Ilya Lvovich Tolstoy, the third child of the renowned Russian writer and philosopher Leo Tolstoy, was born to his father's 48-year marriage to Sonya Behrs, which produced a total of 13 children. Despite the loss of five siblings who died at birth or in infancy, the remaining eight, including Ilya, survived to adulthood and pursued diverse careers.
Ilya himself embarked on a multifaceted career in the United States, which he arrived in around 1918, coinciding with the Russian Revolution. He initially worked as a journalist, contributing articles about his famous father in Russia. Additionally, Ilya served as a consultant on several Hollywood films featuring Russian themes, including "Resurrection" and "Love" in 1927.
In one of these films, Ilya Tolstoy even made a brief on-screen appearance, playing the role of his own father, Leo Tolstoy. Unfortunately, his life in the United States was marked by poverty, and he passed away in a New York hospital in 1933.
Ilya Lvovich Tolstoy's children were:
1. Anna Tolstoy (1888- )
2. Mikhail Tolstoy (1893-1919)
3. Andrei Tolstoy (1895-1920)
4. Ilya Jr. Tolstoy (1896- )
5. Vera Tolstoy (1898-)
