Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy is one of those great godly men whose names have been written in fiery characters not only on the pages of historical records, but also on the souls of all thinking and cultured people.

Such great godly men visit our earth only very seldom, but the light which they bring with them to the world is so strong and bright that it is not extinguished during thousands of years. It is by this light that the people are living.

There were not many such godly men. To their number belong the Buddha, Socrates, and the Christ.

They have all lived many centuries ago, but the light which they have brought will go on shining just as before. It cannot go out, for it is as eternal as life itself.

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Leo Tolstoy was also one of the great godly men. His name will also never be forgotten. His name is dear not only to Russian people, but to all humanity. Therefore we cannot say that Tolstoy belongs only to us, that he is our own Russian godly man. If we would reason like that, the Hindus could claim the Buddha as exclusively theirs, and the Greeks would have the perfect right to maintain that Socrates belongs only to them.

All truth is universal. Truth stands above all nations and races. Therefore the great bearers of the truth cannot belong exclusively to one nation. They belong to the whole human race. Hence we cannot think of Tolstoy as belonging only to us.

Tolstoy's birthday is a day that should be celebrated by every cultured man or woman. This day should be considered by all cultured people as a great holiday. On this day the people should honor Tolstoy not only as a great master of literary achievement, but also as a great knower of the human soul and a great champion of justice.

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It is well known that Leo Tolstoy was a relentless enemy of all social injustices and of all violence committed by one man against another. Therefore he rejected all political power based on force, all subjugation of one group of man by another. He never called himself an anarchist, but his teaching was anarchistic. He was telling the people that they would be free only when they would live in accordance with the commandments of the Great Teacher, Jesus Christ. Tolstoy was the last true apostle of the Christ. Human personality he regarded as the highest thing in the world. He says that man is a son of God, and that therefore he should recognize only one power, - the power of his Divine Father. As to the power of one man over another, - Tolstoy rejected this kind of power in all its manifestations and forms. That man have not started yet to live according to the teaching of Tolstoy is explained solely by the fact that Tolstoy's teaching, just like the teaching of Christ, is beyond the masses. Though the people of our time call themselves Christians they do not live as Christians should live. And that is why we do not see freedom and justice in our social life.

Tolstoy's solution of the social problem is thus very simple, but in this 4very simplicity great wisdom is being shown. Tolstoy said: "Learn to know the true teaching of Christ, and that teaching will make all of you free." Tolstoy belonged to the rich class and during the first half of his life he led the kind of life that rich men usually lead. But, like Dante, having gone half-way through his earthly career, he reached a great "forest," the forest of social injustice, and he had to cross all the circles of our earthly inferno. And only after that he saw the divine light of the paradise.

This light of eternal truth illumined Tolstoy's soul, and he became a great preacher of truth and justice. After this spiritual transfiguration all men became close and dear to him; and quite especially so all the oppressed and wronged. He became the champion of all these unfortunate people and stood for them against all injustice to the last day of his life.

Tolstoy's heart was full of love. He loved all men. And he alone, after St. Francis of Assisi, could have said: "I cry because the people do not 5love love."

When we are reminded in these solemn days of the name of Tolstoy we should remember that simply recalling to our memory his name or reading his works is just the beginning of a true celebration in honor of this great man.

The greatest celebration will take place only when we all shall regard each other in the same way in which Tolstoy regarded all men, and when we shall all begin to realize in our lives those illuminating and lofty ideas which have been preached to humanity by this great godly man.