In what year was Leo Tolstoy born?

Leo Tolstoy was born in 1828.

Tolstoy was born on 9 September 1828 at Yasnaya Polyana, his family estate in Tula Governorate, south of Moscow. He belonged to an old Russian noble family and was the fourth of five children. His parents died while he was still young, so relatives helped raise him.

Tolstoy later became one of the most influential Russian novelists, known especially for War and Peace and Anna Karenina. His life also included military service, educational work, religious searching, and campaigns for moral reform.

A common mix-up concerns the calendar used in Russia at the time. Tolstoy’s birth date is often listed as 28 August 1828 in Old Style dating, while 9 September is the corresponding Gregorian date. The year itself is consistently 1828.