‘What I Believe’ banned. Collected Works published by his wife

1885 Tension with his wife over new beliefs. Works closely with Vladimir Chertkov, with whom (and others) he founds a publishing house, The Intermediary, to produce edifying literature for the common folk. Many popular stories written 1885 — 6, including ‘What Men Live By’, ‘Where Love Is, God Is’, ‘Strider’

1886 Walks from Moscow to Yasnaya Polyana in five days. Works on land during the summer. Denounced as a heretic by Archbishop of Kherson ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’, ‘How Much Land Does a Man Need?’, What Then Must We Do?

1887 Meets Leskov ‘On Life’

1888 Anton Chekhov’s The Steppe Renounces meat, alcohol and tobacco. Growing friction between his wife and Chertkov. The Power of Darkness, banned in 1886, performed in Paris

1889 Finishes The Kreutzer Sonata. Begins Resurrection (works on it for ten years)

1890 The Kreutzer Sonata banned, though, following an appeal by his wife to the Tsar, publication is permitted in Collected Works

1891 Convinced that personal profits from writing are immoral, renounces copyright on all works published after 1881 and all future works. His family thus suffers financially, though his wife retains copyright in all the earlier works. Helps to organize famine relief in Ryazan province. Attacks smoking and alcohol in ‘Why Do Men Stupefy Themselves?’

1892 Organizes famine relief. The Fruits of Enlightenment (published 1891) produced at Maly theatre, Moscow

1893 Finishes ‘The Kingdom of God is Within You’

1894 Accession of Tsar Nicholas II. Strikes in St Petersburg Writes preface to a collection of stories by Guy de Maupassant. Criticizes Crime and Punishment

1895 Meets Chekhov. The Power of Darkness produced at Maly theatre, Moscow ‘Master and Man’

1896 Chekhov’s The Seagull Sees production of Hamlet and King Lear at Hermitage theatre, severely critical of William Shakespeare

1897 Appeals to authorities on behalf of Dukhobors, a pacifist religious sect, to whom permission is granted to emigrate to Canada What is Art?

1898 Formation of Social Democratic Party. Dreyfus Affair in France Works for famine relief

1899 Widespread student riots Serial publication of Resurrection (in book form in 1900)

1900 Meets Maxim Gorky, whom he calls a ‘real man of the people’

1901 Foundation of Socialist Revolutionary Party Excommunicated from Orthodox Church for writing works ‘repugnant to Christ and the Church’. Seriously ill, convalesces in Crimea; visitors include Chekhov and Gorky

1902 Finishes ‘What is Religion?’ Writes to Tsar Nicholas II on evils of autocracy and ownership of property

1903 Protests against Jewish pogroms in Kishinev ‘After the Ball’

1904 Russo-Japanese War. Russian fleet destroyed in Tsushima Straits. Assassination of V. K. Plehve, Minister of the Interior Death of Chekhov Death of second eldest brother Sergey. Pamphlet on Russo-Japanese War published in England ‘Shakespeare and the Drama’

1905 Attempted revolution in Russia (attacks all sides involved). Potemkin mutiny. S. Yu. Witte becomes prime minister Anarchical publicist pamphlets Introduction to Chekhov’s ‘Darling’

1908 Tolstoy’s secretary, N. N. Gusev exiled ‘I Cannot be Silent’, a protest against capital punishment

1909 Increased animosity between his wife and Chertkov; she threatens suicide

1910 Corresponds with Mahatma Gandhi concerning the doctrine of non-violent resistance to evil. His wife threatens suicide; demands all her husband’s diaries for past ten years, but Tolstoy puts them in bank vault. Final breakdown of relationship with her.