Loved and hated: Tolstoy’s attitude towards Anna Karenina discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA Literary Club

Anna Karenina remains one of the most complex and contradictory characters in Leo Tolstoy's work. The writer sympathised with his heroine, argued with her and tried to understand her inner world all at once. This was the subject of a meeting of the National Centre RUSSIA Literary Club "What to Read?!" on 15 September.

The meeting "Leo Tolstoy and the Crisis of Modern Man" was timed to coincide with the writer's birthday. The discussion featured Yevgeny Zharinov, Doctor of Philology and Professor at Moscow Pedagogical State University; philologist, cultural scholar and writer Nikolai Zharinov; and philosopher Stanislav Zharinov, Candidate of Philosophy and Associate Professor at Moscow State University.

Nikolai Zharinov noted that the novel "Anna Karenina" shows just how difficult it can be for a person to understand themselves. Our perception of the world is shaped by family, upbringing, social norms and the expectations of others. What interested Tolstoy above all, however, was the individual trying to hear their own voice amid countless outside influences.

The philologist paid particular attention to the author's own attitude towards the novel's main character. According to him, the writing process involved a constant inner dialogue between the writer and the character he had created. Tolstoy's diaries reveal how his attitude towards Anna changed, from love and compassion to irritation and rejection.

"Anna Karenina was an extremely complex character for Tolstoy. He both loved and hated Anna. In his diaries, Leo Tolstoy first writes that he loves her, then that he is already fed up with her. And in the end, he arrives at an astonishing thought: 'I have adopted Anna.' In other words, it is as if she became part of his family," said Nikolai Zharinov.

According to the expert, this contradiction is precisely where the novel's artistic power lies. Anna lives under certain illusions, including those connected with her feelings for Vronsky, yet at the same time she possesses a rare ability to understand people deeply and respond sensitively to art.

Nikolai Zharinov recalled the scene in which Anna meets Levin. Seeing her for the first time, he immediately feels a profound human affection for her, almost as though she were someone close to him. Another important detail is Anna's portrait, painted by an artist in Italy: it captures not only her appearance, but also her inner magnetism.

Tolstoy therefore does not offer the reader a straightforward judgement of Anna Karenina. He shows her vulnerability, mistakes, sincerity and ability to inspire sympathy. That is why the novel continues to be an important conversation about love, freedom, responsibility and the complexity of human nature.

The meeting was held as part of the National Centre RUSSIA Literary Club "What to Read?!". The Club brings experts and readers together to discuss literary legacy, reading culture and ideas that continue to influence people and society across generations.