Tolstoy Center on Pyatnitskaya

About museum

In 1981 the house at 12 Pyatnitskaya Street was annexed to the museum. It is an architectural monument of the late 18th century, built in 1789–1795. Particularly interesting is that in 1857–1858 the young Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, who had returned from the Crimean War, lived here. At that time he was already a well-known writer. His sister Maria, her children, and his brother Sergey also lived here. Tolstoy became acquainted with A. N. Ostrovsky, A. A. Fet, M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, B. N. Chicherin, and the Aksakov brothers. In this house he worked intensively on his stories and other works. Today the site hosts thematic and collection exhibitions, children's museum programs, cultural evenings and meetings with cultural figures, and concerts.