How to get to the gantry abatis. Yasnaya Polyana and Kozlova Zaseka. Expectations and reality. General impression of Yasnaya Polyana

Yasnaya Polyana... I was looking forward to meeting her with trepidation. It’s just that, oddly enough, Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” is one of my three favorite books (I can add to this list “In the Woods” and “On the Mountains” by Andrei Pechersky, and four books by James Herriot). Of course, I periodically have other favorite books, but this “trinity” has stood the test of time. From time to time I take them out of the closet and re-read them, although I no longer just know the plot, I can quote them.

Therefore, I have a special relationship with Lev Nikolaevich. This is probably why I never stopped at Yasnaya Polyana on the way. And now, finally, I will see her. But as they say, man proposes, but God disposes.
Yasnaya Polyana was to become the biggest disappointment of the Tula trip.

Let's go to the cashier.

And here is the first disappointment. They explained to us that if we want a tour, either wait for 10 more people (judging by the number of people around - that’s two more people, the wait could last for an indefinite amount of time), or pay 3,750 rubles, which is even for four (considering that there are three from the same family) is too large an amount.
To be honest, this approach to individuals in our museums has always “killed” me: the feeling that you must definitely go on an excursion, and if not, then there is no excursion, because an individual one very often costs “exorbitant” money and is not a fact, that they can carry it out for you. Moreover, this is rather the rule of our museums than the exception to it. For me, it’s better to set specific times for excursions than to conduct such “educational” work.
But there’s nothing to do, we just take tickets and go for a walk. Fortunately, there is a son who has already traveled with his class to Yasnaya Polyana, but, as it turned out later, very little remained in his head after this trip (although, remembering myself already at the institute, I can say the same about myself: on such trips communication comes first, and everything else is just “decoration”).

Let's go for a walk in the park. If you put your hand on your heart, an ordinary Central Russian park, if it weren’t for Tolstoy’s name, I definitely wouldn’t go there a second time, it’s all too simple. This is not Konstantinovo, to which I agree to go not for Yesenin, but simply for stunning views. But the park still has its own charm.

We gradually approach the bathhouse. It is closed, so we look inside through the “holes”. I encountered such “closedness” of objects everywhere in Yasnaya Polyana. Very disappointing.

But the living creatures “do not hide.”

Bullfinches.

Squirrel.

Children, cats have children too.

We found a greenhouse, went in and wandered around. As it turned out, we were lucky - after us some woman closed the gate, so the “closedness” continued.

And lemons grow in such greenhouses.

A farewell look at the garden.

And we gradually approached Tolstoy’s house.

There are several wooden buildings near the house.

Well, the entrance to the museum itself is located behind the gate.

I have never seen such museum shoe covers before.

The true owners of the estate.

It was also impossible to film in the house. So that's the only photo.

What I liked about this part of the museum were the drawings with the heroes of War and Peace. It’s interesting to guess: here is Natasha Rostova, this is Pierre, and this is Maria Bolkonskaya. As for the rest, well, somehow nothing. Then the path did not lead to Tolstoy’s grave.

On the way we saw Riga,

And this “handsome” guy.

Tolstoy's grave. Simple, good, without monuments, as the writer wanted. This is how it should be... without pomp.

We walked back through the coachman's house. Vitya and Lyovka decided to look inside through the windows, so they were sent, in the literal sense of the word.

Corral with horses.

General impression of Yasnaya Polyana

The estate itself is huge and relatively well maintained. But for the rest... This whole thing reminds me of “Koshcheya over the Gold”: it’s closed there, don’t go there, don’t look here. And there is no spirit of that time. And the most offensive thing is that there is a name, and tourists, and a rich legacy of Tolstoy’s works. Well, make something out of this so that when my son arrives home, he will demand the writer’s book.
After all, it still exists! It is not difficult to dress the caretakers and museum staff in costumes of this era. Make a historical atelier, a contact area with horses and animals. Play the same “War and Peace”, at least on weekends “meetings” with the heroes. I’m generally silent about the military topic.
Tolstoy is a school. It’s not difficult to do a class, homework, let him pee in ink. The costs are not very large, but what a delight it will be. And so... an old, Soviet museum. And if I can still be satisfied, then our children, raised on the Internet and 3D, alas, do not really like to walk on these. Some understand this, the same Darwinovsky in Moscow, and some live in the old fashioned way, on a name, and this makes you sad...

I thought that we would spend a day in Yasnaya Polyana, but here it’s two hours. So we went to Kozlova Zaseka, a branch of the Tolstoy Museum.

Kozlova Zaseka

Yasnaya Polyana Branch of the Tolstoy Estate Museum- is more modern, and I liked it much more. There we at least felt some spirit of the times.
Kozlova Zaseka– a working station, made to resemble antiquity. There is also a small museum here. This station is closely connected with the name of Tolstoy: it was here that letters were sent for him, and his body was brought here.

For many years we had been planning to visit Yasnaya Polyana, but we still couldn’t get there. Finally, this year it happened.
First of all, we stopped at the Kozlova Zaseka station. It has nothing to do with goats, and received its name from the former governor Daniil Kozlov.
1.

The name of the station dates back to the 14th century, when this place near Tula was located on the southern outskirts of the Moscow principality and was a fence that served to protect against Crimean Tatar raids.
2.

In 1868, the Moscow-Kursk Railway opened and the station closest to Yasnaya Polyana, where Leo Tolstoy lived and worked, was named “Kozlovaya Zaseka”.
3.

This is where the writer’s mail came, this is where he made phone calls. From here he went south in November 1910, where he died at the Astapovo station.
4.

In 1928, in the year of the centenary of the writer’s birth, the station was renamed “Yasnaya Polyana”; in 2001, the historical name was returned.
5. Birch tree planted in honor of this event by the head of the Moscow railway Fadeev and the former governor of the Tula region Starodubtsev.

For this event, the station was restored, stylized as at the end of the 19th century, and the area around the station was also put in order.
6.

7. Let's go inside. It's quite cozy and clean inside.

Not a soul of people. The station is small, passenger trains almost never stop here. The branded train that has been running here from Moscow since 2010 has been cancelled.
8.

9. Telephone booths are idle.

10. You can send a postcard

11. You can go to the boss.

12. Paths near the station

At the end of the station building there is an exhibition “Leo Tolstoy’s Railway”. Just one room, not many exhibits, costs 20 rubles.
13. Swiss travel watch, early 20th century

14. Lineman's lantern

15. Telegraph apparatus. Siemens, by the way.

16. A simple torch device.

17. Travel suitcase

18. Stoker's token

19. A beautiful cane with a head made from a roe deer’s leg.

20. Sweatshirt

21. Another well-worn travel suitcase.

22. Telephone from the beginning of the last century

23. Guide to Crimea. On the topic of the day, so to speak :).

The great Russian writer Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy never liked railways. In his mature years, having survived his “secular” youth, he was a conservative man and at some points opposed many innovations. However, his opinion about the active construction of railways in the Russian Empire was consistently negative - he believed that this element of progress brings only troubles to humanity.

Very soon – on May 20, “Manor Express” will make its second trip outside the Moscow region. We will get acquainted with the Tula estate of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy - the world-famous estate "Yasnaya Polyana" and try to experience all the features of the intimate, bright and surprisingly inspiring family nest of the great writer.

However, our knowledge of the sights of the Tula region associated with the name of Tolstoy will not be limited to Yasnaya Polyana. Passengers of the "Manor Express" will visit the ancient station "Kozlova Zaseka", which for many years played an important role in the life of the writer, and later became one of the starting points on his journey to eternity.

I invite you to the journey of the “Manor Express”, which will take place this weekend, May 20. And on the eve of the trip, I present to your attention a short material about the history of the Kozlova Zaseka station and its role in the fate of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy.

Tolstoy supported his arguments about his dislike for the railway with weighty arguments: firstly, during the construction of railways, the “cheap” route of workers and peasants was always used, many of whom died in the course of their work, and secondly, Tolstoy did not recognize the separation of passenger cars to various “classes” of comfort, considering this an ugly way of self-affirmation for rich people, and, of course, he found something mystical and even sinister in the appearance and atmosphere of locomotives, rails, trains and other important components of the railway infrastructure.

Years later, we may well notice that Lev Nikolaevich’s dislike for the railway was a fateful premonition. And the main station of his life was the Kozlova Zaseka railway platform, located 4.5 kilometers from his Yasnaya Polyana estate. It began operating in 1868. The construction of the station became a necessary logistics solution after the opening of the Moscow-Kursk railway. Leo Tolstoy noted the launch of a railway station almost next to his estate with a traditional – skeptical reaction. However, as if fate itself had decreed that “Kozlova Zaseka” played a huge role in his life.
Meanwhile, the new station opened successfully and became one of the busiest places in the area. “Kozlova Zaseka” received its unusual name in honor of the abatis forests that form an entire defensive line that shelters the Tula lands from enemy raids. And the station received the first part of its composite name thanks to the local governor Danila Kozlov.

5.

The architectural complex of the Kozlova Zaseka station in the 19th century consisted of a goods office, a station, summer ticket offices, a cafeteria, a railway house and other associated buildings. “Kozlova Zaseka” was not distinguished by its rich decor and fancy architectural solutions. However, this station had one unusual stylistic feature that should be noted. The steps of the main building leading to the waiting room were decorated with rails manufactured at the Demidov plant in 1881. This decorative element was very symbolic: it not only indicated the ownership of this building, but also immortalized the name of the famous Tula dynasty of industrialists in the history of the station.

In those years, small stations were centers of social life for residents and visitors of the surrounding area. Here travelers were met and seen off, telegrams were sent and telephone calls were made. Over time, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy also became an active user of the station. At Kozlovaya Zaseka, the Tolstoys received mail, met their friends who came to stay in Yasnaya Polyana, and used the local telephone. “Kozlova Zaseka” regularly became the end and intermediate point of the famous horseback riding and walking tours of the residents of Yasnaya Polyana.

10.

“Kozlova Zaseka” is also known on the other, sad side. Leo Tolstoy had a presentiment that railway stations might play a fatal role in his fate. The mystical prophecy was destined to come true. On November 20, 1910, as a result of an aggravated illness, the great writer died in the house of the head of the Astapovo station.

On November 9, 1910, a mourning train with the body of Leo Tolstoy arrived at the Kozlova Zaseka station. The coffin with the writer's body was met by thousands of people, among whom were his relatives, friends, admirers of his talent and concerned residents of the surrounding area. This moment went down in Russian history forever.

After the revolution, the station continued to operate - in 1928, on the centenary of the birth of the writer, “Kozlov Zaseka” was renamed “Yasnaya Polyana”. Gradually, the importance of this station became less significant, and the ancient buildings themselves began to collapse.

In 2001, Kozlovaya Zasek was returned to its historical name. And soon large-scale restoration work began on the territory of the ancient station. Historians and construction specialists, in accordance with archival photographs and documents, managed to restore the original appearance of the ancient station. Nowadays, “Kozlova Zaseka” fulfills its transport and logistics role, and in the station there is a wonderful museum, a visit to which is an obligatory part of the most complete and elaborate excursion programs to Tolstoy’s places in the Tula region.

When you visit the Yasnaya Polyana estate (especially with your own transport), do not be lazy to make a couple of extra m for p visiting one rather cozy place - railway station of the Moscow railway "Kozlova Zaseka". If you are moving from Tula, then to Yasnaya Polyana you need to turn right from the highway, and to the station - left (there is a sign at the intersection).

What is so attractive about this station?

Firstly, its history. At one time, this place was the outskirts of the Moscow principality, where, to protect against enemy raids, a fence was equipped, which received its name in honor of the governor Ivan Kozlov. In 1868, with the opening of the Moscow-Kursk railway, a railway station of the same name was built on this site. It was closest to L.N.’s estate. Tolstoy "Yasnaya Polyana".

The writer came to the station to make a phone call, all his mail arrived here, his guests came, and it was at this station that the funeral train with the writer’s coffin arrived in 1910.

In 1928 (on the writer's centenary), the station was renamed Yasnaya Polyana.

In 2001, on the initiative of Gennady Matveevich Fadeev (at that time he headed the Moscow Railway), extensive restoration work was carried out at the station using old drawings and on September 9 - L.N.'s birthday. Tolstoy - the grand opening of the station-museum took place, which was returned to its old name - "Kozlova Zaseka".

During the restoration work, the station acquired the appearance it had at the time of the writer’s death....(do not forget that this is an active station, so it is simply impossible to get rid of some attributes of modern life, for example, a contact network, etc.)

During the writer’s life, horses were tied to this fence on the platform...

A poster from those times....

On the station building there are memorial plaques associated with the name of L.N. Tolstoy....

On the right side of the main entrance of the station there is a monument to the writer and the exhibition “The Railway of L.N. Tolstoy” is open...

The station buffet, where you can still have a snack today...

Luggage compartment....

There is a cellar on the square in front of the station

and a drinking well...

You can go inside and sit in the waiting room on the benches of that time, and if you want, buy tickets for some train...

There is also a “consumer corner” here....

And from here you can make a call to a friend (or girlfriend).... At one time, L.N. Tolstoy often came to the station to call someone...

You can also look into the station master's office....

Go to his table and take a closer look at the objects located on it...

(the most interesting thing is the telegraph apparatus...)

On the walls of the office there are photographs related to the history of the station.

And in the bookcase, in a special place, there is a book by G.M. Fadeev "My destiny is the railway." It was thanks to this man that a lot of work was done to reconstruct the station and another one appeared in our country. by an open-air museum where you wouldn’t even be ashamed to bring foreign tourists.