Biography of Famous Vegetarians Count Leo Tolstoy

About the famous Russian vegetarian and writer Count Leo Tolstoy, history and biography of the man.

COUNT LEO NIKOLAEVICH TOLSTOI. 1828-1910. Russian.

--Born into a wealthy family but chose to champion the cause of the poor. Opposed war and religious intolerance. Preached a simple religious creed of brotherhood, equality, and humility. Author whose works include War and Peace, Anna Karenina, and the Death of Ivan Ilyich.

--Ate no flesh, fish, or fowl but lived mainly on vegetables, fruits, porridge, and bread. Rejected eggs, butter, and lard. Did not smoke and drank water in preference to alcoholic beverages. Said that "Vegetarianism serves as a criterion by which we know that the pursuit of moral perfection on the part of man is genuine and sincere. . . ."