The image of a shirt in the novels and life of Leo Tolstoy: formulation of the problem

The paper focuses on the image of rubashka (a shirt) recurring in different contexts in the creative and epistolary works of Leo Tolstoy including his letters, diaries, and notes. The author addresses the methodologies utilized in current research concerning the poetics of the wardrobe of literary characters. The analysis corroborates the significance of the image, thereby underscoring the emphasis on these descriptive elements through the entire corpus. This study investigates the multiple roles and cultural settings of the rubashka image throughout history, with future research planned to provide further detailed analysis. The image in question proves to serve a dual purpose: as a character portrait and as a symbolic plot device, indicating significant transitions in social status (advancement, financial shifts, marriage) or biological status (birth, illness, or death. Also noted is the relationship between the imagery of rubashka and kaftan in the context of Tolstoy’s philosophy of “non-resistance to evil by violence” (a concept rooted in biblical teachings and frequently appearing in his literary and personal writings). It is of significance that rubashka becomes central to the visual representation of the writer. Many portraits, photographs, and videos feature Leo Tolstoy in his well-known tolstovka , a simple shirt that came to symbolize his philosophical perspective. The material of artistic works, including the novels “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina,” confirms the conceptualization of using a shirt as a symbolic act by Leo Tolstoy, as demonstrated by his autobiographical images and their projections.

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