One potato at a time (Russia 1891)

In the winter of 1891, famine swept across parts of southern Russia. Villages struggled to feed their families. Crops had failed, and the snow came early. Hunger spread faster than help.

In Yalta, Leo Tolstoy set aside his writing and joined a local relief committee. But he did not only plan or advise. He walked from house to house collecting potatoes. Some neighbors gave willingly. Others hesitated, their own stores low. Tolstoy listened, spoke gently, and left with small sacks of food.

Each sack was marked and recorded. Each name remembered. He wanted the work to be honest.

The food went to families who had none. No speeches were made. No one applauded. Just children eating warm meals and mothers sleeping a little easier.

Later, Tolstoy wrote about peace and God and conscience. But during that cold winter, he practiced all of it quietly, one potato at a time.