The Leo Tolstoy House-Museum "Khamovniki" is an ancient Moscow estate located in the Central Administrative District of Moscow at 21 Leo Tolstoy Street. Surrounded by modern buildings, it represents a preserved oasis of parkland among high-rises.

Leo Tolstoy acquired the estate in 1882 from college secretary I.A. Arnautov at the suggestion of his friend Count Olsufyev. Vasily Olsufyev, who lived nearby, noted that Tolstoy would be able to visit him by crossing from garden to garden, as well as walk through the garden to the Sparrow Hills, which became the decisive factor.

Sofia Alexandrovna, the writer's wife, wrote that Tolstoy was attracted by the opportunity to live in a large and noisy city, like in a country estate, in a wooden house with a large garden. Moreover, their children had grown up: the eldest, Sergey, entered Moscow University, and the teenagers Ilya and Andrey needed to be enrolled in gymnasium, while their 17-year-old daughter Tatyana needed to be brought "into society." Therefore, the Tolstoy family moved to Moscow, spending the warm season in Yasnaya Polyana.

A gate was made between the Olsufyev estate, which had 12 children, and the equally large Tolstoy family, allowing neighbors, especially the children, to visit each other often.

There was enough space in the yard for games. In winter, an ice rink was flooded in front of the house for skating. In the middle of the garden, a high hill was piled up, where the children loved to play year-round. The hill offered a beautiful view of the estate and the surrounding area, so Leo Tolstoy also enjoyed spending time there and even wrote.

Around the estate, there were three factories: a weaving mill, a perfumery, and a brewery, as well as workers' dormitories. On the fourth side was a psychiatric hospital, whose patients sometimes climbed over the fence into the Tolstoy garden. Behind the brewery was the Maiden Field, where noisy public festivities took place.

The estate was quite noisy due to the sounds of factory work, the horns at 5 a.m. signaling the start of the workday, and the conversations of workers. However, Leo Tolstoy believed that such an environment was interesting and useful, as it helps to study real life.

The great writer lived in this house for 19 winters until spring 1901, spending every summer in Yasnaya Polyana.

While living in the Moscow estate, Leo Tolstoy wrote about a hundred works, including the novel "Resurrection," the stories "The Kreutzer Sonata," "The Death of Ivan Ilyich," "Father Sergius," as well as philosophical and journalistic articles. This cozy house was visited by friends of the Tolstoy family: A.M. Gorky, V.G. Korolenko, A.P. Chekhov, I.E. Repin, A.N. Scriabin, V.A. Serov, S.V. Rachmaninoff, F.I. Shalyapin.

The ancient estate, built in 1805, has been well preserved. After the purchase, Leo Tolstoy added a second floor, adding three rooms and a grand staircase. The wooden house, fenced with a carved fence, has remained almost unchanged. By the end of the 19th century, the area ceased to be an estate, and in 1901, the Tolstoy family returned to Yasnaya Polyana.

Since November 20, 1921, the former home of Tolstoy has become a memorial museum, part of the State Museum of L.N. Tolstoy. This museum association also includes the Literary Exhibition on Prechistenka, the Tolstoy Exhibition Center on Pyatnitskaya, the Cultural Center in Zheleznovodsk, and the memorial museum "Astapovo."