 Tolstoy akaberekerwa paYasnaya Polyana, imba yemhuri kumaodzanyemba kwakadziva kumadokero kweTula, uye kumaodzanyemba kweMoscow. Akanga ari wechina pavana vashanu va Count Nikolai Ilyich Tolstoy 17941837, murwi wehondo yePatriot ye1812, uye Countess Mariya Tolstaya née Volkonskaya; 17901830. Amai vake vakafa paakanga ava nemakore maviri uye baba vake paakanga ava nemakore mapfumbamwe. Tolstoy nevaninina vake vakarerwa nehama dzavo. Muna 1844, akatanga kudzidza zvemitemo uye mitauro yokuMabvazuva paKazan University, uye vadzidzisi vaiti aisagona uye aisada kudzidza. Tolstoy akasiya yunivhesiti pakati pezvidzidzo zvake, akadzokera kuYasnaya Polyana uye ipapo akapedza nguva yakawanda muMoscow, Tula neSaint Petersburg, achitungamirira mararamiro asina hanya uye akasununguka. Akatanga kunyora munguva iyi, kusanganisira bhuku rake rokutanga rinonzi Childhood, nhoroondo yokufungidzira youduku hwake, iyo yakabudiswa muna 1852. Muna 1851, pashure pokuva nechikwereti chakakura chokubhejera, akaenda nomukoma wake kuCaucasus ndokupinda muchiuto. Tolstoy akashanda semukuru wechidiki wemapurisa panguva yeHondo yeCrimea uye aive muSevastopol panguva yekukombwa kwemwedzi gumi nerimwe kweSevastopol muna 1854-55, kusanganisira Hondo yeChernaya. Mukati mehondo akazivikanwa nokuda kwoushingi hwake uye akasimudzirwa kuva lieutenant. Akakatyamadzwa nenhamba yevakafa muhondo, uye akasiya uto pakapera Hondo yeCrimea. 