What was the name of Leo Tolstoy’s wife before marriage?

Leo Tolstoy’s wife before marriage was Sofya Behrs.

Sofya Behrs, also known as Sofya Tolstaya, married Tolstoy in 1862. She was the daughter of Andrei Behrs, a physician in Moscow, and was eighteen when she married the thirty-four-year-old writer. Her name is transliterated in several ways, including Sophia Behrs and Sofya Bers.

Sofya played a major practical role in Tolstoy’s literary life. She copied manuscripts, managed household affairs, handled correspondence, and helped oversee publication and family finances. Her diaries also provide an important firsthand source about their marriage and domestic life.

The couple had thirteen children, five of whom died in childhood. Their relationship was often strained, especially over Tolstoy’s religious ideas, property views, and growing rejection of aristocratic privilege. Nevertheless, Sofya remained central to the preservation and publication of his work.