On the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Embassy of India in the Russian Federation in collaboration with the State Duma of the Russian Federation will organize an Exhibition dedicated to the deep friendship and mutual influences of Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy on each other’s work and philosophy.
The Exhibition, curated by renowned Gandhi scholar, Dr. Birad Yajnik, will showcase the correspondence between the two great souls of the 20th century, tracing their relationship and the impact this had on their individual journeys. The interaction was over a period of less than a year over letters and exchange of books. It was such a significant exchange of ideas that Mahatma Gandhi recognized Leo Tolstoy among the 3 most important influencers of his life along with John Ruskin and Shrimad Rajchandra (Raichand). The exhibition juxtaposes Leo Tolstoy’s Bread Labour and Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha, and their understanding of Truth, Kindness and Love being the solution for this world. Their belief in Non-violent resistances and the merits of vegetarianism.
The exhibition would quote from the collected works of Mahatma Gandhi, display copies of the books that influenced the two great souls and share a timeline. The exhibits would be the famous “Letter To A Hindoo, the books “Kingdom of God Resides Within You, “Indian Home Rule, and the correspondence between them along with the time line.
