LiteraTourism?

By: Pawel Kaminski, Radio LOTTE Weimar

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21st December 2004
Vladimir Tolstoy visits Weimar

Vladimir Tolstoy, a director of National Museum of his world known ancestor Leo Tolstoy, has visited Weimar. Discussion with hosts of the 1999 European City of Culture showed that both, Weimar and Yasnaya Polyana a birthplace of Russian writer, share not only similar problems, but also common perspectives. In November Tolstoy visited Stratford-on-Avon, the city of William Shakespeare. Now all are looking forward to cooperation.

What are first associations with such names as Stratford-on-Avon/ Weimar/ Yasnaya Polyana? -Shakespeare/Goethe/Tolstoy? Most likely.

Each year, the three old cities receive thousands of literature admirers from all over the world. It happens that their intellectual researches involve down-to-earth problems. The Leo Tolstoy Museum-Estate, as well as the Foundation Weimar Classic and Art Collections next to care for invaluable collections, run also information points, accommodation service etc. How to ensure relevant infrastructure and preserve unique character of those cradles of world literature at the same time? This became one of the subjects of conversation. On the second day of the visit, Dr Volkhardt Germer, the mayor of Weimar, the representatives of the Foundation Weimar Classic and Art Collections together with Vladimir Tolstoy have agreed to start an educational youth exchange program and organise literary conferences. It was mentioned that Leo Tolstoy is amongst ten most poplar writers in Germany.

His great-great-grandson Vladimir (42) has been a director of The State Memorial and Natural Preserve Leo Tolstoy Museum-Estate for ten years. He has been an expert of the Managing Department of museums in the Culture Ministry of Russian Federation, a Member of the International Council of Museums, a Member of the Union of Russian Museums. He is an experienced journalist as well.

all photos by Burkhardt Kolbmueller