The Azerbaijan State Translation Centre (AzSTC) has produced a documentary archival material about Lev Tolstoy’s daughter Alexandra Tolstaya’s visit to the Turkish city of Van by the Red Cross as a representative of the Russian Empire, where she witnessed atrocities committed by Armenian militants against Turks. AzSTC has sent the video footage with subtitles in English, Russian, Turkish, Persian, Arabic, Georgian, French, Ukrainian, Spanish and German languages to accredited foreign embassies and consulates to the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as distributed among relevant media bodies, influential global internet and social networks.

Lev Tolstoy’s Daughter About Armenians’ Vandalism

Alexandra Tolstaya (1884-1979), the daughter of the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, is the founder of the famous Yasnaya Polyana Museum and the Tolstoy Foundation, as well as the author of books on art and journalism.

In 1915, Alexandra Tolstaya was sent to the Turkish city of Van by the Red Cross as a representative of the Russian Empire, where she witnessed the atrocities committed by Armenian militants against the Turks, and she wrote what she had seen in her diary.

“... Wholly trashed Van city...

…The Armenians set fire to the Turkish districts of the city; as the buildings made of clay were hardly flammable, they were burnt separately...'

The Turks laid siege to the mountain fortress occupied by the Armenians. The latter fought for the fortress like savages Women made shells night and day and threw them at the Turks. The bodies of the dead were thrown into the lake... 

* * *

We entered two large empty school buildings. Dirty, lifeless bodies covered with rags on the floor. They are Turks ... men, women, old and young people, children...

Babies’ groans, sobs, delusions ...

Dirty, weak hands are reaching out to us ... Women shout crying, begging us for help: 'Madam, Madam!'...

My eyes stuck to a woman, whose arms were strangely falling to her sides, as if she were dead. Her slow moan was barely audible …

In response to my puzzled looks, Mr. Yarrow of the Red Cross from America explained to me the situation: ‘Her arms were pulled off.’

'Who did it?' Why did they do it? ‘During clashes with the Armenians’... ‘Did the Armenians do it? Why did they torture such an ordinary woman?’ - I asked in surprise. ‘But I have read in the newspapers that it was the Turks who committed atrocities here and massacred the Armenians. I do not understand anything ...

Mister Yarrow: ‘Here in Van we witnessed the atrocities of the Armenians that tarnished the good name of humanity. Armenians cut off women's breasts, pull their arms, hands off, break their legs ... I saw with my own eyes these inhuman atrocities, innocent  victims ...’