What is the title of Tolstoy’s 1886 novella about a dying judge?

The Death of Ivan Ilyich is Tolstoy’s 1886 novella about a dying judge.

The story centres on Ivan Ilyich Golovin, a successful Russian judicial official whose comfortable life is interrupted by a mysterious illness. As his condition worsens, he confronts physical pain, fear, social expectations, and the possibility that he has lived according to shallow conventions rather than genuine values.

Tolstoy published the novella in 1886, after a period of intense religious and philosophical reflection. The narrative examines mortality without relying on a heroic adventure or supernatural plot. Its force comes from the contrast between Ivan’s outwardly respectable career and his inward crisis.

The title is sometimes shortened in conversation to Ivan Ilyich, but that name identifies the character, not the complete work. The novella is also distinct from Tolstoy’s other late works, including Father Sergius and Hadji Murat.