What illness caused Leo Tolstoy’s death in 1910?

Pneumonia caused Leo Tolstoy’s death in 1910.

After leaving his estate secretly in October 1910, Tolstoy became ill during the journey. He stopped at Astapovo railway station, where the stationmaster’s house was turned into a temporary sickroom. Doctors diagnosed pneumonia, and his condition worsened over several days.

Tolstoy died at Astapovo on 20 November 1910, aged 82. News of his illness drew journalists, relatives, officials, and admirers to the station. His death became an international event because he was one of the most famous writers and moral thinkers of his era.

The railway station was later renamed Lev Tolstoy in his honor. Tolstoy’s body was transported to Yasnaya Polyana, where he was buried in the forest near the “Green Stick,” a place associated with a story from his childhood. His burial was simple and did not include an Orthodox religious ceremony.