Tolstoy must be read carefully: the power of artistic detail discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA Literary Club
A small detail in Leo Tolstoy's prose can reveal a character, convey their inner state and draw the reader into what is happening. The classic author's psychological precision and the need to reread to his works were discussed on 15 September at a meeting of the National Centre RUSSIA Literary Club "What to Read?!", dedicated to the theme "Leo Tolstoy and the Crisis of Modern Man".
The meeting brought together Yevgeny Zharinov, Doctor of Philology and Professor at Moscow Pedagogical State University; Nikolai Zharinov, philologist, cultural scholar and writer; and Stanislav Zharinov, philosopher, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences and Associate Professor at Moscow State University. One of the central topics of the discussion was "The Death of Ivan Ilyich", which Yevgeny Zharinov called one of his favourite works by the writer. According to him, Tolstoy shows with exceptional precision how the protagonist's familiar and outwardly prosperous life collapses in the face of serious illness. Ivan Ilyich suddenly sees his own loneliness, the falseness of his family relationships and the meaninglessness of his habitual bustle.
The details through which Tolstoy conveys this inner realisation are particularly important, the philologist noted. The protagonist recalls not his professional successes or society conversations, but simple sensations from childhood: the rustle of his mother's dress, the smell of a rubber ball. These images return him to a sense of authenticity lost over years of living by the rules of society.
"Tolstoy must be read carefully. He catches you through your own psychology. He even has an essay called 'What Is Art?', where he says that art is based on the principle of infectiousness: through a detail, a small thing, an intonation, you have to infect the reader so that they, together with you, should be creating the story. This creates the effect of a plot that moves by itself. That is the highest level of mastery," said Yevgeny Zharinov.
One of the most important characters in the story is Gerasim, a man who does not turn away from the suffering Ivan Ilyich and helps him without unnecessary words. His simplicity and genuine compassion contrast with the behaviour of the protagonist's relatives and colleagues, for whom illness and death become an uncomfortable reminder of their own mortality.
Yevgeny Zharinov also drew attention to the opening of the story. After Ivan Ilyich's death, his colleagues observe the outward conventions of mourning, yet inwardly feel relief that the tragedy did not happen to them. Tolstoy captures with precision this gap between the social mask and a person's genuine emotional response.
Another striking detail appears at the end: those around Ivan Ilyich are already speaking of his death, yet the writer seems to leave the protagonist a few more moments of life. This brief pause, the philologist emphasised, gives the ending particular depth and leaves room for hope.
The discussion of "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" served as a reminder that Tolstoy's works require slow and attentive reading. In his texts, it is not only the great themes of life, death, family and moral choice that matter, but also a gesture, an intonation, a fleeting memory. It is from such seemingly insignificant elements that the profound psychological world of his characters is built.
The meeting was held as part of the National Centre RUSSIA Literary Club "What to Read?!". The project brings together experts and readers for discussions about literature, reading culture and ideas that continue to resonate with people across generations.
