Russia Has Every Right to Defend Its Values

Russia is righteous when defending its position and values, said Director of the State Museum of Leo Tolstoy and his great-great-grandson Vladimir Tolstoy.

"If the world is so globally divided today and holds polar views on issues of war and peace, good and evil, morality and immorality, then Russia has the right to defend its position, values, and notions about who conducts activities for global peace in a dignified manner,” he said.

Vladimir Tolstoy will be a member of the award jury of the International Peace Prize named after Leo Tolstoy. The laureate will be a person or organization engaged in peacekeeping efforts, significantly contributing to ending the arms race, building a multipolar world, strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation among peoples, and countering the threat of a third World War.

Tolstoy's great-great-grandson believes that it was military experience that made his ancestor an epitome of peace philosophy.

“[Leo] Tolstoy experienced war firsthand, serving as an officer and artilleryman defending Russian Sevastopol and Crimea. He participated in military events in the Caucasus and even outside Russia, on the Danube in Silistra. He was close to death and could have been captured multiple times. He saw death and the massive loss of life. He knew what he was talking and writing about from personal experience," he stressed.

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Vladimir Tolstoy believes that pacifism may be politically challenging sometimes since malevolent players may try to take advantage of you. He stressed that the philosophical principle of “non-resistance to violence” can be successfully used – with limits.

“Mahatma Gandhi, who considered Tolstoy his teacher and corresponded with him, was guided by this principle [non-resistance to violence]. Gandhi built his successful policy overcoming colonial dependence on it. Unfortunately, non-resistance also has a downside: leaders in India who followed this path were sometimes assassinated. Today, we also see political murders or assassination attempts."

Russia Has Every Right to Defend Its Values – Leo Tolstoy's Descendant