THE CRIMEAN VOYAGE OF THE FRENCH WRITER THERESE BENTSON. MEETING IN GASPRA WITH LEO NIKOLAYEVICH TOLSTOY. 1901

Therese Bentson (Marie-Therese de Solmes; Marie-Therese Blanc; 1840–1907) was a famous French writer, journalist, translator, author of novels, narratives, critical and literary works. She carried out trip to Malorossia and Crimea, to Moscow and St. Petersburgin August – October 1901 and described her voyage in the book «Walks in Russia» (Paris, 1903). This book has never been fully translated into Russian or published in Russia. Her stay in Crimea took place in the middle and second half of September, 1901. Therese Bentson devoted to the Crimean voyage two chapters of her book. She visited Simferopol, Sevastopol and its surroundings, many places of the Crimean Southern Coast and described her meeting with Leo Tolstoy in Gaspra in detail. He rested and worked at the estate of Countess Sofia Panina. They talked about French literature and French translations of his works, about upbringing and education, about war and the army, religion and the church, about morality and human behavior in society. Therese Bentson highly appreciated his work and shared his views (although she did not agree with everything). The story of Therese Bentson’s acquaintance and conversation with Leo Tolstoy, and the impression that he made on her, is another touch to the portrait of the Russian writer. It makes important addition to our understanding of French literature of the 19th and early 20th centuries and relations between Russia and France in that period as well.