😎 198 years ago today, Leo Tolstoy was born – one of Russia’s greatest writers and one of the most influential figures in world literature. His stories about love, family, war and human nature have been read and admired far beyond Russia, including in Britain. Born in 1828 at Yasnaya Polyana, Tolstoy lived many lives: aristocrat, soldier, teacher and social thinker. His masterpieces, War and Peace and Anna Karenina, turned the experiences and struggles of ordinary people into stories of universal importance. By the late 19th century, English translations had made Tolstoy a major literary figure in Britain. His ideas about non-violence, simple living and social equality also inspired a small but active Tolstoyan movement, with groups in London, Manchester, Leeds and elsewhere. Tolstoy’s works have continued to find new readers in the UK. His novels are regularly reissued and translated, while British publishers, theatres and broadcasters keep bringing his masterpieces to new audiences. From the BBC’s War and Peace, starring a young Anthony Hopkins in 1972, to the 2016 adaptation with Paul Dano, Lily James and James Norton, his stories have repeatedly returned to British screens. Anna Karenina has also been adapted several times, including Joe Wright’s 2012 film starring Keira Knightley. Nearly two centuries after his birth, Tolstoy's characters still feel remarkably close to us – proof that great literature can cross borders, languages and generations.