The Russian tradition of duelling, which originated in Western-Europe, reached its peak in the 19th century. By then, it was common not only for military officers but also for civilians (especially the nobility and intellectuals) to engage in pistol duels as a means of defending one's honour. Apart from writing about duels in their literary works, several Russian authors also participated in them, and a few even died as a result. Poet Alexander Pushkin was an experienced duellist, but his duel against the French military officer and politician Georges d'Anthès in 1837 ultimately proved fatal. Four years later, the promising poet and novelist Mikhail Lermontov also died in a duel, at only 26 years of age.
In May 1861, an incident nearly led to a duel between two of Russia's most famous authors, Leo Tolstoy (War and Peace, 1869; Anna Karenina, 1878) and Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons; 1862). They had met in the 1850s, with the older Turgenev taking Tolstoy, then an emerging writer, under his wing. Despite different worldviews and characters, the men admired each other and developed a friendship that, while complicated, lasted for most of their lives.
The incident leading up to their near-duel took place at the house of their mutual friend, Russian poet Afanasy Fet. On the morning of 27 May 1861, Tolstoy criticised Turgenev for the way he was bringing up his daughter, at which Turgenev took offence and threatened to strike him. On the surface, things seemed calm when they eventually left Fet's place, but shortly thereafter Tolstoy sent Turgenev a letter with a demand for satisfaction. It was the first in a series of letters exchanged between the two authors, with Tolstoy later challenging Turgenev to a duel and Turgenev being mostly apologetic and blaming himself for what had happened. The affair dragged on for many more months, even into early 1862, and at one point Turgenev also sent Tolstoy a challenge for a duel which he later retracted.
[Turgenev to Tolstoy] L. N. Tolstoy. Dear Sir — In answer to yours I can only repeat what I considered it my duty to declare at Fet's house. Being carried away by a feeling of animosity which I could not help, and the causes of which it is useless to enter into, I offended you without any positive provocation on your part, and I asked pardon for it. What happened this morning shows clearly that all attempts at rapprochement between such different natures as mine and yours will lead to no good, and I do my duty to you the more willingly as this letter will probably be the last sign of any relations between us. With all my heart I trust it will satisfy you, and I give my consent beforehand to any use you may care to make of it.With my respects, I have the honor to remain your faithful servant, Iv. Turgenef.Spasskoye, May 27, 1861.
[Tolstoy to Fet] I could not refrain from opening yet another letter from Turgenef in answer to mine. I wish you all that is good in your relations with this man, but I despise him. I have written to him, and now have nothing more to do with him, except so far as, should he desire it, to give him satisfaction. Notwithstanding all my apparent indifference, I did not feel at my ease, and I felt that I ought to demand from Turgenef a more positive apology, which I did in my letter from Novosyolky. Here is his answer, which I accepted as satisfactory, merely answering that the grounds upon which I excuse him are not opposite features in our characters, but — such as he can himself understand.
Besides this, owing to his delay, I have sent another letter in rather harsher terms and with a challenge: to this I have received no answer, but, if I do receive one, I will send it to you unopened. So this is the end of an unfortunate business; if it gets beyond the threshold of your house, please let it pass with this accompaniment.
[Turgenev to Tolstoy] Your servant says that you desire to receive an answer to your letter, but I don't see what I can add to what I have said already. Maybe, when I acknowledge your right to demand satisfaction by arms, you will prefer to be satisfied with my expressed and repeated apology. As to that, it is for you to choose. I can say without affectation that I would willingly face your fire in order to wipe out the effect of my really insane words. The fact of my saying what I did is so foreign to the habits of all my life that I can ascribe it to nothing but the irritation caused by the extreme and constant antagonism of our views. This is not an apology, I mean, not a justification, but an explanation. Such incidents being ineffaceable and irreparable, I consider it my duty, in parting from you forever, to repeat once more that in this affair you were right and I was wrong. Let me add, that it is no question of my willingness or unwillingness to show myself a brave man simply, but whether I acknowledge your right to challenge me to a duel — according to usual formalities, of course, i. e., with seconds — as well as to forgive me. You have chosen what you prefer, and to me remains to abide by your decision.
Again allow me to assure you of my respect.
IV. TURGENEF.
[Turgenev to Fet; 8 November 1861] By the by, 'one more tale, the last one,' concerning the unfortunate affair with Tolstoy. On my way through St. Petersburg I heard from 'reliable people' (Oh, those reliable people !) that copies of the last letter of Tolstoy to me, the one in which he 'despises' me, are circulating all over Moscow, and that these copies are spread about by Tolstoy himself. This made me very angry, and I have sent him a challenge from here for the time of my return to Russia. Tolstoy replied that the circulation of copies is a sheer fiction, and at the same time enclosed a letter in which he asked forgiveness and renounced his challenge. Of course this must put an end to the affair, and I only ask you to inform him (for he writes that my address to him on my part he would consider an offence) that I renounce my challenge and so on, and I hope that all this is buried forever. His letter (the apologetic one) I destroyed, but the other one, which, according to him, had been sent through the bookseller Davidof, I have not received at all. And now to all this affair de profundis.
[Turgenev to Fet; 7 January 1862] And now, to ask a plain question: have you seen Tolstoy? Only to-day have I got the letter he sent me in September through the bookstores of Davidof (the punctuality of Russian tradesmen is remarkable indeed !). In this letter he speaks of his intention to offend me, apologizes, etc. But almost at the same time, in consequence of different gossip, of which, I believe, I informed you, I had sent him my challenge, etc. All this drives one to the conclusion that our constellations move discordantly in the ether, and it would be best for us, as he proposes, not to meet. But you may write, or tell him (when you see him) that, without phrases and witticisms, I like him very much at a distance, I respect him and watch his career with sympathy, but when we come together everything takes a different aspect. It cannot be helped ! We must go on living as if we existed on different planets or in different ages.
While the duel never happened, the men stopped communicating with each other for nearly seventeen years. It wasn't until the spring of 1878 that Tolstoy decided to write to Turgenev, who eagerly accepted Tolstoy's outstretched hand to renew their friendship. When Turgenev died in 1883, Tolstoy deeply lamented his death and remarked to a fellow writer: "He was till the end of his life an independent, inquiring spirit; and notwithstanding our temporary breach, I always highly esteemed him and warmly loved him".
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