On October 31, the opening ceremony of the "Leo Tolstoy and His World" joint exhibition was held in Guangzhou, marking the first stop of a tour spanning Guangzhou, Foshan, and Shenzhen.

Readers visit the exhibition site.

The exhibition featured over 200 rare photographs (electronic reprint editions) from the Russian National Museum of Literature, marking the first time the museum has brought a Tolstoy collection of this scale to China for exhibition.

During the opening ceremony, Guangzhou Library received a special donation: a statue of Leo Tolstoy created by Russian sculptor Grigory Viktorovich Pototsky. The statue is now permanently displayed in the Multicultural Library on the 8th floor of the Library's North Building, serving as a testament to the cultural exchange between Russia and China.

The unveiling ceremony of the Tolstoy statue is held at the Library.

The exhibition presents a chronological exploration of the literary giant's life and work through a wealth of photographs, manuscript excerpts, personal letters, and other valuable materials. Visitors can trace Tolstoy's journey from his birth and education to his military service, later years of establishing schools, building a family, and dedicating himself to literary creation, culminating in his death at the Astapovo Station (now known as Leo Tolstoy Station).

Two guests introduce the exhibition to the audience.

The exhibition also delves into Tolstoy's daily life, revealing his routines, hobbies, relationships with literary figures like Turgenev and Chekhov, and heartwarming moments with his family—many of which are little-known to the public.

A highlight of the exhibition is the extensive collection of Tolstoy's portraits, spanning from his youth at 21 years old (1849) to his later years at 82 (1910). This includes a rare color photograph of Tolstoy (electronic reprint edition), as well as works by renowned Russian painter Ilya Repin and photographer Fyodor G. Chertkov.

A reader flips through Tolstoy's family albums (electronic reprint edition) at the exhibition.

The left photo shows a color portrait of Tolstoy taken in 1908 (electronic reprint edition).

Readers are viewing photos of Tolstoy taken by Fyodor G. Chertkov at the exhibition.

As an extension of the exhibition, the "Tolstoy and China" section was unveiled on the opening day, providing insights into Tolstoy's influence and connections with China.

In conjunction with the exhibition, visitors can explore Tolstoy's works in five languages—Russian, English, French, Spanish, and Chinese—during the accompanying book fair.

The "Tolstoy and China" section is on display.

The Tolstoy-themed book exhibition is underway.

Books on display are available for viewing.

The exhibition will remain at the Guangzhou Library until December 28. During this period, the Library will host a series of public events. More details will be available through official channels, including the WeChat account "广图多元文化馆 (pinyin: guang tu duo yuan wen hua guan)." All are welcome to participate.

The exhibition is jointly organized by the libraries of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Foshan, in collaboration with the Russian National Museum of Literature and the China Cultural Center in Moscow.

Photo | Guangzhou Library