Anna, one of the daughters of A.K. Perovsky, was married off to Count K.P. Tolstoy, who was significantly older than her. The marriage turned out to be unhappy, and after the birth of a child, Anna Alexeyevna decided to leave her husband, settling with her son in the estate of her brother A. Perovsky, known in literary circles by the pseudonym Antoniy Pogorelskiy. He became a spiritual mentor for his nephew.

Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy recalls: "When I was six weeks old, my mother and my uncle Aleksey Alekseevich Perovsky, who later became the guardian of Kharkov University and was known in Russian literature as Antoniy Pogorelskiy, took me to Little Russia. He raised me, and I spent my early years in his estate." When Alyosha grew older, he was moved to St. Petersburg. Rumors about the relationship between the Perovsky siblings and that Alyosha's real father was his uncle were not confirmed.

In St. Petersburg, Anna Alexeyevna immersed herself in the world of balls and high society salons. As she aged, she increasingly sought the attention of men, reminding herself of her past youth. Despite her kindness and generosity, she did not know the limits of her will and spent money without measure. In the shops that supplied outfits to the court, she ordered the same fabrics as the empress. At one of the celebrations, Anna Alexeyevna appeared in a hat with white ostrich feathers, like the empress. Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich noticed this and expressed his displeasure, but Anna did not change her habits.

In 1835, Aleksey Alekseevich Perovsky passed away. Before his death, he summoned "Anniynka's friend" and his nephew to arrange his property and debts. All his estates passed to Alyosha, but Anna Alexeyevna was to manage them. She could not believe in her brother's serious condition and wept bitterly.

After her brother's death, Anna Alexeyevna and Aleksey Konstantinovich moved to the estate of Krasny Rog. Anna became engrossed in economic activities, moved the wing, and imposed strict rules for the peasants, who were used to Perovsky's leniency. Outraged by the new rules, the peasants attacked the chief forester and beat him. Anna Alexeyevna was described as a strong and authoritative woman who had a significant influence on her son. She kept him under close watch and was skeptical of his girlfriends. Aleksey Konstantinovich once went against his mother and married S.A. Miller, despite her protests.

From the 1850s, Anna Alexeyevna began to fall ill. On the night of June 2, 1857, she passed away. The day before, she had been visiting with her son, and upon returning, she went to sleep. In the morning, Aleksey Konstantinovich, worried, knocked on her door, but it was locked. Breaking down the door, he found his mother lying with her hand outstretched. The doctor from the Winter Palace could not revive her.

Konstantin Petrovich Tolstoy was informed of the incident, and he came. Father and son spent the night by the coffin, and in the morning, they said their warm goodbyes, agreeing to meet at the funeral. Anna Alexeyevna was buried in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, not far from St. Petersburg, on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland.