

  • The River of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Novel

  • Also People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Novel

  • The White Warrior (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Novel

  • Polikuschka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Story

  • Resurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Novel

  • The Unforgettable Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Novel

  • The Three Bears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Short Story

  • Forbidden Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Novel

  • War and Peace(1956)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Locura pasional(1956)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Kreutzer Sonata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Short Story

  • Anna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Original Story

  • Resurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Original Story

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Novel

  • The Living Corpse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Theatre Play

  • Anna Karenina(1948)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Lovers Without Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Novel

  • Celos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Novel

  • Resurrección (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Novel

  • What Men Live By (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Short Story

  • White Nights in Saint Petersburg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Novel

  • Anna Karenina(1935)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • We Live Again(1934)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Woman of the Port (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Story

  • Resurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Novel

  • Resurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Original Story

  • Her Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Short Story

  • Redemption (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Novel

  • The White Devil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Novel

  • The Living Corpse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Theatre Play

  • Cossacks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Novel

  • The Cossacks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Novel

  • Love(1927)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Resurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Novel

  • The Kreutzer Sonata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Story

  • Resurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Novel

  • Die Macht der Finsternis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Theatre Play

  • Auferstehung. Katjuscha Maslowa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Story

  • Man by the Roadside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Novel

  • Résurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Story

  • Polikushka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Story

  • Die Kreutzersonate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Story

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Novel

  • Atonement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Story

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Novel

  • A Corpse Living (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Theatre Play

  • Father Sergius (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Novel

  • Der lebende Leichnam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Story

  • The Living Corpse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Story

  • Resurrezione (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Novel

  • Anna Karenine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Novel

  • Master and Servant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Book

  • The Weakness of Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Theatre Play

  • A Woman's Resurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Novel

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Novel

  • Kreutzer Sonata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Novel

  • Natasha Rostova (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Novel

  • War and Peace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Novel

  • Die Erkenntnis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Book

  • The Kreutzer Sonata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Novel

  • Katyusha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Story

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Novel

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1912)

    Novel

  • Master and Servant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1912)

    Book

  • The Living Corpse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1911)

    Theatre Play

  • The First Distiller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1911)

    Theatre Play

  • Anna Karenina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1911)

    Novel

  • The Kreutzer Sonata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1911)

    Story

  • The Power of Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1909)

    Theatre Play

  • Resurrection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1909)

    Novel

  • Anna K (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Original Story

  • Coming to You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Novel

  • Papa Panov's Special Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Original Story

Career shape

A full career of 155 titles, 151 of them dated from 1909 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Anna Karenina (2012)

$69M worldwide

Highest rated

War and Peace, Part III: The Year 1812 (1967)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Anna Karenina (2012)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 155: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleWriting154 of 155: 151 only writing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndMusic1 of 155: 0 only music, 1 with another roleOther crew2 of 155: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

155 titles, 3 with more than one role — writing and other crew overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1900s2 · crew1910s25 · crew1920s14 · crew1930s10 · crew1940s4 · crew1950s13 · crew1960s16 · crew1970s15 · 1 acting · 14 crew1980s15 · crew1990s6 · crew2000s10 · crew2010s13 · crew2020s8 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Lev Tolstoy's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 20; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 26 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 26 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · writer

Masha i Medvedi (2025)

93rd percentile spread · 51% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

War and Peace, Part III: The Year 1812 (1967)

Midcredits 99th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 55/100 and the plot and story 51/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Lev Tolstoy work with?

People who share at least 2 of Lev Tolstoy's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sergey Bondarchuk shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors