Tolstoyan movement

The Tolstojaner (Russian Толстовцы, Tolstowzy ) were followers of a around the turn of the century to the 20th century popular form of Christian anarchism and pacifism.

History

Inspired the Tolstojaner were by the works of the writer Leo Tolstoy, in particular from the book The Kingdom of Heaven within you. As the founder of Vladimir Grigoryevich Chertkov Tolstojanismus applies ( 1854-1936 ). Tolstoy himself has protested against the Tolstojanismus life.

The teachings of the Tolstojaner based primarily on Christian principles, especially the Sermon on the Mount. State enterprises, private property and a secular legal system were rejected by them. Tolstojaner subsisted usually exclusively vegetarian or vegan and many of them joined in country municipalities. Both under the Czarist regime and later under the Soviet regime the Tolstojaner were persecuted because of their anarchist and radical pacifist ideas.

The ideas of the Tolstojanismus in the first half of the 20th century a strong influence on intellectuals such as Pierre Ramus, John Ruskin or Mohandas Gandhi and on the Israeli kibbutz movement.

Tolstojaner were often criticized as unrealistic idealists. Amos Oz writes, for example, about from Eastern Europe immigrated to Jerusalem Tolstojaner:

" The Tolstojaner our district (...) were, without exception, all fanatical vegetarian, do-gooders, moral crusader, friends of humanity, friends of every living being, imbued with a deep feeling for nature, and they all longed for the country life. "

From the Christian side, Vladimir Solovyov criticized the tolstojanischen " legal nihilism ".

Comments

• Historical Organization ( Russia)
• Christian anarchism
• Reform
• Pacifism
• History of anarchism