Tolstoy "American": the count who traveled around the world on foot

A duelist, a bully, an adventurer with an unpredictable character, a gambling cheater, but also a loyal friend, an educated speaker, a desperate warrior, Fedor Tolstoy "The American" became a legend during his lifetime. Why didn’t they tell about his adventures?

However, the main adventure, thanks to which he was dubbed the "American" and which provided him with fame, began on board the Ivan Kruzenshtern's Nadezhda when Fedor Tolstoy got on his first Russian round-the-world trip.

What purpose did the expedition go around the world

In 1803, a round-the-world expedition was sent, headed by Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern and his friend Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky. The goals were not only geographical. This expedition was actively supported by the Russian-American company, which sought to find a more convenient and shorter route to Russian America, Alaska. In addition, on the instructions of the emperor of the expedition, the task was to establish trade and diplomatic relations with Japan.

The expedition was equipped with a really big one. But Kruzenshtern achieved that only Russian sailors participated in the voyage, which was new: before that, it was customary to hire British sailors. In addition, several "well-mannered persons" from St. Petersburg were invited on board.

How Fedor Tolstoy got on board

How among the "well-bred persons" by that time was already the famous Breter Tolstoy, it is not entirely clear. His cousin, also Fedor Tolstoy, was invited to the voyage. However, he suffered from seasickness, moreover, the young man had an artistic gift. So he did not show much zeal to spend the next three to four years on board the ship. But Fedor "The American" was already "naughty": he was facing another punishment in the Preobrazhensky regiment, where he served. With the help of relatives, one Fedor was replaced by another and so successfully that no one found a substitution, even the expedition commander Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern himself.

However, Kruzenshtern subsequently had a great regret about the participation of Fedor Tolstoy in the expedition. The fact is that Tolstoy’s wild and wild disposition did not allow him to spend time calmly on board. A prisoner on the ship, he got bored, so he zealously engaged in "pranks" and "leprosy." He quarreled with almost all the members of the team, argued with the captain, fell out with insulting jokes at some people. Two cases became especially famous.

Once he watered a priest and glued his beard to the deck, sealed with a state seal. The priest, waking up, agreed to cut off his beard (since there was a severe punishment for damage to the state press). And another time, he bought a monkey at one of the stops. Together with her, he sneaked into the cabin of Captain Kruzenshtern and taught the monkey how to pour ink on the papers of the captain. When he returned, all his records were destroyed.

After this event, Tolstoy, who had previously received punishment for his behavior, was landed overboard on one of the islands in Russian America with his monkey. There he wandered for two months. Moreover, according to his stories, the inhabitants of that land even offered him to be their leader, but, to their happiness, Tolstoy did not accept the offer and decided to look for a way home. On the passing ship he reached Kamchatka, and from there on foot, on horses, along the rivers, in general, as best he could, he got to St. Petersburg.

So if Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky went down in history as the first Russians to circumnavigate the world, then Tolstoy "American" (who received the nickname for his stay in Russian America ") made half of their circumnavigation on foot.

What did Tolstoy do next

He returned to Petersburg Tolstoy in 1805. However, by order of Alexander I, they were not allowed to enter the capital for scandalous behavior during the expedition, they were expelled from the Preobrazhensky regiment and transferred to a small fortress to serve. However, after some time, he still had to take part in the Napoleonic wars and in the Patriotic War of 1812. Wild and wild temper appeared here, however, in a completely different direction. The desperate courage and heroism of Tolstoy ensured him the forgiveness of the emperor, his return to the Preobrazhensky regiment and the receipt of the Order of St. George of the 4th degree. After the war, he withdrew from military affairs and almost all the time began to live in Moscow. Then he indulged in his two main hobbies - playing cards and dueling, and often shot because of cheating at cards, which the American himself admitted: he used to say that he did not like to rely on fate, you need to play for sure.

Already during his lifetime he was a legendary person. An educated and vibrant speaker, he made friends with all the outstanding people of that time: Pushkin, Griboedov, Zhukovsky, Baratynsky, Batyushkov. Many of them wrote off some heroes from him or inserted references to him in works. And the cousin of the "American", Lev Nikolaevich, was very proud of his uncle, and he also served as the prototype of some of his heroes.

In 1821, Tolstoy "American" married gypsy Avdotya Maximovna Tugaeva. And he lived with her in marriage until the end of his days. She bore him 12 children, but only one daughter survived to adulthood. Tolstoy considered this a punishment. In duels, he killed 11 people. And 11 of his children died when they were very young. He suffered greatly because of the death of everyone, considering it his fault. And by the end of his life he became a very religious person.

Watch the video: LITERATURE: Leo Tolstoy (April 2024).