What lessons can we draw from Leo Tolstoy's anti-war ideology and his life in relation to the current Russo-Ukrainian War? In this piece, I would like to revisit the anti-war peace philosophy of world-renowned author Leo Tolstoy - an enduring source of pride for both Russians and Ukrainians, the direct parties to this conflict - as a potential path toward ending the ongoing war. Why do both supporters and opponents of Tolstoy invoke his legacy in their struggles? There are various reasons, such as international affairs, resource wars, ethnic conflicts, and territorial disputes. In this era of war and violence, let us reengage with the pacifist ideals of Tolstoy and reflect on the future of Korea-Russia relations in the pursuit of peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Both supporters and opponents of the Russo-Ukrainian War are invoking Tolstoy to express their stances. Putin's supporters are citing Tolstoy to lend authority to their war, while his critics are referencing Tolstoy to challenge the war’s legitimacy. Tolstoy's novel War and Peace has become both a favorite novel of the invaders and a firm symbol of anti-war sentiment.
From the reader's point of view, the ideological battle has become a confrontation between two Tolstoys: 'Tolstoy vs. Tolstoy'. This could mean 'Saint Tolstoy vs. Warrior Tolstoy', 'Writer Tolstoy' vs. 'Thinker Tolstoy', 'Tolstoy the Author of War and Peace' vs. 'Tolstoy the Author of Resurrection ', or even 'Patriot Tolstoy' vs. Anarchist Tolstoy'. Depending on their political inclinations, supporters emphasize different facets of the same author’s life, from his youth to his later years.
In his youth, Tolstoy was a passionate patriot who participated in the Crimean War to protect his country; he later wrote War and Peace based on his experiences. During World War II, Stalin gave a special order to widely distribute War and Peace to inspire and encourage patriotism among Russian soldiers. In his later years, Tolstoy opposed war and advocated for military service refusal. He even sold his novel Resurrection to directly help the Dukhobors, a group of conscientious objectors, immigrate to Canada.
He declared, “Throw War and Peace in the trash can!” and asserted, “Patriotism is war.” In 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War, Tolstoy appealed for an “unconditional cessation of war” in the name of humanity, aligning with neither Russia or Japan. Tolstoy harshly criticized his own government, calling the Tsar a “cruel and insane dictator,” politicians “bandits and thieves,” and priests “parasites sucking the blood of Jesus.”
Tolstoy urged, “Love unconditionally” and “Love your enemy as yourself” in his fight against the evils of war, but he must have understood that this contradicted the laws of love that he himself advocated.
Through Tolstoy's anti-war thoughts and lessons, we should ask ourselves how much we have contributed to creating world peace and peace on the Korean Peninsula. Ultimately, the absolute task of “peace on the Korean Peninsula” should be central to the future restoration and management of relations between Russia and Korean at government level. (This article is a summary of the paper presented by the author at the 136th Humanities Seminar of KU.)
