Alexis N. Tolstoy sketched the enigmatic figure of his ancestor, Peter, in the vast canvas of a Muscovy changing into Russia, which he unrolled in his epic historical novel Peter I. After swapping sides and abandoning the conservative party of old Moscow for the camp of Tsar Peter's followers, Peter Tolstoy rose to become one of the leading statesmen and was rewarded with the title of Count. His numerous progeny included the towering giant Leo, the talented poet and dramatist Alexis K., and several minor writers. So Alexis N. Tolstoy belonged not only to a titled family of aristocrats, but to a literary dynasty as well.