A.N. Tolstoy’s Library as a Creative Laboratory of the Writer: Sources of the Novel Peter the Great

Abstract

The article examines the personal library of the writer A.N. Tolstoy as a unique source of the historical novel Peter the Great. Its significance lies in the fact that the writer formed it purposefully. He acquired books to prepare for the creation of works of art and, above all, the largest part of the book collection for the novel Peter the Great. For the first time, the study of the “Petrovsky collection” was undertaken due to Tolstoy’s method of working with sources. He carefully read it and made notes in the margins with blue, red, or a simple pencil to later use this material in a work of fiction. He highlighted not only historical realities (dates, events, descriptions of real persons) but also emphasized names and speech patterns, used characterization of the relationship of characters (for example, Peter and Anna Mons), interpretations of the actions of historical persons and psychological motivations indicated in the source (in particular, related to the beginning of the relationship between Peter and Catherine). The books stored in the book fund of the Vladimir Dahl Russian State Literary Museum, lists of literature from the writer’s archive at the Manuscript Department of IWL RAS, and notes indicating the book’s author and page, extracts from historical sources, as well as articles, interviews and statements in the periodical press give some idea of the composition of Tolstoy’s library.

Keywords

• a.n. tolstoy
• peter the great novel
• writer’s library
• historical sources
• creative laboratory
• the writer’s archive.