Vera Tolstoy
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1903
Vera Tolstoy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Vera Ilyinichna Tolstaya 1903 Dubrovska, Russian Empire |
| Died | March 29, 1999 (aged 95–96) |
| Occupations | Broadcaster, singer |
| Known for | Granddaughter of Leo Tolstoy, broadcaster for Voice of America |
| Children | 1 |
Vera Tolstoy (née Tolstaya; Russian: Толста́я; 1903 – March 29, 1999) was a Russian-American broadcaster, grandchild of the novelist Leo Tolstoy and the last family member to have a direct connection with him. She lived much of her life in exile following the Russian Revolution.[1][2][3]
Tolstoy was born in Dubrovska, Russia, the daughter of Ilya Tolstoy and Sophia Tolstaya.[2] She spent part of her childhood visiting her grandfather Leo Tolstoy at Yasnaya Polyana, recalling sitting on his knee and hearing him tell stories.[1] After his death in 1910 and the upheavals of the Russian Revolution, Tolstoy and her mother fled the country as part of the wider diaspora of White Russian émigrés. They eventually settled in Czechoslovakia.[2]