Sevastopol Sketches

In the Sevastopol Sketches, Leo Tolstoy evocatively recollects his experiences at the Siege of Sevastopol in 1854-1855, over the course of three short stories. Although the trio of tales which comprise the Sevastopol Sketches are ostensibly fictional and written in the second person, they accurately recall Tolstoy's experiences as a young man witnessing the Crimean War. All three possess philosophical overtones, with the overarching theme being a vilification of war as a wasteful, senseless and foolish expenditure of human life. The stories are as follows: The first opens in December 1854. Tolstoy arrives at the city of Sevastopol, which by that time had already hosted much conflict. The results of the fighting are portrayed in Tolstoy's vivid descriptions of the makeshift field hospital. Horrendous wounds, amputations and misery pervade the air, as many of the soldiers must make do without beds to rest upon. In the second story, set in May 1855, further damage and horror has been inflicted upon Sevastopol. Alluding to the continuing destruction, Tolstoy discusses the psychological aspects of war, and the spirit which drives acts of heroism. He criticizes truces as a false show of humanity; for conflicts inevitably arise anew between the parties. The final story takes us to August 1855. Here Tolstoy discusses the conclusion of the siege, wherein Russia's defeated and exhausted forces undertake a tactical retreat from the city grounds. The characters of Mikael and Vladamir Kozeltsov are explored; the pair are brothers who fight (and ultimately perish) for the Russian cause. The Sevastopol Sketches establish Tolstoy as a pacifist who considered war to be one of the most depraved and lamentable events characterizing mankind. Years after publishing these sketches, Tolstoy would draw upon the Siege of Sevastopol as a critical supplement to the narrative of his epic novel - War and Peace.