Nadine Tolstoy

I came across this interesting article about Leo Tolstoy and remembered that Nadine Tolstoy who married one of Leo Tolstoy's sons was one of Meher Baba's Western followers. Here is the article after which I'll write a little about Nadine Tolstoy.

Leo Tolstoy

Quote of the day by Leo Tolstoy: 'Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself'

Leo Tolstoy stands among the most revered and influential literary figures in human history. Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest writers ever to live, he dominated nineteenth-century literature through the sheer breadth and depth of his work. His monumental novels, including War and Peace, Anna Karenina, and Resurrection, reshaped the art of storytelling, while his short fiction such as Alyosha the Pot, After the Ball, and God Sees the Truth but Waits revealed his mastery of moral insight in compact form. Few writers have explored the human condition with such intensity, realism, and philosophical weight.

A Thought That Defined His Worldview

Tolstoy's writings were guided by deep ethical reflection and personal accountability. One of his most enduring observations remains profoundly relevant even today: "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." This idea encapsulates his lifelong struggle with conscience, morality, and self-transformation, themes that recur powerfully throughout his body of work.

Early Life and Personal Loss

Tolstoy was born at Yasnaya Polyana, his family's country estate located near Tula and south of Moscow. He was the fourth of five children born to Count Nikolai Ilyich Tolstoy, a decorated veteran of the Patriotic War of 1812, and Princess Mariya Tolstaya, née Volkonskaya. Tragedy struck early in his life, as he lost his mother at the age of two and his father by the time he was nine, experiences that deeply shaped his emotional and philosophical outlook.

Education and a Restless Youth

In 1844, Tolstoy enrolled at Kazan University to study law and Oriental languages. However, his academic journey was short-lived. Professors viewed him as disengaged and lacking discipline, and he ultimately abandoned his studies midway. Returning to Yasnaya Polyana, he drifted between Moscow, Tula, and Saint Petersburg, living an indulgent and carefree life. During this period of uncertainty, he began to write seriously, producing his first novel, Childhood, published in 1852, a semi-autobiographical exploration of youth and memory.

Realism and Literary Mastery

Tolstoy's fiction is distinguished by its unwavering commitment to portraying Russian society with honesty and depth. The Cossacks offered a vivid depiction of Cossack life through the lens of a Russian nobleman's romantic entanglement. Anna Karenina interwove the tragic fate of a woman constrained by social conventions with the spiritual journey of a landowner seeking purpose through labor and reform. Many of Tolstoy's most iconic characters reflected aspects of his own personality, including Pierre Bezukhov and Prince Andrei in War and Peace, Levin in Anna Karenina, and Prince Nekhlyudov in Resurrection.

Spiritual Awakening and Radical Beliefs

Following Anna Karenina, Tolstoy underwent a profound spiritual transformation. His later works, including The Death of Ivan Ilyich and What Is to Be Done?, articulated a radical Christian philosophy rooted in pacifism, moral purity, and social equality. These beliefs ultimately led to his excommunication from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1901. He came to reject much of Western culture, even criticizing his own celebrated novels as elitist expressions that failed to embody true Christian compassion.

Final Works and Enduring Praise

In Resurrection, Tolstoy exposed the cruelty of institutional systems and condemned the moral failures of organized religion. He also embraced and promoted the economic ideas of Georgism later in life. His influence has endured across generations, earning admiration from countless writers and critics. Virginia Woolf hailed him as the greatest of all novelists, while Gary Saul Morson described War and Peace as the finest novel ever written, securing Tolstoy's place as a timeless literary giant. 

 

Nadine Tolstoy

Now about Nadine:

Background and Identity

Countess Nadine Tolstoy (also referred to as Nadia) was the daughter-in-law of the famous Russian author Count Leo Tolstoy, having married his son, Ilya. She was a Russian émigré who had studied music at the University of Petrograd and spoke several languages. Described as an earnest seeker of Truth interested in mystical literature and esoteric philosophy, she had previously practiced kriya yoga under the guidance of Swami Yogananda.

First Contact and Recognition (1931)

Nadine first met Meher Baba on 19 November 1931 at the Harmon Retreat in New York. Upon seeing him, she exclaimed, "My search is over!". She intuitively recognised him as the Christ and felt he was her "resurrection". During this meeting:

*   Baba told her she had been waiting for him for a long time and that he would help her.

*   He instructed her that the yoga exercises she was practicing were "not for the West" and not for her, signaling a shift to his guidance.

*   To distinguish her from his cousin Naja, Baba changed her nickname from Nadia to Nadine.

She later brought her husband, Ilya, to meet Baba. Ilya was deeply impressed, stating he felt Baba’s divine influence. Ilya passed away a year and a half later, an event which the sources note "freed Nadine to journey to India to be with Baba".

Discipleship and Service in India

Nadine became one of Baba's close Western disciples, joining him on travels and living in his ashrams in India.

Ashram Life and Duties

*   Nasik (1937): Nadine resided at the Nasik ashram where her assigned duties included translating Baba’s life and messages into Russian and assisting other Western disciples like Norina Matchabelli and Ruano Bogislav.

*   Hospital Matron (1938): When Baba established a hospital for women on Meherabad Hill, Nadine served as the Matron under a woman doctor. Baba explained that he gave her this work to teach her the "real spirit of serving — selflessness". She witnessed the "holy wine" of Baba's embrace reviving the hopes of the destitute patients.

*   Bangalore (1939): She lived with the mandali at the "Links" bungalow and participated in public events, delivering speeches about her experiences with Baba at the Bangalore Town Hall and the Indian Institute of Science.

Personality and Baba's View

Baba described Nadine as a "beautiful soul" and promised to repay her for her suffering with permanent bliss. He once commented on her solitary nature within the group, stating she was "most fortunate" because her nature did not agree with anyone else's, forcing her to lean entirely on him rather than on other disciples. He added that she was so loving she would speak for him "even on the top of Mount Everest with only the snow to hear her".

Return to the West and Final Years

Nadine returned to the West in the early 1940s, eventually living in New York with fellow disciples Norina Matchabelli and Elizabeth Patterson. She continued to work for Baba through "life surrender".

Death

Nadine Tolstoy passed away on 14 April 1946, at the age of 62, in Roosevelt Hospital, New York. Upon receiving the news, Meher Baba cabled: "Tell Elizabeth, Nadia lives in me, with me and for me more than ever before". He referred to her as "one of my rocks on whom I can depend".

Although she died in America, Baba left instructions for her tombstone in India (likely for her ashes), ordering the epitaph: "Nadine Tolstoy, her happiness was Baba".

There's more about Nadine at this location.