New Delhi, May 27 -- Leo Tolstoy remains one of the most influential literary figures in modern history. Born as Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy in 1828 at Yasnaya Polyana in the Russian Empire, the author went on to shape world literature through novels, philosophical writings and moral reflections that continue to influence readers generations later.

After growing up in an aristocratic family, Tolstoy briefly served in the military before establishing himself as a literary voice of extraordinary depth and realism. His novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina are widely regarded among the greatest works ever written.

Later in life, his focus expanded beyond fiction toward questions of morality, spirituality, nonviolence, education, labour and t...