Освещается проблема нравственного и творческого влияния на Л.Н. Толстого его старшего брата Н.Н. Толстого. Рассмотрено взаимоотношение братьев в начале 1850-х гг., когда перед Л.Н. Толстым встал вопрос выбора жизненного пути. Показаны причины разного мировосприятия братьев: старший брат - участник Кавказской войны с 1846 г., младший, Лев -светский человек, не знающий жизни, увлекавшийся призрачными идеалами. Автор обращает внимание на большое значение Кавказа в судьбах братьев Толстых, где началась их литературная деятельность.

The article under consideration is the first attempt to study the impact of Nikolay Tolstoy's personality on the morals and creative work of his younger brother Leo Tolstoy. Till the end of his life the outstanding writer highly appreciated such inner qualities of Nikolenka (the name he was addressed to by the members of his family and friends) as intellect and spirituality. He used to call him "a wonderful man". After Nikolay's death at the age of 37, Leo Tolstoy could never find a man to be so close to him spiritually as his elder brother. The life and literary work of N.N. Tolstoy have never been the subject of a thorough scientific investigation in the history of literary studies. There is a sufficient source base comprising Leo Tolstoy's diaries and letters where the notes concerning his brother occupy much space. The epistolary heritage of N.N. Tolstoy includes 46 letters to L.N. Tolstoy and four literary works. Biographical and comparative studies of these sources contribute to the creation of the image of N.N. Tolstoy. The lessons of morality perceived from his elder brother in his youth supported the writer to the rest of his life. L. Tolstoy's diaries and letters contain numerous recollections and considerations about the life and personality of his elder brother. The scale of the creative impact of N. Tolstoy on his brother could be measured by the period of half a century length from the novella "Childhood" till the last literary masterpiece "Hadji Murad", where some pages from Nikolay's military career were reflected. The 1850s were not a simple period in the life of Leo Tolstoy. During that period of time he was longing to get into Moscow higher society, make acquaintances with influential people and get benefits of a successful marriage. Having come on holiday, his brother officer persuaded him to leave Moscow and all his worries and to go to the Caucasus together with him. An abrupt change in his mode of life had a positive influence on Leo Tolstoy. He discovered the ability to spiritual and philosophical contemplations in himself, he started to understand and love people despite their social position in the society and education. On this way his brother, who never expressed his criticism and scorn on people, served him as a vivid example. In the Caucasus he started writing his first literary work "Childhood". It was his brother who recommended him to send the novella to the popular literary magazine Sovremennik. The publication of this piece was a great success and marked the beginning of his literary fame. The atmosphere of the Caucasus also stimulated Nikolay Tolstoy to try his literary pen. In 1851, on his way from Tiphlis to the settlement (stanitsa) Starogladovskaya he wrote his travel sketches in the letter. According to the style, content and places described his sketches have much in common with A. Pushkin's ones - "Travel to Arzrum". Every day life, customs and traditions of people inhabiting the Caucasus gave him material for writing two more pieces of literature: the sketches "Hunting in the Caucasus" and the novella "Plastun". Till the end of his life Leo Tolstoy considered his moral and exemplary brother to be the greatest inspiration of his spiritual and creative talents.